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Moush – Song and Dance
Author: Armine Hakobyan, Translator: Simon Beugekian
Msho ashkharh anoush e,
Sarn ou tsorn msoush e,
Husis kamin kshe zis
Our dzotsi mech taghe zis. [1]
The town of Moush has been mentioned in historic records since ancient times. Research has linked the etymology of the name of the city to various ancient tribes, geographic appellations, political events, or other natural phenomena. According to widely accepted tradition, the name of Moush is considered to be a derivative of the Armenian word mshoush, meaning fog. Legend holds that the Goddess Astghig, the goddess of fertility and love in the ancient Armenian pantheon, would cause fog to descend around her while she bathed in the River Arsanias near Moush (modern-day River Murat, also called the Eastern Euphrates) [2]. The echoes of this pagan myth can also be found in the dance song Msho Sarer Mshoush e, transcribed by Gomidas:
Msho Sarer Mshoush eh [3]
MUSIC SCORES PDF
Msho sarer mshoush er
Har naz, har naz
Har nargis.
Msho khod chour anoush er,
Har naz, har naz
Har nargis.
This is an example of a simple popular ditty, also called Le-Le in Gomidas’s time, and that’s the name given to it in his original transcription. Two more verses of it were also widely known –
Msho gakav hergen viz,
Msho marter ghochakh er. [4]
Another unique song that Gomidas transcribed from the Moush area was titled Mshetsots Bingeol, which resembles a ballad [5].
A Bingeol is a type of song that is structured around vocal improvisation, unique in the catalogue of historical Armenian music. Bingeols were particularly popular in Western Armenian communities, and individual songs were usually named after specific regions or areas, attesting to the origin and/or the style of the song. Bingeols were sung both in Armenian and in Turkish [6]. Gomidas’s source for his transcription of Mshetsots Bingeolwas a man from Moush named Moushegh [7].
Musicologist R. Atayan affirms that Mshetsots Bingeol, in view of its aesthetic and technical characteristics, as well as its emotional impact on listeners, can be distinguished from run-of-the-mill folk compositions of the time, and can be classified as a professional-popular work of music [8]. In fact, Atayan considers the song to be a prototypical example of professional-popular music, worthy of classification as one of the many folkloric treasures unearthed by Gomidas [9].
Moushetsots Bingeol (Turkish) [10]
Kharpourt yoli vourtoum keltim
Bingeol – svi nartan akar
Araz – svi pogh – boulaghlar kealeim
Chayir-chiman savough soular bingeoli, bingeoli.
Gharli taghlar ashar ashar
Poura kyaltem bingeol taghna,
Slvan-slvan gharli taghlar kealeim…
Chichak sempoul kul halamshar ashar yoli bingeoli.
Odes and Historic Songs
Among the odes and historic songs transcribed by Gomidas, of particular interest is Sourp Garabedn er Mshetsi. Many Armenian songs are dedicated to Saint Garabed, perhaps the most beloved and renowned of Armenian saints, and the pilgrimage site (monastery) associated with him. These songs often praised the miraculous properties of the pilgrimage site [11]. This particular transcription of the ode to Saint Garabed, transcribed by Gomidas – as well as all other surviving versions of the ode [12] – feature a highly developed and unique melody, resembling a ballad [13].
Sourp Garabedn Er Mshetsi [14]
Sourp Garabedn er Mshetsi
Tor vor gatsi na hishetsi
Mditses yelav, nsda latsi
Mourads yelov, yela knatsi.
Mouradadour Sourp Garabed!
Sourp Garabed partser degh e,
Ou chors polor Hayots kegh e.
Madagh perin karan ou makin,
Madagh erin sourp Giragin.
Mouradadour Sourp Garabed!
Sourp Garabed partsrig polor,
Ir jampakhn al volor-molor,
Ir tourn gukan shad oukhdavor,
Vor bayavor, vor tsiavor.
Bayavorin mourad ida,
Tsiavorin garmir khntsor.
