Tbiliso

(scroll down for English translation)

Atas khutasi ts’lisa khar

Grialebs sheni sakheli

/Samgorshi pesvi gaidga

Dighmis mindrebze gakhvedi/

Tbilso rogor ar gako

/Shen chemo lamazo dedakalako/

Shen sul skhva gvari peri gakvs

Skhva zurmukht’i da lalebi

/Samshoblos nat’vris tvali khar

Tbiliso genatsvalebi/

Tbilso rogor ar gako

/Shen chemo lamazo dedakalako/

Translation:

Tbilisi

You are fifteen hundred years old

Your name thunders

In Samgori¹ you took root

All the way to Dighomi's fields

Tbilisi, you are my beautiful capital!

Your name is of a different color

Different emeralds and rubies

You are the heart of the homeland’s wishes

My dear Tbilisi

¹A neighborhood in Tbilisi

Samasi Aragveli

(scroll down for English translation)

Chokit movdivar k’rts’anisit

Tkven sadideblad gmirebo

Tkveni daghlili tvalebis

Dak’otsnas davap’irebo

Mt’ris urdos jikur ek’vetnen

Nap’erts’k’als qridnen tvalebit

Dzaghlik’ats jishis khevsurni

Gogoturivit pshavlebi

Vai rom daikhotseni

Mit’ots dagetsat lashkari

Tkven ro gadakhdil raindebs

Ghimit ver shekhvda lashkari

Veghar aantet k’eraze

Mibnerebuli bukhari

Aragvet veghar daliet

Aragvis ts’qali mkukhari

Pekhi ver dadgi ertkhela

Sak’utar k’eris zghurblzeda

Veghar gak’otsat dedama

Dach’ril dak’ech’nil shublzeda

Ekhla rom ts’amogakhedat

Tvali moavlot velebsa

Vegharts k’i itsnobt samshoblos

Verts akhalandelsa velebsa

Lomebs da vepkhvebs jobian

Algets lek’vebi mglisani

Ise ar amosts’qdebian

Javri ar sch’amon mt’risani

Translation:

Three-Hundred Aragvians¹

I am coming to Krtsanisi² dressed in a chokha³  

To praise you, heroes

Your tired eyes

Will be kissed by my lips

You clashed with the enemy

The sparking eyes of

Those ferocious Khevsurs

Were like Gogoturi⁴ from Pshavi⁵ 

You no longer light

The fireplace anymore

You don’t drink

The water from the Aragvi⁶ anymore

You will no longer set foot

In the warmth of your own house

And your parents will never again kiss you 

On your wounded forehead

Your fighting surpassed tigers and lions

Wolf cubs of Algeti⁷

You brought the sun down to the ground

And shot an arrow to the moon

¹Three-hundred men from the highlands along the Aragvi River, who gathered together in 1795 and fought the Battle of Krtsanisi against the invading Qajar Army. For more information, read the "Song About."

²Where the Battle of Krtsanisi took place in 1795, outside of Tbilisi. Read more about the battle here.  

³Part of a traditional male dress of the Caucasus. There are four versions of the garment within Georgia, and it is linked to a strong sense of national pride. Read more about the chokha here.  

⁴A legendary Khevsur shaman, famous for being one that had a love affair with the goddess Samdzimari.

⁵A highland in northeastern Georgia. Read more about Pshavi here.  

⁶The major river of the eastern Georgian highlands of Khevsureti, Pshavi and Mtiuleti. 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 into the  Mtkvari at Mtskheta. 

⁷A village nearby Krtsanisi

Pshavis Mtebidan Movedit

(scroll down for English translation)

Pshavis mtebidan movedit

Aragvis nap’irebidan

Tan momqva mtebis silaghe

Laghi arts’ivis prtebita

Salami akhalgazrdobas

Chemi lamazi mtebidan

/Enamts nu dageghalebat

Deda samshoblos kebita/

Tan momqva mtebis silaghe

Tkveni zeimis ziarad

Chveni simgherebis khmazeda

K’ldis lodebs sheazriala

Mtebits amgherdnen pandurad

Aragvi aakhmianes

/Bans eubneba buneba

Sabch’ota adamianebs/

Shen gemivit natelavno

Bneli daplita ts’qvliadi

Aqvavda ia vardita

Nabij-nabijit gavtelet

Rogorts metskhvaris nabadi

/Mts’vane vels shemousiet

Tetri parebis nak’adi/

Translation:

We Came Down From

The Mountains of Pshavi 

We came down from the mountains of Pshavi¹

From the banks of the Aragvi River² 

I brought with me the mountains' delight

Like the wings of a free eagle

Greetings to the young people

From my beautiful mountains

Don’t let your tongue tire

Of praising your motherland

I brought with me the mountains' delight

To share with you at your party

The sound of our music

Shook the cliff's boulders

The  mountains began to sing like panduri³

They even made the Aragvi River sing

Nature sings along

With the Soviet people

You are chiseled like a sailboat

Slashed like the dark abyss

Blossoming violets and roses

Cover the chest of the arrogant mountain

We covered it step by step

Like a shepherd’s cloak

We let the white herd

Scatter over the green pastures

¹ A highland in northeastern Georgia. Read more about Pshavi here.

² The major river of the eastern Georgian highlands of Khevsureti, Pshavi and Mtiuleti. 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 into the Mtkvari at Mtskheta. 

³ A three-stringed, fretted lute common in all regions of northeastern Georgia. The instrument is most frequently used to accompany ballad singing.  Read more about the panduri here.