Born in 1938, Mikheil is the only living member of the men’s choir of Arboshik’i, a group that was very active and respected during the Soviet Union.
Mikheil enjoys putting great Georgian poetry to melody as well as singing his own songs. Today, he lives in the house where he was born and raised, with his wife, daughter and son-in-law.
Song about the homeland.
Poetry by famous Georgian poet, Ioseb Noneshvili (1918-1980).
Sakartveloze
Text: Ioseb Noneshvili
(scroll down for English translation)
Davitsvat chveni kveqana
Did ts’inap’arta lamp’ari
Qana davitsvat shriala
Vazirka gadanaqari
Ar dagvits’ikhlon samshoblo
Mraval ch’ir-varam nanakhi
Mama p’ap’ata saplavze
Ar amovides balakhi
Gana imit’om ismoda
Mtidan qvirili kharisa
Shavi k’ldis tavze zhriali
Oja jurkhais parisa
Mgheri bulbulis galoba
Ilias sit’qva maradis
Da rustavelis simghera
Ts’asuli k’ari k’aremdis
Davitsvat chveni kveqana
Did ts’inap’arta lamp’ari
Qana davitsvat shriali
Vazirka gadanaqari
Chveni samshoblo davitsvat
Chveni bavshvebis ak’vani
Translation:
Georgia
Let’s protect our country
Our ancestors’ great light
Let’s defend the rustling cornfields
And the vineyards' thorns
My homeland
You have seen so much torment and plague
That grass no longer grows
On the graves of our ancestors
A cry was heard from the mountain
A bull screamed
There was noise from the black cliffs
It was the shield of Oja Jurkhai
The nightingale sweetly sings
Ilia's1 eternal words
And Rustaveli's2 song
Travels from door to door
Let’s protect our country
Our ancestors’ great light
Let’s defend the rustling cornfields
And the vineyards' thorns
Let’s protect our homeland
And the cradles of our children
1Ilia Ch'avch'avadze (1837-1907) was a Georgian writer, poet, journalist and lawyer who spearheaded the revival of the Georgian national movement in the second half of the 19th century, during the Russian rule of Georgia. Today he is widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of modern Georgia.
2Shota Rustaveli was a 12-13th century poet and one of the greatest contributors to Georgian literature. His most famous piece is the national epic poem ''Knight in a Panther's Skin.''
Santlebi
(scroll down for English translation)
Ghamea sichume aris
Sadghats galoba ismis
/Sadghats santeli tsimtsimebs
Sadghats vighatsa t’iris/
Net’avi ristvis mosula
Net’avi rat’om t’iris
/Net’avi ram moiqvana
Am ghamit sionshi is/
Odad ktseuli khat’ebtan
P’irjvars its’erda is
Shavebshi mosuli mosula
Am ghamit sionshi is
Translation:
Candles
It is night and there is silence
Somewhere chanting can be heard
Somewhere a candle twinkles
Somewhere someone cries
I wonder what she came for
I wonder why she cries
I wonder what brought her
On this night to Sioni1
She comes close to the icons
And crosses herself
She has come dressed in black
On this night to Sioni
1Sioni Cathedral of the Dormition. Originally constructed in the 6th-7th century, Sioni is a Georgian Orthodox cathedral in Tbilisi, Georgia. Read more about the cathedral here.
A patriotic song that was sung by Ilia Zakaidze.1
1Ilia Zakaidze (1924-2008) was one of the most famous Georgian singers of the 20th century.
There is no English translation available for this song. If you are able to provide more information, please include it in an email to aurelia@tsutisopeli.com and we will update the page.
Samshobloze
Shors tsisk’ari rom migheba
Darialis k’arebia
Mzis garshemo bnels rom pant’avs
Mshobliuri k’arebia
/Ise kharobs gazapkhuli
Samuri darebia
Chemi siqrme sich’abuk’e
Laghad gamit’arebia/
Sakartvelos brdznuli deda
Shvilebs gaukharebia
Shemosila mzis garshemo
Irgvliv mtebis parebia
/Mtashi titkos brdzolis khmaa
Tsashi tsetskhlis alebia
Shromisak’en mots’odebis
Mshobliuri zarebia/
Qvelgan ismis gamarjveba
Qvelgan chveni jarebia
Mshvidoba da siqvaruli
Kveqnad daumqarebia
/Mas vet’rpi da mudam vitsav
Sul saamo darebia
Samshobloze upro met’ad
Me aravin mqvarebia/
A song about mother.
This theme is a popular one in Georgian poetry as many poets have written about motherhood and their own mothers: Marik’a Baratashvili’s ''To All The Mothers Of The World,'' Ilia Chavchavadze’s ''Lines To A Georgian Mother'' and Revaz Margiani’s ''Mother'' to name a few.
