English title Zartir lao Published 1890s | Written Fahrat Language Armenian | |
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"Zartir lao" (Armenian: Զարթի՛ր, լաօ) is a popular Armenian folk song. Created in the 1890s, it praises the prominent fedayi leader Arabo and is a wake up call for struggle against the Turks.
Contents
Origin
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 Caucasus, his group was surrounded in a gorge near Bulanikh. Everyone in his group was killed, including Arabo himself.
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»), "Brave Arabo's song" («Քաջ Արաբոյի երգ»), "Msheti's song" («Մշեցու երգ»), "Zartir lao" («Զարթիր լաօ»), etc.
Composition
The song is stylistically similar to other traditional Armenian lullabies, but with a 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 for a military struggle against the Turks. The mother points out Arabo as an example for her son to enlist as a fedayi for the liberation of Armenia. The song's tone is revealed with the doublet line «զարթիր լաօ, մեռնիմ քեզի» ("wake up my dear son, I'll die for you"), which is a call for struggle to all Armenians.
Recorded versions
In popular culture
Lyrics
This one is the most common versions of the song lyrics in Armenian, its transliteration and the English translation:
Other variants
Many variants of the song exist nowadays.