Song - Sarı Gəlin

Arguably the most well-known song in Azerbaijan and something of a second national anthem I believe. A beautiful song. I have long thought about attempting to translate it, but have been avoiding it because of the difficulty of some lines. I look forward to getting lots of help with this one!

The first two stanzas are the ones that I am familiar with, but there is a third stanza. It is very hard to translate. I notice that Alim Qazımov sang the first and third stanzas for Eurovision. I also noticed he replaced "gülü sulu" with "gülü qönçə" instead - flower buds. Some sources list "Nə ola bir gün görəm" as "Gün ola mən bir görəydim". But, these small changes aside, the song is pretty much as below.

You will probably notice that all lines are 7 syllables long. Online sources say this is because the poem is written in the Bayati form. I will assume then that there is room for interpretation of some lines since they are strictly limited in this way. So, here's my first go at a translation... Thanks to a posting I will alter the translation of the final stanza. Very helpful commentary!

Sarı Gəlin
Fair-haired Bride

Saçın ucun hörməzlər

Gülü sulu dərməzlər

Sarı gəlin

Saçın ucun hörməzlər

Gülü sulu dərməzlər

Sarı gəlin

Your hair should not be braided,
Tender buds should not be picked.
Fair-haired bride.

Bu sevda nə sevdadır

Səni mənə verməzlər

Neynim aman, aman

Neynim aman, aman

Sarı gəlin

Bu sevda nə sevdadır

Səni mənə verməzlər

Neynim aman, aman

Neynim aman, aman

Sarı gəlin

This love, what an intense longing,
But they will not give me your hand.
Oh, what can I do?
What can I do?
Fair-haired bride.

Bu dərənin uzunu,

Çoban, qaytar quzunu, quzunu

Bu dərənin uzunu,

Çoban, qaytar quzunu, quzunu 

Nə ola bir gün görəm

Nazlı yarın üzünü 

Neynim aman, aman

Neynim aman, aman

Sarı gəlin

Nə ola bir gün görəm

Nazlı yarın üzünü

Neynim aman, aman

Neynim aman, aman

Sarı gəlin

To this long valley,
Shepherd, return your flock,
Would that I could see
My love's beautiful face.
Oh, what can I do?
What can I do?
Fair-haired bride.

Aşıq ellər ayrısı,
Şana tellər ayrısı,
Bir gününə dözmədim,
Oldum illər ayrısı.
Neynim aman, aman, sarı gəlin.

The ashug sings, beyond compare,
Her glorious locks, nonpareil,
I cannot endure another day,
After years of separation,
Oh, what can I do,
Fair bride.

Song - Bülbüllər Oxur

Vacation at last! Time for music and language. I've picked a xalq mahnısı that you hear played a lot in Baku. I got the words from my little green book, Min Bir Mahnı. I found a couple of recordings online. You can listen to Səvavet Məmmədov or Elmira Rehimova. They are both wonderful renditions. The incomparable Şövkət Ələkbərova has audio on the Muğam Radio site. However, as always, I have many questions that need answering. Şövkət Xanım's version is exactly as below. The other two differ in that Səvavet says "gözəl" instead of oğlan and he leaves out the middle stanza. Elmira Xanım changes a few lines - "Ləbin qoy" for "Üzün qoy" and a few others. All sing a bit of mugham before the final verse. Is this Segah? They all sing different verses from what I can tell. It would be nice to find the words written out somewhere.

Apart from the differences in the recordings, it is hard to interpret the song. It seems clear to me that the singer/speaker is a woman, but my online expert, Alef, says that these songs are never written from a woman's point-of-view. Hard to know what to do with all of those üstəs as well! I need to go help a friend who is moving tomorrow, so will return to type up my translation this afternoon. In the meantime, all advice will be gratefully received!... I'm back and the translation is complete. Thanks to the anonymous poster of an early translation - lovely to work together with others who share a passion for this music. Look forward to more comments.

Bülbüllər Oxur
Xalq mahnısı

Bülbüllər oxur,
Cəh-cəh vurur, bağda gül üstə.
Ay oğlan, boyu bəstə,
Gəl, əyləş çəmən üstə,
Sən məndən könül istə,
Mən deyim: gözüm üstə.

Nightingales Sing

Nightingales sing,
Warbling on flowers in the garden.
Hey, my slender boy,
Come, sit on the greensward,
Ask for my heart,
And I will tell you it is yours.

Bəh-bəh, nə gözəl
Candır, məgər sərvi-rəvandır,
Oğlan, getmə amandır,
Məni başına dolandır,
Üzün qoy üzüm üstə,
Əcəb yaxşı zamandır.

Hey, what a beautiful form,
Is he not like the smooth cypress,
Ah, don't go,
Stay with me,
Put your face next to mine,
The time is right.

Altında boz at,
Çiynində tüfəng, belində qatarı,
Ay oğlan, sən Tanrı, dolan gəl bizə sarı.
Gələrsən qadan allam,
Gədərsən yola sallam.

Riding a grey steed,
Rifle on your shoulder, bandolier around your waist,
Hey my slender boy, for the love of God, turn and come our way.
If you come, I will welcome you,
If you go, I will bid you farewell.

Song - Ağacda alma

Another xalq mahnısı that I promised Nigar I would translate. So, here goes.

Ağacda alma

The apples in the tree

Ağacda alma, dərrəm sataram,
Bir saçı burma hardan taparam?

I will pick apples that I can sell,
Where will I find a ringlet of hair?





Nəq.:
Ay haray, yar əlindən, o qara tellərindən,
Əqər izin versən, öpərəm gözlərindən.