Dedaze
(scroll down for English translation)
Dedav sitsotskhlis dido sats’qiso
Dedav tskhovrebis burjo magaro
Es guli sheni gulit khalisobs
Sheni tvalebit vkhedav samqaros
Chems ak’vans perad ghilk’ilebians
Shen damgherodi nanas mzets’vias
Ramdeni ghame gitenebia
Rom chemtvis dzili gests’avlebina
Dedav ramdenjer avad gavmkhvdarvar
Ramdenjer senma kheli damria
Dedav imdenjer chems tavze pikrshi
Tmebshi ch’aghara gamogeria
Dedav viqavit titkos t’olebi
Titkos ghondebi gkonda saerto
Shen chems gak’vetils imeorebdi
Rom chemshi tsodnis shuki agento
Shen damilotse kveqnad k’atsoba
Tavze namusis kudi damkhure
/Sul shen gak’utnis tu ram madloba
Da siqvaruli davimsakhure/
Translation:
Mother
A mother is life’s initiation
A mother is the cornerstone of life
With your heart mother, my heart wishes
And it is through your eyes that I see the world
By my colored cradle
You crooned lullabies
How many nights did you stay awake
So that I could sleep?
How many times I have been sick?
Mother, how many times was I ill?
The number of thoughts in my head
Is reflected by the gray in your hair
We have so much in common, Mother
It's as if we are peers
You have repeated my lessons so that
Knowledge in me shines light for you, too
You've blessed me in this world of humanity
You've dressed me in a hat of conscience
If I am deserving of love
It has everything to do with you
A patriotic song about the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi.
Tbilisze
(scroll down for English translation)
Shen lali khar sakartvelos silamazev
Tbilisi da tbili gulis petkva gkvia
Shens dzebnashi sakartvelos lazhvard tsaze
Mzes ramdenjer gza da k’vali dahk’argvia
Gorgasalis udrek’eli khmali khar da
Tamar mepis ghimilivit dakhat’uli
Kartvelebis salotsavi khat’i khar da
Mzis nateba zurmukht’ovan gazapkhulis
Shens dzebnashi sakartvelos lazhvard tsaze
Mzes ramdenjer gza da k’vali dahk’argvia
Shen Tbilisi k’i ara da chemo k’argo
Is mak’virvebs nat’vris tvali rad ar gkvia
Shens dzebnashi sakartvelos lazhvard tsaze
Mzes ramdenjer gza da k’vali dahk’argvia
Translation:
Tbilisi
You are a ruby, Georgia’s beauty
They call you a warm, beating heart
In the search for you in Georgia’s azure sky
How many times did the sun lose its way?
You are Gorgasali’s1 steadfast sabre
Drawn like Tamar Mepe’s2 smile
You are the Georgians’ place of prayer
The light of the sun, the spring’s emerald
In the search for you in Georgia’s azure sky
How many times did the sun lose its way?
You are not just Tbilisi, my dear
You are the soul of our hopes and dreams
In the search for you in Georgia’s azure sky
How many times did the sun lose its way?
1Vakht'ang Gorgasali, also known as King Vakhtang I of Iberia. Read more about him here.
2Tamar of Georgia reigned as queen of the country from 1184-1213 during Georgia's Golden Age. She was so beloved that Georgians refer to her to this day as ''Tamar Mepe'' or King Tamar. She remains a very important cultural symbol, and has been canonized by the Georgian Orthodox Church as Holy Righteous King Tamar. Read more here.
There is no English translation available for this song. If you are able to provide one, please include it in an email to aurelia@tsutisopeli.com and we will update the site.
There is no English translation available for this song. If you are able to provide one, please include it in an email to aurelia@tsutisopeli.com and we will update the site.
Borjomisi
Sakartvelos t’urpa mkhare agarak’i mziani
Akhaldaba ts’aghveri da tsemi bak’uriani
Mzetan mzestan dagvirgvinad umts’vervalo gshordebi
Mchvrebis ghrublit daparuli narianis k’ordebi
Tskhra ts’qaro da tsikhis dziri t’abats’quri narnari
Es borjomis kheoba da tvalts’armt’atsi baghnari
Ak rom ts’qaro mochukhchukhebs uk’vavebis ts’qalia
Ganik’urna samudamod vints es ts’qali dalia
Akhal sakhlebs agarak’ebs dauparavt kedebi
Titkos mts’vane nadzvnarebshi moschans tetra t’redebi
Gamotsotskhlda aremare bavshvta zhivil khivili
Qvelas p’irze apenia mzis nateli ghimili
There are no lyrics or translations available for this song. If you are able to provide any information, please include it in an email to aurelia@tsutisopeli.com and we will update the page.
To hear another version of this song, visit the page of Neli Bugechasvhili.
There are no lyrics or translations available for this song. If you are able to provide any information, please include it in an email to aurelia@tsutisopeli.com and we will update the page.