Mouradadour Sourp Garabed!
Satirical songs
Among the songs transcribed by Gomidas, Mayram Ganchek Hanek Tours stands out as an example of a satirical song, featuring popular humor and parodies.
Mayram Ganchek Hanek Tours [15]
Mayram Ganchek Hanek Tours
Asdvadz arner aziz lous.
Additional verses were written to the tune of “Van Songs” by Spiridon Melikian and K. Kartashian [16]:
Arevn arne louse lous
Mayram ganchek togh gya dus,
Es inch khosk er ikha dus,
Asdvadz arner aziz lous.
Maryam aroun trer i,
Derder yakhen brnir i,
Yergou chamich dver i,
Desvergou bak arer i,
Alouchi dzar tzaghger er,
Mayrame dage barger er,
Alouchi dzare godjger er,
Mayramou por dedjger er.
Hay Maryam, Maryam, Maryam,
Jan Maryam, Maryan, Maryam,
Jan Maryam, Maryan, Maryam,
Im jan ker janin hayran.
Another version of this song, in the form of a poem, appears in the third volume of Armenian Song and Verse. The author, Mihran Tumajan, was able to record A. Alikhanian, a singer specializing in songs of Moush, reciting it as follows [17]:
Lousnagn yelav, lousne louys
Mayram ganchek hanenk tours,
Ad inch khosk er tsekets tours
De…
Der… Avdoulin harsner…
Mayram hichi khiyarnots,
Kagher khiyar, letsouts dzots,
Garav ir vezi veznots.
De vourma, vourma, vourma,
Choukhd me maki ghavourma.
Gakav haver getsetsin,
Garmi kinin khemtsoutsin.
Lousnag tseker badin dag,
Mayram barger cheli dag.
Avdali tour shesherov,
Mayram darin kisherov.
Wedding Songs
Among the many songs from Moush transcribed by Gomidas, there are several weddings songs, including Ver Eli, Hay!; Kharsig Ver Are!; Me Korse Tanina; and Shvage Zave. Wedding ceremonies in Moush were unique, and included many rites – the arrangement of the marriage between families, the first visit of the groom’s family to see the bridge, the engagement, the first shared meal, the first visit of the groom to the bride, khoncha-pokhcha (the sending of presents by the groom to the bride prior to the wedding), dashdadronk (a gathering of the bride’s and groom’s relatives on the Friday prior to the wedding), azbalvatsk (the laundering of the groom’s clothes for the last time before the groom is married), hinatrek (the sending of a meal of bread and fruits from the groom’s home to the bride’s home), gendrel/trash (the procession that leads the groom, dressed in his wedding suit, to his new home), the wedding, etc. Naturally, for the inhabitants of Moush, song and dance were an integral part of most of these traditional wedding rites.
The people of Moush were superstitious. Weddings were arranged by families while their children were still in their cradles. Songs called ororotsakhaz (cradle tunes) were sung over the cradle to mark the occasion of the choice of the infant’s future mate (the infant’s parents would draw a musical note on the roof of the cradle while singing these songs) [18]. In some cases grooms and brides only met each other for the first time on the day of their wedding. The wedding ceremony itself was accompanied by songs, dances, and unique local rituals. For example, this song was sung while the bride was dressed in her wedding gown [19]
Dnig ou shemkig,
El touk mik jaja!
Menk ink jajalou,
Shoghig danelou.
Aghprig el chedzemdzemas,
Maghig el chekhelvelas
Menk ink erralou,
Shoghig yeramen chogelou.
Kisher, tou dari yeghir!
Aghotran tou le heratsir,
Mer yeram hasrat hanir!
Es antarts, oghoup orin.
As the bride left her parents’ home, her pockets would be filled with raisins and a few pairs of small socks. At this time, the girls around her would sing [20] –
Chchamich maghov maghetsin,
Shogheri jeper letsretsin,
Chgharip jampa tretsin.
