Nino Arindauli

Zemo Alvani

Nino Arindauli

Born and raised in Zemo Alvani, Nino is one of the youngest living speakers of the severely endangered Bats language (also referred to as Tsova-Tush). She plays the garmoni¹ and sings songs in Bats.

To hear more songs in the Bats language, visit the profiles of Meri Jikhoshvili, Patima Bartishvili and Tsovata Ensemble.

Please visit UNESCOs Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger to learn more about the Bats language. Read more about the Ts’ova Tush and other minority groups in the Caucasus at Batsav, an informative site created by A.J.T. Bainbridge.

¹A button accordion that originated in Russia and plays an important role in the musical tradition of the Tush in Georgia, as well as in other regions throughout the Caucasus. Read more about the garmoni here.

Zurita -

Nino Arindauli

Lyrics

Zurit’a

Text: Gigi Tsik’arishvili

(scroll down for English translation)

Ehat tsui telher matsmeme

Vea zurit’a ikhora

/Nandad qonundar ve k’ats’k’a

Gornak’mak’ letkha lap’ts’ara/

Han tso dak’ova ts’ap’ri bidz

Sher kudev iohkot’ ts’emiuna

/Iughiak’ush meitghari nan

Ch’irt’lilo zhabu ep’ts’uina/

K’ur harchench jikh galavnego

Ghvinaghar p’et’ui nazht’ara

/Pkhur naqv gudalhen duilobi

Veshk’urghar andri mokh bara/

Le mokh tsokhats’eg le ambui

Levedr tsotepkhog guirgaghar

/Un dadits’iniah zurit’a

Madelmobaral hal detkha/

Translation:

Zuro's Hill

Nothing was better than when

We used to go to Zuro’s Hill

Parents were young and we were little

We used to jump and play on the hills…

Who doesn’t remember Uncle Ts’apri

Who used to wipe his face clean with his hat

And loud-mouth Mother Meit

Who used to milk cows in the dandelions

Fog winding around at Jikh’s fence

P’et’o Ghvinaant’s house

The horsemen on the road

Andri Vets’aguridze’s song

No longer can song or conversation be heard

No longer do the Gorgianis sing

Why are you without an owner, Zuro’s Hill?

I wonder if it is possible to cry any more.

About song

Nino sings this song in the severally endangered Bats language. To hear the words spoken, click on the track below entitled Spoken Text - Zurita, to hear Meri Jikhoshvili read the poem.

Please visit UNESCO's Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger to learn more about the Bats language. To learn more about the Ts’ova-Tush, and other minority groups in the Caucasus, read on at Batsav, an informative website created by A.J.T. Bainbridge.

To hear another version of this song, visit the page of Patima Bartishvili.

Ho Iagar -

Nino Arindauli

Lyrics

Ho Iagar

Text: Simon Garsevanidze

(scroll down for English translation)

Ho iagar deni kh'ena da

Gogakh chu vekhes ho iegche

/Dak’ bhark’in qinol dahitsla

Ts’ig hal ts’inarla hoiegche/

Hogo haindets marbader

Sogo saindets vakhara

/Uin dahkhertsla alhalsog

Vashbakh bhardekhche naqaha/

Leukhlevdora obhark’iv

Pekh marnan latrits hogoa

/Vadeshog he nat’qer iegche

Bhark’i t’at’iali sogoha/

Geitsho me qanol makiee

Denol k’adzik’ iag vegoha

/Ints mo alholve vashbigo

Vu qahialirven denola/

He nipskhol kh'enge khaiso

kh'iblnora okh'uig alaten

/Sher metkhe dokhk’a magibal

Vets’ar vitsviench iahonen/

Translation:

Seeing You

Seeing you is something completely other...

I am weak in the knees when I see you

The age of my heart and eyes are forgotten

My blood becomes young when I look at you

You have your own husband and child

I have my own life, too

Why did it happen

That we met one another on the road?

And what were you saying with those eyes?

