Bedros Alahaidoyan Coll. 2 | Van

This page presents songs and dance music collected and recorded by musicologist Bedros Alahaidoyan. Beginning in the 1980s, Mr. Alahaidoyan traveled to cities and towns populated by Armenians throughout the Diaspora, in search for Genocide survivors from whom he collected rare songs and anecdotes of their native cities and villages.



Editing of this page, as well as music engraving and digitization, provided by Dzovig Markarian, DMA. Translation: Simon Beugekian.

On November 25, 1986, in Boston, Massachusetts, Bedros Alahaidoyan met Dr. Elizabeth Gregory, the daughter of Armenian Genocide survivors from Van.

Dr. Gregory informed Alahaidoyan that her actual surname was Kachperouni, and that she had changed it to Gregory in the late 1930s, in memory of her father, whose given name was Krikor.

Dr. Gregory also recounted that she had grown up listening to her mother’s singing. Her mother Mayis (who died in 1960) had been a member of a prosperous family in Van. Travelers always stopped at the family’s house to ask for a pittance of bread. Dr. Gregory’s mother, who was barely seven or eight years old at the time, would tell them – “Sing me a song first, then I’ll give you bread.” In this fashion, Mayis had learned countless songs, and was known in Van as the best of singers and she who “knew a thousand songs.”

Van castle (Van Kalesi) (Source: Victor Pietschmann, Durch kurdische Berge und armenische Städte, Wien, 1940)

Dr. Gregory’s father, Krikor Kachperouni, was a teacher in Van, and knew thousands of stories. The children would gather every night at the Kachperounis’ home, and would intently listen to Krikor tell his tales, as if he were a magician who had ensnared them. Krikor Kachperouni had also published a book.

Dr. Gregory had been a close friend of Yenovk Der Hagopian’s (1900-1966), a minstrel and a native of Van. During the period when both her and his families lived in Massachusetts, they would get together alongside some other friends and spend nights exchanging songs from Van. Among these friends was Alan Hovhaness, the musician and composer, who enjoyed the admiration of his friends, especially Elizabeth, long before he gained international recognition. As a token of his gratitude, Alan Hovahaness later dedicated his symphony Anahid to Elizabeth.

In the 1980s, Dr. Gregory and Dr. Kegham Chobanian presented classical and popular Armenian songs on a radio program called Friends of Armenian Culture Society, broadcast on 102.5 FM, on a radio station that aired cultural programming.

1. 1- Alageoz Achert (Your Beautiful Eyes)
2. 2- Aghpyuri Modu Gaynadz Hay Acghchig (Armenian Girl Standing by the Spring)
3. 3- Antsrevn Yegav Shaghalen (The Rain Drizzled)  
4. 4- Antsrevn Yegav Shaghalen (The Rain Drizzled) (second version)
5. 5-Ho Ho Larkin Do
6. 6- Chalig maligu chal malaligu
7. 7- Choukhdem Kini (Double Wine)
8. 8- Vartn I Patsve (A Rose Has Bloomed)
9. 9- Prge Dikran Apal Tapal
10. 10- Knir im Palig (Sleep, my Child)
11. 11- Vart Tsanetsi Poush Kaghetsi (I Planted Roses, I Picked Thorns)
12. 12- Ga Fourga Fourga Fourga
13. 13- Mer Khntsori Dzarn E (It’s Our Apple Tree)
14. 14- Lousnag Kisher (Moonlit Night)

Armenian woman in Van. Detail (Source: Mekhitarist Order, San Lazzaro, Venice. Courtesy of Father Vahan Ohanian).

Alageoz achert gamar ounkert
Alageoz achert gamar ounkert
Ouzoum em heranal chtoghoum seret

Mayrig chan chour engnim
Koyrig chan chour engnim
Sheg deghi sazin

Ari a chan ari inch naz es anoum
Ari a chan ari inch naz es anoum
Sari gakavige shoror es danoum

Mayrig chan chour engnim
Koyrig chan chour engnim
Sheg deghi sazin

The altar cloth of Aghtamar’s Holy Cross Church, bearing the date 1662 (Source: Mekhitarist Order, San Lazzaro, Venice. Courtesy of Father Vahan Ohanian)

Aghpuri mode
Gaynadz Hay aghchig
Tserkes dak vor prnadz
Inkn er inkn er keghetsig

Mayrig zarnvetsa
Siroum em nora
Mayrig zarnvetsa
Siroum siroum em nora

Katsi arder prni lor
Aghchig desa yaili tsor
Nman er garmir khntsor
Lorig, lorig, lorig, lorig
Nman er garmir khntsor
Lorig, lorig, lorig, lorig

A scene from the city of Van (Source: C.F. Lehmann-Haupt, Armenien Einst und Jetzt, Berlin/Leipzig, 1926)

Antsrevn yegav shaghalen
Ourou derev toghalen
Vay le le le le
Le le le le le le le

Heres yegav im akhber
Al tsin dagen khaghalen
Vay le le le le
Le le le le le le le

