sky fire

28 Sunday Apr 2013

Posted by in Illustration and art, Poetry, sonnet

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my childs fall from grace

Three dead fireflies. My three children gone.
Burned out. I am alone. The midnight skies
have cleared. I carry my dead daughter’s bone
in a bag close to my heart. My black eyes
do not have time for grief, but my heart does.
My heart is wild, in pain, a child. My heart
cries for blood, follows the laws of outlaws.
But we are a restrained people, our art
hints at our pain which we call beautiful.
I do not want you. I want my children –
no – no – no – back. Sky fire. I am without
hope, love, salvation. I curse my people.
I curse the heavens, they turned my vision
into shooting stars: I’m burning, burned out.

federico garcia lorca’s despedida

28 Sunday Apr 2013

Posted by in Armenian, Spanish, Translation

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Note: My Armenian is very, very poor. I apologize for that since what I wish I had were the mad skills of a translator so that not only can I catch all my mistakes before I post them, but also I could share all the poems I love with my friends.

Having said that here is my attempt to translate a poem by the Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca (Ֆեդերիկո Գարսիա Լորկա). I give the original first, then a translation into English and Armenian. Any help will always be a blessing. In the meanwhile, enjoy.

*

Despedida
Farewell
Հրաժեշտ

Si muero,
dejad el balcón abierto.

El niño come naranjas.
(Desde mi balcón lo veo).

El segador siega el trigo.
(Desde mi balcón lo siento).

¡Si muero,
dejad el balcón abierto!

*

If I die,
leave the doors to the balcony open.

The little boy is eating oranges.
(From my balcony I can see him)

The reaper is harvesting the wheat.
(From my balcony I can hear him)

If I die,
leave the doors to the balcony open!

*

Երբ որ ես մեռնեմ,
Բաց թողեք դռներն իմ պատշգամբի:

Քիչ բան պատանին նարինջ է քաղում:
(Իմ պատշգամբի տեսնում եմ նրան):

Քաղվոր է կտրում ցորեն:
(Իմ պատշգամբի լսում եմ նրան):

Երբ որ ես մեռնեմ,
Բաց թողեք դռներն իմ պատշգամբի!

nichelle nicholes and the next generation of things to come

22 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by in Illustration and art

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Nichelle Nicholes

After the cancellation of Star Trek, Nichols volunteered her time in a special project with NASA to recruit minority and female personnel for the space agency, which proved to be a success. She began this work by making an affiliation between NASA and a company which she helped to run, Women in Motion.

Those recruited include Dr. Sally Ride, the first American female astronaut, and United States Air Force Colonel Guion Bluford, the first African-American astronaut, as well as Dr. Judith Resnik and Dr. Ronald McNair, who both flew successful missions during the Space Shuttle program before their deaths in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster on January 28, 1986. Recruits also included Charles Bolden, the current NASA administrator, and Lori Garver, the current Deputy Administrator.

An enthusiastic advocate of space exploration, Nichols has served since the mid-1980s on the Board of Governors of the National Space Society, a nonprofit, educational space advocacy organization.

what are you going to do on yegherrni zoheri hishataki or?

22 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by in Armenia

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“On May 23, 1918 the Armenian troops defeated superior Turkish forces advancing toward Yerevan. This victory on the threshold of Echmiadzin saved the heart of Armenia from conquest.” — Jacques Kayaloff (1973)

April 24 is Genocide Remembrance Day (Եղեռնի զոհերի հիշատակի օր) and while Turkey will once again choose to look the other way I figured I’d take the advice my mother always gave when it came to dealing with dimwitted bullies — “small-minded people hate to look foolish and stupid in front of their betters” — and so I will retell the story in which Enver Pasha’s Young Turks were defeated by the plucky Armenian Army of 1918.

This is, of course, the Battle of Sardarabad (Սարդարապատի ճակատամարտ) and it is amazing.

armenian roots of reggae?

21 Sunday Apr 2013

Posted by in Armenia

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I wrote this letter to a friend last year. She didn’t have the answer but maybe somebody else does:

I don’t know if you can answer this question but you know more about Armenian music than anyone I know so I figured it was worth a shot. I discovered that after the genocide a handful of Armenian orphans were adopted by Haile Selassie, the Emperor of Ethiopia. These children would later become the first official orchestra of his nation and compose Ethiopia’s national anthem. I don’t know how well versed in Bob Marley and Reggae music you are, but the Rastafarian movement considered Haile a living god and Ethiopia spiritual home of their people.

I am curious how much influence Armenian music had on the roots of what is today considered Reggae? The Ethiopian emperor was very fond of Armenian music and Rastafarians look toward him for inspiration. It would be interesting to see if the folk and church hymns of Armenian had any influence on a music now popular the world over?