Your mother-in-law stood by your side

Believe me when I say I saw tears --

My eyes became wet, too

You see that old age has come

Just a little life is left for us

Still, now let’s tell one another

Why life has become bitter

I understood your truth later

You will be blamed, you said

One who forgets his love

Can’t see the sky through the clouds

About song

This song is about a man and woman, former lovers who now have their own families, meeting on the side of the road. The woman is accompanied by her mother-in-law, and the text describes how the old lovers look at one another after so much time has passed.

The song is sung in the severally endangered Bats language. To hear the words spoken, click on the track below entitled Spoken Text - Ho Iagar, to hear Meri Jikhoshvili read the poem.

Zurita - Spoken text -

Nino Arindauli

Lyrics

Zurit’a

Text: Gigi Tsik’arishvili

(scroll down for English translation)

Ehat tsui telher matsmeme

Vea zurit’a ikhora

/Nandad qonundar ve k’ats’k’a

Gornak’mak’ letkha lap’ts’ara/

Han tso dak’ova ts’ap’ri bidz

Sher kudev iohkot’ ts’emiuna

/Iughiak’ush meitghari nan

Ch’irt’lilo zhabu ep’ts’uina/

K’ur harchench jikh galavnego

Ghvinaghar p’et’ui nazht’ara

/Pkhur naqv gudalhen duilobi

Veshk’urghar andri mokh bara/

Le mokh tsokhats’eg le ambui

Levedr tsotepkhog guirgaghar

/Un dadits’iniah zurit’a

Madelmobaral hal detkha/

Translation:

Zuro's Hill

Nothing was better than when

We used to go to Zuro’s Hill

Parents were young and we were little

We used to jump and play on the hills…

Who doesn’t remember Uncle Ts’apri

Who used to wipe his face clean with his hat

And loud-mouth Mother Meit

Who used to milk cows in the dandelions

Fog winding around at Jikh’s fence

P’et’o Ghvinaant’s house

The horsemen on the road

Andri Vets’aguridze’s song

No longer can song or conversation be heard

No longer do the Gorgianis sing

Why are you without an owner, Zuro’s Hill?

I wonder if it is possible to cry any more.

About song

Nino sings this song in the severally endangered Bats language. Here, in order to hear the words spoken, Meri Jikhoshvili read the poem.

To hear another version of this song, visit the page of Patima Bartishvili.

Ho Iagar - Spoken text -

Nino Arindauli

Lyrics

Ho Iagar

Text: Simon Garsevanidze

(scroll down for English translation)

Ho iagar deni kh'ena da

Gogakh chu vekhes ho iegche

/Dak’ bhark’in qinol dahitsla

Ts’ig hal ts’inarla hoiegche/

Hogo haindets marbader

Sogo saindets vakhara

/Uin dahkhertsla alhalsog

Vashbakh bhardekhche naqaha/

Leukhlevdora obhark’iv

Pekh marnan latrits hogoa

/Vadeshog he nat’qer iegche

Bhark’i t’at’iali sogoha/

Geitsho me qanol makiee

Denol k’adzik’ iag vegoha

/Ints mo alholve vashbigo

Vu qahialirven denola/

He nipskhol kh'enge khaiso

kh'iblnora okh'uig alaten

/Sher metkhe dokhk’a magibal

Vets’ar vitsviench iahonen/

Translation:

Seeing You

Seeing you is something completely other...

I am weak in the knees when I see you

The age of my heart and eyes are forgotten

My blood becomes young when I look at you

You have your own husband and child

I have my own life, too

Why did it happen

That we met one another on the road?

And what were you saying with those eyes?

Your mother-in-law stood by your side

Believe me when I say I saw tears --

My eyes became wet, too

You see that old age has come

Just a little life is left for us

Still, now let’s tell one another

Why life has become bitter

I understood your truth later

You will be blamed, you said

One who forgets his love

Can’t see the sky through the clouds

About song

The song is sung in the severally endangered Bats language. Here, in order to hear the words spoken, Meri Jikhoshvili read the poem.

Contact information

Email:

TsutisopeliProject@gmail.com

Welcome to Tsutisopeli, a project dedicated to the conservation and dissemination of songs from villages in Eastern Georgia. We invite you to explore over 70 musician profiles and 400 songs on this site!