Van: local Armenians (Source: P. Müller-Simonis, Du Caucase au Golfe Persique, à travers l’Arménie, le Kurdistan et la Mésopotamie, Washington D.C., 1892)

Antsrevn yegav shaghalen
Chan kulum chan chan
Ourou derev toghalen
Chan dzaghig chan chan

Heres yegav im akhber
Chan kulum chan chan
Al tsin dagen khaghalov
Chan dzaghig chan chan
Chan dzaghig chan chan

Van: An Armenian family preparing thread from cotton (Source: Christine Gardon collection, Berlin)

Hats ounem tsane bibahe
Im yare chan nounidilbe
Ho ho larkin do
Hameme mashdare larkin do
Ho ho larkin do
Hameme mashdare larkin do
Hats ounem tsane skhdor
Im yaroch srdige bghdor
Ho ho larkin do
Hameme mashdare larkin do

Van, a carriage and its coachman transporting Armenian women, photographed in front of an unknown church. Detail from the original photo. (Source: Mekhitarist Order, San Lazzaro, Venice. Courtesy of Father Vahan Ohanian)

Chalig malige chal malalige, chal bududigu
Kurushdavoru, tumpladjagadu vay, vay
Terchgan djoudere, vay, vay
Terchgan djoudere, vay, vay

Armenian women photographed in the Alyour (or Alour) village of Van, located across the lake from the island of Gdouts (Source: Mekhitarist Order, San Lazzaro, Venice. Courtesy of Father Vahan Ohanian).

Choukhdem kini binopa
Le le le le le le le le kte maroni

Yes mi khorod yar ounim
Le le le le le le le le kte maroni

Yaroch yot akhber ounim
Le le le le le le le le kte maroni

One of the treasures from the church of St Kevork on the island of Lim. (Source: Mekhitarist Order, San Lazzaro, Venice. Courtesy of Father Vahan Ohanian)

Vartn i patsve
Vana kyaghki ekesdar
Vartn i patsve
Vana kyaghki ekesdar

Asdvadz sires
Mer orokhgi deou tsig dar
Asdvadz sires
Mer orokhgi deou tsig dar

Kea mazerov
Kea khorodig deou virn es?
Kea mazerov
Kea khorodig deou virn es?

Asdvadz kidi
Alam kidi deou imn es
Asdvadz kidi
Alam kidi deou imn es

Harvest season in Van, the exact location is unknown. (Source: Mekhitarist Order, San Lazzaro, Venice. Courtesy of Father Vahan Ohanian).

Prge Dikran apal tapal

Khan iman chan iman
Knats hasav khachi poghan (poghots)

Khan iman chan iman
Harav badji Kevon kdav

Khan iman chan iman
Pari louys kez Kevork akhber

Khan iman chan iman
Asdvadz pari Dikran akhber

…

Armenian peasants in Van working on their lands. The citadel can be seen in the background (Source: Michel Paboudjian collection, Paris)

Knir im palig
Oror el ara
Tou lats mi linir
Yes shad em latse
Gouyr groungnere
Yegan ants gatsan
Tou lats mi linir
Yes shad em latse

The village of Ermants (Source: Bedros Yeghiayian collection, London. Courtesy of Jean-Pierre/Chabouh Kibarian)

Meg sird enk hey hey andjigner
Ari mer tour ners mdir
Yes hivant em ko derdovt
Yeg sirovt djar kdir

Vart tsanetsi poush kaghetsi
Yar pndretsi yar chi kda
Akh yeralou em akh yeralou em

Achks mnats vay ko djampit
Ari desnem yerazoum
Noren desnem chinar poyet
Ch’elni mernem mourazov

Vart tsanetsi poush kaghetsi
Yar pndretsi yar chi kda
Akh yeralou em akh yeralou em

Van: a general view of the city (Source: Victor Pietschmann, Durch kurdische Berge und armenische Städte, Wien, 1940)

Ga fourga fourga fourga
Es or mer doun kharsnis ga
Ga fourga fourga fourga
Es or mer doun kharsnis ga

Kharsnis g’anenk degh chi ga
Golod pesin pegh chi ga
Kharsnis g’anenk degh chi ga
Golod pesin pegh chi ga

Photo from the region of Van, no other information is available about this photo (Source: Mekhitarist Order, San Lazzaro, Venice. Courtesy of Father Vahan Ohanian).

Mer khntsori dzarn e
Mer khntsori dzarn e
Khntsor tskem arnes
Toun im anoush yarn es
Ar choun goura dour yaroyis
Khntsor tskem dar yaroyin
Vay dilim dilim dilim

Van, the Migirdicyan/Dilodyan family. (From left): (Name unknown), Khushush (Migirdic and Makruhi’s daughter), Makruhi, Kurken (Migirdic and Makruhi’s son) (Source: Migirdic Migirdicyan, Toronto).

Lousnag kisher
Polorovin koun chounim
Ints desnoghe gardzoum e te
Doun chounim anoushs, doun chounim
Ints desnoghe gardzoum e te
Doun chounim anoushs, doun chounim