Tradition also proscribed the sweeping of the bride’s parental home immediately after her departure, in order, supposedly, to stave off a disaster befalling her parental home. The girls in the bridal party would sing [21] –
Merig, me avli zedakhdig,
Vor chavir kou aghchega hedig,
Tegh mna ki nmoushig,
Vor hanis kou serdi hasratig.
The bridal party, in the countryside, would place wheat in the bride’s shoe to invite good fortune. In the city, the wheat was replaced with spare change [22]. Meanwhile, the groom’s party would attempt to steal a lid [pot lid?] from the bride’s home, supposedly to ensure that she would be acquiescent; and a spoon, supposedly to ensure that her fortune would not remain behind in her parental home [23].
Then, accompanied by musicians playing the dhol and the zurna, the bride would be led to the church. As the bride was led out of her parental home, the following song would be sung [24] –
Kharsig Ver Are! [25]
MUSIC SCORES PDF
Khars ver ari, naz me ane!
Peshert dour ver, toz mi ane.
Khars, ver ari ko takhden,
Kankead m’ane ko pakhden.
Khars, ver ari ko otits,
Kankead m’ane ko pakhdits. [26]
After the end of the church ceremony, the bride and groom would be led to their new bridal home. As they approached the home, the following would be sung –
Takvori her durs ari,
Pounch me shoushan ink peri,
Takvori mer, durs ari,
Top mi khoutn ink peri,
Takvori aghper, durs ari,
Abeshme pejgir m’ink peri. [27]
In the countryside, the groom’s mother would meet the couple carrying bread. She would place a piece of bread on the bride’s head, then would begin dancing holding the rest of the bread. Meanwhile, a member of the wedding party would come forward and break a jug right in front of the newly married couple. This act was believed to ward off ill fortune. Some of the other members of the families, from the nearby roofs, would shower the bride with raisins, walnuts, and even spare change. The priest would then invite the groom’s mother to kiss the Bible, while one of the older members of the wedding party would recite the following [28] –
Ov chaghamat! Hantisagank,
Touk le orhnek mer takvorin
Vor mer choukhdag dzelin dzaghgin,
Entrants bedoughk mangounk yeghnen.
Touk orhnelov mer arev-lousin,
Menk le ge khentrenk verin horin,
Vor merchoukhdagi aghoupatin
Parov kherov vortikt hasnin.
The song Ver Eli, Hay! was sung to invite the mother of the groom to dance [29] –
Ver Eli, Hay! [30]
Ver eli, hay! Ver eli!
Kharsi gesour, ver eli!
Ver eli, hay! Ver eli!
Takvori mer, ver eli!
Two other interesting wedding songs transcribed by Gomidas are Me Kors Tanina and Shegave Zave. Even though the songs are in Kurdish, they are prototypical Armenian wedding songs of Moush. The musical qualities of the songs have little in common with other Kurdish songs, while on the other hand they resemble traditional Armenian songs, specifically those that praise the groom. The meter used at the end of the songs also attests to their antiquity.
These songs were included among Gomidas’s collection of Armenian folk songs of the countryside. In the original manuscript, Gomidas included the note “Kurdish. Transcribe the tune” [31].
Me Korse Tanina (Kurdish) [32]
There are no lyrics for this song.
Shegave Zave (Kurdish) [33]
MUSIC SCORES PDF
Shegave zave taza,
Laog kher pezava.
Shegave zave taza,
Laog kher pezava.
Taji perenchi khasa,
Laog kher pezava.
The song Vay Mayrig, Zis Daran! was sung in praise of the bride. In its composition, it is a dance song; in its content, it is poetic; and in its dialectical purpose, it is a wedding song [34]. It contains words of praise for the bride (Nikyar mener haloug yegh), fond words of farewell (Vay mayrigs, zis daran!), as well as words of consolation (Daran, daran, togh danin!) This song was also sung, absent a wedding ceremony, as a dance song and a love song [35].
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