Oh, my love, from your hand, your dark locks,
If you permit me, I would place a chaste kiss on your brow.

Bağlarda çicək, dərrəm, sataram,
Bir üzü göyçək hardan taparam?

In the garden I pick blossoms to sell,
Where will I find a beautiful face?

Bazarda püstə allam sataram,
Bir boyu bəstə hardan taparam.

In the bazaar I find pistachios to sell,
Where will I find a slender girl?

Rashid Behbudov sings it here.

Song - Yaxan düymələ

Here is a song that my friend Nigar wants me to translate. It too is a xalq mahnısı. Oddly enough, it mentions "süsən sünbül" like the previous song I translated. The first word, sallanıban, is a real puzzle. It certainly is not in the dictionary. It is also hard to know what the title means. Hide your beauty? Come outside? I really need some help with this one...

Yaxan düymələ

Sallanıban gələn dilbər,
Yaxan düymələ, düymələ.
Məni dərdə salan dilbər,
Yaxan düymələ, düymələ.

Köynəyinin gülü yaşıl,
Süsən sünbülü dolaşır.
Gözəlik sənə yaraşır,
Yaxan düymələ, düymələ.

Kərəm* sənə nələr demiş,
O dil-dodağını yemiş.
Kətan köynək bəndi gümüş,
Yaxan düymələ, düymələ.

Your beauty shone forth,
Button up your collar.
It has made me agitated,
Button it up.

The green flowers of your chemise,
Ears of wheat entwine.
Beauty suits you,
Button your collar.

What things did Kərəm say to you?
He was at a loss for words.
Linen blouse and silver clasp,
Button up your collar.

*The name of a famous ashig.

Here is a link to a version by the young Alim Gasimov.

Song - Süsən Sünbül

Another xalq mahnısı. This is a tune that I haven't heard before but I am going to learn on the kamancha. Strangely I can't find a recording on the Internet. Too bad. Anyway, here are the words. I hope I will learn the tune soon...

As usual I start off thinking, "Oh, this doesn't look so difficult...", and then the simplest of sentences can have me scratching my head. For instance, "Ömrü başa yetirmişəm." Is the baş in this case referring to the head of the wheat, to the guy's head or to some metaphorical head? I have chosen to interpret it as the wheat. Please correct me if you know better. I am assuming that the song is essentially about a fellow who has prepared everything for his imminent wedding but whose lover has flown.

Süsən Sünbül

Süsən-sünbül bitirmişəm,
Mən yarımı itirmişəm,
Ömrü başa yetirmişəm.
Aman, Gülgəz, yarım hanı?

The wheat is high that I have grown,
But I have lost my love,
My life is over.
Oh, where is Gulgaz, my love?

O məh camalın, ağ üzdə xalın,
Öldürdü məni, nədir xəyalın?
Yar əlindən badə içdim,
Mətləbimə mən yetişdim.
Kəcavəsin bəzəmişdim,
Aman, Gülgəz, gülüm hanı?

Your face, so white, with its single beauty mark,
It has destroyed me, what are you hoping for?
Love, I have drunk wine from your hands,
I have brought all my desires to fruition.
I have adorned your palanquin,
But where are you, Gulgaz, my flower?

Mələkxanım Əyyubova sings it here.

Song - Məşədi İbadın mahnısı

A parent from school bought me a singing doll - of Mashadi Ibad (from O olmasın, bu olsun)! This funny gift has inspired me to get back to work at the ol' blog. (Yes, I know I have been slack of late, but more on why soon...) I decided to present the song first in a short YouTube clip. The words and translation will follow.

Enjoy!

No.21 Məşədi İbadın mahnısı

Mən nə qədər, nə qədər goca olsam da dəyərəm min cavana,

Çörəyi yemərəm mən yavana, yaxşı demərəm mən yamana,

Qurban edərəm mən canana malımı pulumu canımımən.

Even if I am old, I'm still as good as a thousand young guys.

I'm not eating dry bread, I am a man of discriminating taste,

I will give my love all my goods and chattels. 

Gəl, xanım gəl yanıma gəl, canım gəl yanıma gəl, yarım gəl yanıma gəl,

Mən ölüm, mən ölüm, mən ölüm, gəl,

Mən ölüm, mən ölüm, mən ölüm, gəl.

Come to me, my dear, my beloved, come!

I beg you, I beg you, come.

I beseech you, I beseech you, come!

A quzum, gəl yanıma canımı verərəm mən yarıma,

Qurban edərəm mən canana malımı, pulumu canını mən.

Darling, come, I would give me life for you,

Everything I have is yours!

Song - Ayrılıq

A new friend recommended this song. It's her favorite. She is in Baku studying mugham and learning to play tar. A kindred spirit. Here's a link to the song, followed by the lyrics with my translation.


Ayrılıq


Ayrılıq

Mus.: Əli Səlimi, söz.: Məhəmməd Şəhriyar

Fikrindən gecələr yata bilmirəm,

Bu fikri başımdan ata bilmirəm,

Neyləyim ki, sənə çata bilmirəm.

Sleepless nights spent thinking of you,

I can’t push these thoughts from my mind,

What can I do without you?

Nəq.:

Ayrılıq, ayrılıq, aman ayrılıq,

Hər bir dərddən olar, yaman ayrılıq.

This separation, oh, this terrible exile,

Of all the troubles in this world, separation is the worst.

Uzundur hicrindən qara gecələr,

Bilmirəm mən gedim hara gecələr.

Vurubdur qəlbimə yara gecələr.

Dark nights seem longer in exile,

I don’t know where to go.

These nights break my heart.