Classic Poem

The Maid

Why dost thou sit silent at thy work?
Rise, come forth, hear what they say.
Oh unhappy one! Was this worthy of thee,
To be the bride of a Tartar?
Thou wert worthy to be the mistress,
The mistress of mistresses of the great prince;
And not to the wife of an infidel,
To have thy hands bound and become a slave.

The Daughter.

What dost thou say, o foolish maid!
I understand thee not, speak more clearly

The Maid

To day thy star is fallen and vanished,
Thy radiant sun is obscured.
Unhappy me! Unhappy thou Susanna!
Thou art to go a slave to Tartary,
Thou must forget thy bright faith,
And turn to the faith of Mahomet.

The Daughter

May thy tongue turn black, thy mouth become dry!
What news do they speak of?

The Maid

The great prince has given thee
To the Khan of Tartary to take thee with him.

The Daughter

O maids, maids, come, come,
Weep the misfortune of my lost head!
Black was the day of my birth,
On which I unhappy was born.
Mother, rise from thy tomb.
Hear the news of thy daughter,
My black fate has willed it so,
It has driven me alone to Tartary.
May pitiless death tear my soul away,
May the earth open and swallow me up.

The Maid

What sighs are these, young princess,
Salt-tears and bitter lamentation,
Let us all bear thy grief together,
Let us offer our heads for thee.
Where thou goest let us go also,
How can we forget thy bread and salt?
Can we see, with our eyes,
Thee going from us all alone?
Dry thy eyes and sooth thy grief,
Enough for thee, beat not thy breast.

The Old Woman

I have been sixty years at thy gate.
Thy father and grandfather were on my shoulders,
Born, brought up, and became princes.
I never saw such sorrow.
Open thy ear, and listen to my counsel,
Remember this old woman.
Wherever thou shalt go, and wherever thou shalt be,
Always hold fast thy bright faith,
Forget not our Armenian nation,
And always assist and protect it.

Forget not our Armenian nation;
And always assist and protect it.
Always keep in thy mind
To be useful to thy country.
Oh! God be with thee, farewell!
May Christ preserve thy bright sun!