"Zartir lao" (Armenian: Զարթի՛ր, լաօ) is a popular Armenian revolutionary folk song. Composed in the 1890s, it praises the prominent fedayi leader Arabo and is a wake up call for Armenian liberation supporters against the Turk-branch of the Ottoman Army.

"Զարթի՛ր, լաօ/լաո"
Song
LanguageArmenian
English titleZartir lao
WrittenFahrat
Published1890s
Songwriter(s)See text

Origin

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Arabo, the hero of Zartir lao.

The song was originally written by Fahrat, an Armenian ashugh from Mush. The song's hero is Arabo, the famed fedayi, who is now presented as a symbol of the Armenian liberation movement. He mainly operated in Mush Plain and Sasun. In 1893, while returning from the Caucasus, his group was surrounded in a gorge near Bulanikh. Everyone in his group was killed, including Arabo himself.[1][2]

Over time its connection to Arabo's death was forgotten. This was traced in the evolution of the song's title: "Arabo's song" («Արաբոյի երգ»),[3] "Brave Arabo's song" («Քաջ Արաբոյի երգ»),[4] "Mshetsi's song" («Մշեցու երգ»),[5] "Zartir lao" («Զարթիր լաօ»),[6] etc.

Composition

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The song is stylistically similar to other traditional Armenian lullabies, but with the purpose of a wake up call. The mother is the central character. She tells her son about the miserable conditions of Armenians and calls him to a military struggle against the genocidal Turks. The mother points out Arabo as an example for her son to enlist as a fedayi (resistance fighter) for the liberation of Armenia. The song's tone is revealed with the doublet line «զարթիր լաօ, մեռնիմ քեզի» ("Arise my child, I beseech you"; literally Arise my child, I will die for you), which is a call for struggle to all Armenians.

Recorded versions

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External videos
  KOHAR - Zartir, Lao - All Time Armenian Favorites on YouTube
  23 January 2012, a group of Armenians sings "Zartir lao" in front of the French Senate, after it passed the genocide law on YouTube
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Lyrics

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Mush
Mush (Moush), now Muş in modern Turkey

This one is the most common version of the song's lyrics in Armenian, its transliteration and the English translation:[9]

Armenian Latin transcription English translation
Խուժան ասկեար զօրք է ժողուեր
Եկեր Մշոյ դաշտն է պատեր։
Սուլթան կ՚ուզէ ջնջել մզի.
Զարթի՛ր, լաօ, մռնիմ քզի։
Խեղճ մշեցին մեռաւ լալով,
Օտար երկիրներ ման գալով
Մեռաւ թուրքի պարտքը տալով.
Զարթի՛ր, լաօ, մռնիմ քզի։
Ի՞նչ անիծեմ թուրք ասկեարին,
Որ սպաննեց ջոջ Աբոյին։
Մեր յոյս թողեց օրօրոցին.
Զարթի՛ր, լաօ, մռնիմ քզի։
Khuzhan askyar zork e zhoghver
Yeker msho dashtn e pater.
Sultan k'uze jnjel mzi;
Zartir, lao, mrnim kzi.
Kheghch mshetsin merav lalov,
Otar yerkirner man galov
Merav turkin harkê talov;
Zartir, lao, mrnim kzi.
Inch anitsem turk askyarin,
Vor êspanets joj Aboyin.
Mer huys toghets ororotsin;
Zartir, lao, mrnim kzi.
The a couple of soldiers have been gathered
And have besieged the region of Moush.
The sultan wants to annihilate us;
Arise, my child, I beseech you.
The poor Moushetsi died grieving [for his lands],
As he traveled through foreign territories
He died exacting retribution to the Turks;
Arise, my child, I beseech you.
In what way to curse the Turk soldier,
Who killed our resistance fighter Arabo.
And left our hopes [of freedom] to next generation;
Arise, my child, I beseech you.

Other variants

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Many variants of the song exist nowadays.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ (in Armenian) «Մուրճ», 1895, համար 7, 1017-1018
  2. ^ (in Armenian) «Հայ ժողովրդի պատմություն», հատոր 6-րդ, էջ 238-240
  3. ^ (in Armenian) Ա. Բրուտյան, 1898, էջ 95-96
  4. ^ (in Armenian) Ա. Մխիթարյան, էջ 39-40
  5. ^ (in Armenian) «Վազգեն» երգարան, էջ 316
  6. ^ (in Armenian) «Ծաղկեփունջ» երգարան, Թիֆլիս, 1907, էջ 141
  7. ^ «Զարթիր, Լաո». երգը կատարում են Զարուհի Փոստանջյանը և Րաֆֆի Հովհաննիսյանի համակիրները (տեսանյութ) (in Armenian). 168 hours. 21 February 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  8. ^ 8 March 2013 protests
  9. ^ "Զարթիր լաո" (PDF). Arak-29 Charitable Foundation. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  10. ^ Garabedian, Kerovbe. The Songbook of Daron,1930, p. 39