Moush Songs - Zulal Trio

Zulal, which means “clear water,” is a NY based Armenian a cappella trio that features Teni Apelian, Yeraz Markarian, and Anaïs Tekerian. The trio rearranges and reimagines traditional Armenian folk melodies for stage and recording.  Performing since 2002, Zulal has sung at venues such as the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall. In addition to performance and arrangement, Zulal also creates soundtracks for film and theater and offers educational workshops for young audiences.

Zulal celebrates the trials and joys of old Armenian village life, from the echoes of loss to the enduring vibrations of dance and celebration. Girls cast fortunes by the moon’s light, morning smoke rises from the tonir, young brides weave golden threads through their hair as others spin wool into gossip. These images of the past come to life in Zulal’s arrangements, hearkening back to a simpler time, providing tokens of comfort in our increasingly complex, modern world. Explore Zulal further at www.zulal.org.

1. Gago Mare

Traditional, sung here in the different dialects and melodies from Moush, Van, and Mogs.

This unique arrangement by Zulal combines four different dialects and melodic variations of a song in which a girl asks her family to arrange her marriage. She says, “Father, Mother, have me married.  I’m as pretty as a red rose, or even a narcissus flower. I’m as sweet as an elegant crane from the wild.”  Being “marketable” for those days, she is picky. She does not want the merchant, nor the tailor, nor the teacher, for those men will lose themselves in coins, threads, and letters, and forget her. She longs for the shepherd boy who will feed her milk from a black ewe, and lull her to sleep in the mountain wind.

Melody 1: Mogs

Gago Mamo garka zis
Ham gyul’v, ham vart, ham nargiz
Haroosd martoo mi door zis
Erdzat hamra morna zis

Ham gyul’v, ham vart, ham nargiz
Cholee groong yergen viz
Gartatsoghin mi door zis
Kirk gu garta morna zis

Father, Mother, have me married
(I’m as pretty as a) red rose and narcissus
Don’t give me to the rich man
He’ll count his silver coins and forget me

(I’m as pretty as a) red rose and narcissus
A wild long-necked crane
Don’t give me to the learned man
He’ll read books and forget me

Melody 2: Moush/Daron

Yesi chem arner varjabed
Gerta tbrots morna zis
Ham gyul ham vart ham nergiz
Cholee groong ergen viz

Yesi chem arner karnarar
Karner dani morna zis
Ham gyul ham vart ham nergiz
Babov mamov garkek zis

I won’t take the teacher
He’ll go to school and forget all about me
(I’m as pretty as a) red rose and narcissus
A wild long-necked crane

I won’t take the shepherd
He’ll follow his sheep and forget me
(I’m as pretty as a) red rose and narcissus
Father, Mother, arrange my marriage.

Melody 3: Van

Jan oy jan oy jan oy jan
Jan oy gurner tookh marjan
Choolhag martoo mi dek zis
Zhurzhni mana dzedze zis

Charchi martoo mi dek zis
Hamre osgi morna zis
Cholee guroong ergen viz
Apo dade garkek zis

(Exclamation of profound love)
[gurner] dark stone (like ebony)
Don’t give me to the weaver
Who will weave his threads and beat me

Don’t give me to the merchant
He’ll count his gold and forget me
(as pretty as a) wild long-necked crane
Father, Mother, arrange my marriage.

Gago, Mare garke zis
Cholee guroong ergen viz
Varzhabedoo mi doo zis
Kir gu juzhe, morna zis

Hoy hoy hoy hoy, hoy nargiz
Nani Babo garke zis
Hoviv martoo too doo zis
Sari hover man da zis
Tookh makyoo gat khumtsoo zis
Arni ir kirg kuntsoo zis

Hoy hoy hoy hoy, hoy nargiz
Cholee guroong ergen viz
Hoviv martoo too doo zis
Arni ir kirg kuntsoo zis

Elders, set me up
A wild long-necked crane
Don’t give me to the teacher
He’ll write and forget me

Oh, oh, a narcissus flower
Grandma, grandpop, set me up!
Give me to the shepherd
He’ll walk me in the mountain winds
He’ll feed me milk from a dark sheep,
hold me in his lap and lull me to sleep

