Qızıl Üzük

Qızıl Üzük

Sözləri Rəsul Rzanındır

Üzüyümün qaşı firuzədəndir,
Könlüm açılmayır bu gün nədəndir.
Yaman gündə dost əlindən bərk yapış,
Böyük duyğu ömrü bahar edəndir.
Böyük duyğu ömrü bahar edəndir.

My ring’s stone is from turquoise,
I don’t know why I am blue today.
In bad times, hold fast to your friends,
Deep feelings make your life sweet like springtime.
Deep feelings make life like spring.


[Bizim bağlar, çöllər xoş bir tamaşa,
Sonalar göllərdə gəzərlər qoşa.
Necə çətin olsa ömrün yolları
Birlikdə yorulmaz vurarıq başa.
Birlikdə yorulmaz vurarıq başa.

Our gardens, our fields – such a spectacle!
Swans glide in pairs upon the lakes.
However hard life gets,
Together we will make it through,
Together we will make it.]*

Bulud gələr, çiskin çilər, çən eylər.
Yar yarından ayrı düşsə qəm eylər.
Sevgilimdən necə qalım aralı?
Bir baxışla qəlbə yüz məlhəm eylər.
Bir baxışla qəlbə yüz məlhəm eylər.

Clouds come, bringing drizzle and mist.
Lovers who are parted will be sad.
How can I remain apart from my beloved?
One look from you would heal my soul.
One look from you would heal my soul.

*Rashid Behbudov does not sing this stanza in Baxtiyar.

Eurovision - The Official Fan Club

This is a live blog post of sorts. I'm currently sitting in Gufo's Coffee (off Fountain Square) with Nick and Fidan, two volunteers with the official fan club of Eurovision 2012. We are looking at ways to inform expats in Baku of their many events. So far, they have held: a flashmob (a Muğam Flashmob - I'm so sorry I missed this!) , shows, a rally with bikes and off-road vehicles, a Novruz party, "Təmiz Şəhər" - clean-up event, a "Zebra Crossing", a Karaoke Night, and photo contest - Smile to Europe. They are around the city a lot, distributing information, recording interviews, and generally raising awareness and excitement about next month's Eurovision. They are very creative about their events, always incorporating a light touch and a sense of humor.

Check out their Facebook address: facebook.com/eurovisionbakuwesupport

You can follow on Twitter at: @WeSupport_ESC

Here are a few photos from the Facebook site:

Logo

Mugham Flashmob

Clean-up

Bike Rally

On TV - Günəbaxan

More to come...

Reader Request - "Words Within Sentences ++"

More questions from a reader named Ross. I will double-check these with Azerbaijani colleagues on Monday. Changes are now noted below. I will leave my mistakes for instructional purposes!

Reader Request - "Most Needed Words"

I had a very nice email today from a fellow named Ross. He spent a month teaching English as a second language in Baku last year and had used my blog to prepare him for speaking Azerbaijani in the street. He has requested a list of “most needed” words. I must say, they are the ones that I found myself constantly in need of but constantly forgetting. Memorize these and your fluency should increase!

Thanks Ross for your request. Hope to meet you if you ever return to Baku!

To anyone else reading this post - make a request for new content and I'll try my best to answer.

Song - Sənə də qalmaz

Another attempt at translating a song I want to learn to sing. Listen to the incomparable Rəşid Behbudov sing it on Youtube. There is some Russian tacked on to the end for some reason. Does nothing to improve the song. OK - here is a completely Azerbaijani version by Behbudov. Beautiful rendition. Just had a singing lesson and my teacher advised me on a couple of points. Changes are below.

Music is by Tofiq Quliyev; words by Rəsul Rza.

Sənə də qalmaz

Don’t act this way (lit.: don't stay this way)

Könlüm sənin əsirin, qəlbim sənindir, yar, qəlbim sənindir,
İnsaf eylə xoş sözlə məni gəl dindir, yar, məni gəl dindir,
Söylə nədir bu ədalar, bu iş və bu naz,
Gedər bir gün bu gözəllik sənə də qalmaz.

My heart is your captive, my soul belongs to you, my love, it is yours,

Understand me, come, use endearing words to ask me, my love, ask me,

Tell me what are these airs and graces, what is this coquetry?

One day your beauty will be gone.

Yalqızam yalqız, yalqızam yalqız,
Gəl məni möhnətə oda salan vəfasız,

I am lonely, lonely,

Come, your heartlessness tortures me,  

Söylə nədir bu ədalar, bu iş və bu naz,
Gedər bir gün bu gözəllik sənə də qalmaz.

Tell me what are these airs and graces, what is this coquetry?

One day your beauty will be gone.

Dağlar başı dumandır, yenə dumandır, yar, yenə dumandır,
Ayrılığın ölümdən mənə yamandır, yar, mənə yamandır.

The mountaintops are surrounded by mist, once more, my love, lost in fog,

This isolation is more terrible to me than death, my love, more terrible.

Söylə nədir bu ədalar, bu iş və bu naz,
Gedər bir gün bu gözəllik sənə də qalmaz.
Yalqızam yalqız, yalqızam yalqız,
Gəl məni möhnətə oda salan vəfasız.

Söylə nədir bu ədalar, bu iş və bu naz,
Gedər bir gün bu gözəllik sənə də qalmaz.

More resources for learning Azerbaijani

Found two more resources for beginners yesterday at the Ali and Nino shop in Park Bulvar. Both are really over-priced, but I bought them anyway in order to review them on the blog.

Learn Azerbaijani 1 - a thin volume (76 pages). Good coverage of verbs, but one would have to be a very motivated beginner indeed to benefit from this book. It really does just throw the person into a lot of vocab and sentences right from the start. On sale for 21 manat.

Simple Azerbaijani Language for Beginners - a much more substantial resource (230 pages). Large, clear print and thorough examples make this a good resource. A CD included, with lots of Azerbaijani spoken in slow, clear Baku accents (no English explanations). A pleasure to listen to, but again, hard to say how helpful this would be for a beginner. A whopping 35 manat.