“We are few but We are called Armenians”

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See we do not put ourselves above anyone, but we know ourselves We are called Armenians And why should we not feel pride about that We are, We shall be, and become many.

XXX

“We are few but We are called Armenians”

We are few but we are called Armenians We do not put ourselves above anyone Simply we also admit that we, only we have Mount Ararat And that it is right here on the clear Sevan that the sky could make its exact duplicate Simply David has indeed fought right here Simply the Narek was written right here Simply we know how to build from the rock, a monastery How to make fish from stone, how to make man from clay To learn to become the student of the beautiful, the kind, the noble, and the good

We are few, but we are called Armenians We do not put ourselves above anyone Simply our fortune has just been so different Simply we have just shed too much blood Simply in our lives of centuries long When we were many and when we were strong Even then we did not oppress any nation See, centuries have come and centuries have passed Yet over no one have we become tyrants If we have enslaved, only with our eyes And if we have ruled, only with our books If we have prevailed, only with our talents And if we have ever oppressed, it has only been with our wounds

Simply with us death had fallen in love Yet we willingly did not give ourselves And when we were forced to leave our own land Where ever we reached, where ever we went Everywhere we left indelible trace We have joined efforts for everyone, always We plowed everywhere, we built bridges, we tied arches We plowed everywhere and we brought forth crops We gave everyone mind, proverbs, and songs Another words we defended them from spiritual coldness Every where we left our eyes reflection A peace of our soul and a sacrament from the heart itself

We are few, truly, but we are Armenians And by being few we do not succumb Because it is better to be few in life, then to control life by being many Because it is better rather to be few, then to be masters by being many Because it is better to be few, then to be swindlers We are few, yes, but we are Armenians And we know how to sigh from yet unhealed wounds But with a new juice we rejoice and we cheer We know how to thrust into the foe’s side And how to lend a helping hand to our friend How to repay goodness which was done to us by compensating for each one by ten And the benefit of it just in the sun We vote with our lives, not only with our hands Yet if they desire to rule us with force We know how to smoke and how to quench their fire And if it is needed to disperse darkness we can turn into ashes like burning candles And we know as well how to make love with lust And we do this always by respecting others See we do not put ourselves above anyone, but we know ourselves We are called Armenians And why should we not feel pride about that We are, We shall be, and become many

Baruyr Sevag (1924-1971), Armenian poet and literary critic

– Considered one of the greatest Armenian poets of the 20th century

Paruyr Sevak