Mariamula

(scroll down for English translation)

Mze chamakhedavs shuapkhos

Gaighvidzeben serebi

Aragze ibalakheben

/Lurj qajriani tskhenebi/

Tutibo dzmaos gakhedavs

Tvals moichrdilavs khelita

Shen sait gadaiprindebi

/K’vlav sheni shavra tskhenita/

Dadumda mariamula

Aragvi rad ar idzinebs

Mtidan gor lurji varsk’vlavi

/Tsimtsimebs kreba tsimtsimebs/

Translation:

Mariamula

The sun looks down on Shuapkho¹

The hills are awakening

The beautiful blue horses

Will eat grass along the Aragvi²

Tutibo looks at his brother

He shades his eyes with his hand

Where will you fly off to again

With your black horse?

Mariamula was speechless

Why does the Aragvi not sleep?

The gathering of blue stars from the mountain hills

Winks and twinkles, winks and twinkles.

¹The largest village in the Pshavi Valley, a highland region in northeastern Georgia

²The major river of the eastern Georgian highlands of Khevsureti and Pshavi. The 112 kilometer long Aragvi was dammed in Zhinvali in 1986, forming the Zhinvali Reservoir which provides power to much of Georgia. The river eventually flows to Mtskheta. The river has four important tributaries, all called Aragvi - Black Aragvi, White Aragvi, Pshav Aragvi and Khevsur Aragvi.

K’akhetze

(scroll down for English translation)

Tsiv gomboridan simgherit

Sitsotskhlis gadmosakhedi

Moschans iisper ghrublebshi

K’akheti, chveni k’akheti, he he he…

         Ai, k’akheti mtebs da velebze

         Rom ar tskhreboda mt’rebis tareshi

         Tval motsimtsime kalishvilebi

         Qvavilebivit chanan qanebshi

Ghrublebi amaghlebula

Vit alaverdis t’adzari

Pikrivit mimopant’ula

Nangrevebi da natsari, he he he…

         Natsikharebi hqvavis amier

         Atasi ts’lobit gadabuguli

         Gadarbaislon mravalzhamier

         Gulidan gulze galobs bulbuli

Translation:

Kakheti

From the Tsiv-Gombori¹ in song

Life’s view can be seen

In the violet clouds

Kakheti, our Kakheti²

Ah Kakheti, mountains and valleys

The enemies' raids

The twinkling of our daughters’ eyes

Like flowers, lighting up the cornfields

The clouds rise,

Like Alaverdi Cathedral³

And in a thought, dispersing

The ruins and ashes

One thousand years incinerated

Long life!

The nightingale sacredly sings

From heart to heart.

¹A mountain range within the Caucaus Mountains in Kakheti which separates the Iori and Alazani river valleys.

²Situated in eastern Georgia, Kakheti is a region that centuries ago was an independent kingdom. Telavi is the capital of Kakheti.

³A famous monastery in the eastern Georgian region of Kakheti.  The monastery was founded in the 6th century by Joseph Alaverdeli from Antioch, one of the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers.