Arkhot’is Tsasavit Lurji Gakvs Tvalebi
Arkhot’is tsasavit lurji gakvs tvalebi
Mshvenebit mohgevkhar salik’ldis avazas
/Mag silamazistvis gts’qevlian kalebi
Vazhebi lotsaven shen saval shara-gzas/
Mze kalo me shenze pikrebi mats’valebs
Ismine kalau vazhk’atsis vedreba
/Kalaks nu ts’aigheb qornisper dalalebs
Mtebs upro ukhdeba mag tvalta mshveneba/
Ramdenjer vevedre lashars da k’op’alas
Rom damibrunebdnen ap’rilebs gaprenils
/Shors gagit’atsebdi tselksa da lurjtvalas
Shens dalals vnakhavdi chems mk’erdze dapenils/
Da rogorts qachaghi arts’ivta sabudars
Moval da gavkhdebi salik’ldis khizani
/Shurtkhevtan dagmalav satsoles sakurdals
Ushenod sitsotskhles ara akvs mizani/
Translation:
Your Eyes Are Blue Like Arkhoti's¹ Sky
Your eyes are blue like the sky of Arkhoti
Ravishing, like a leopard on the cliffs
Women curse you for your beauty
And men pray on the roads you walk
Sunwoman, I suffer when I think of you!
Listen to this brave man’s entreaty:
Don’t take your raven-colored braid to town -
Mountains are a better fit for your charming eyes
I've prayed many times to Lashari² and Kopala³
For the return of April months that have gone
I captured your playful blue eyes from afar
Envisioning your braid lying on my chest
And like a thief at the eagle’s nest
I will migrate to those rocky cliffs
I'll hide you among the snowcocks, my bride
For without you, life has no purpose
¹A remote valley in Khevsureti, a highland in northeast Georgia.
² Lashari, Also referred to as Lashari's Cross, a sanctuary to Saint George of Lashari. Located in the northeast highland of Pshavi and famous throughout Georgia, the mountaintop shrine used to be the political and religious center for Pshavs. The festivals of Lasharoba and Tamaroba (the latter referring to Lashari's sister shrine at Tamar-Ghele) are still celebrated every July in Pshavi. It is worth noting that historically these summertime festivals also served as meeting places for young men and women who came from all valleys and mountains of eastern Georgia, which is why it is mentioned in love songs such as this one.
³Kopala refers to a legendary supernatural being worshipped by Khevsurs and Pshavs, who each have a sanctuary in his name (Karati's Cross in Khevsureti and Tsikhe-Gora in Pshavi). The highlanders especially revered Kopala for fighting off evil spirits and helping captive souls find their rightful places in the afterlife. A festival held every July, Kopaloba involves feasts and a horserace (doghi), complex rituals enacted by the living for the dead relatives of their clan, to ensure the welcoming of deceased souls into their designated positions.
Longo Khutsaidze