Zartir lao
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Զարթի՛ր, լաօ/լաո" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Language | Armenian |
| English title | Zartir lao |
| Written | Fahrat |
| Published | 1890s |
| Songwriter | See text |
"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.
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
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
- Hovhannes Shahbazyan (2004)
- KOHAR Symphony Orchestra and Choir (2008) video
In popular culture
- The song appears in 1967 film Triangle, directed by Henrik Malyan. Triangle is a story which takes place in Leninakan during World War II, and "Zartir lao" is used as a call to fight against Nazi Germany.
- During the 2013 Armenian anti-government protests opposition MP Zaruhi Postanjyan sang the song in front of the Presidential Palace in Yerevan.[7][8]