2. Katser Im Shugen [I Went to the Market]

A humorous song, traditional

Three young women recount stories from a day at the market where it was the men, rather than the produce, who caught their eye. One woman goes to buy apricots, (dziran) and instead, sees [the handsome] Mihran. She says, “Mihran, if your destiny is already written out for you and does not include me, may you forever remain wifeless!” The second woman wants to buy needles (asegh) and instead, sees [the irresistible] Parsegh. The third sets out to buy parsley (maghdanos) and instead, sees [the ellusive] Boghos…

Katser im shoogen
Arer im dziran
Tsen dughen garnim
Anoonn e Mihran

Mihran, jan, Mihran, Mihran
Gudag choonenas
Te doo zis charnis
Angunig munas!

Katser im shoogen
Arer im asegh
Tsen dughen garnim
Anoonn e Parsegh

Parsegh, jan, Parsegh, Parsegh
Gudag choonenas
Te doo zis charnis
Angunig mnas!

Katser im shoogen
Arer im maghdanos
Tsen dughen garnim
Anoonn e Boghos

Boghos, jan, Boghos, Boghos
Gudag choonenas
Te doo zis charnis
Angunig munas!

3. Kele Lao (Come, Let Us Go, My Son)

A song of yearning from Talin

This song is the resonating voice of the Armenians who have been displaced and long for their ancestral home. The song recalls old village traditions and beliefs, in an attempt to capture the essence of days long gone.

Come, let us go, my son. Let us go to the fields where there are healing herbs, where birds sing beak to beak, where sparrows clap wing to wing. Without us, the stones shed tears. Our mothers and fathers are there. Their sweet voices are calling. Can we hear them and still not go? Come, my son, let us go to our homeland.

Kele lao, kele ertank mur ergir,
Ertank Undzor, kaghink madghash khavurdzil
Kaghink, kaghink, enink muzi degh oo jar.
Kele lao, kele ertank mur ergir.

Hon arosner gudoots gudtsi gu yerkin,
Dzidzernagner tevig tevig gu dzapin.
Karern arants muzi artsoonk gu tapin.
Kele lao, kele ertank mur ergir.

Mer hern endegh, mer mern endegh gu dzaghgin.
Anoosh gilan murmoor dzenov gu ganchin
Imal geghni? Imal chertank mur ergir?
Eli lao, eli ertank mur ergir

Kele lao, kele ertank mur ergir

Let’s go, my son, let’s go to our homeland,
Let’s go to the valley, pluck tender rhubarb
and make medicines and a way out for ourselves.
Let’s go, my son, let’s go to our homeland.

The bustards sing beak-to-beak,
The Swallows clap wing-to-wing.
The stones cry without us.
Let’s go, my son, let’s go to our homeland.

Our father and mother bloom in that land
They cry sweetly.  They call us with hushed voices.
How can it be? How can we not go to our homeland?
Get up, my son, get up, we’re going to our homeland.

Let’s go, my son, let’s go to our homeland

4. Msho Keghen [The Village of Moush]

A lyric song from Moush

Musho Keghen yergoo hars
Muderen ked, gu loghen
Yeleren ap, gu toghen
Kants nuran had, gu shoghen

Hay nay nay nay…
Nay nay khorod yar

Musho tashden man ergel
Meg Mourad meg Meghraked
Tashdits gichnim arahed
Arnim im yar, mudnim ked

Hay nay nay nay…
Nay nay khorod yar

Musho keghen yergu ked
Musho keghen yergu ked
Meg Mourad, meg Meghraked
Yertan tapvin Yeprad ked

Hay nay nay nay…
Nay nay khorod ya

In the village of Moush, there are two brides
They’ve entered the river to swim
They rise to the shores and shiver
Shimmering like pomegranate seeds

Hay nay nay…
My adorable sweet

In the fields of Moush, walking
Two rivers, one Murat, one Meghraked
I follow a footpath in the fields
To fetch my love and enter the river

Hay nay nay…
My adorable sweet

In the village of Moush, there are two rivers
In the village of Moush, there are two rivers
One Murat, one Meghraked
They flow and join the Euphrates

Na na na…
Na na na, my adorable sweet