Shoghakn ensemble – Tik zarkem (Armenian folk song)

English translation is by Ani Toroyan (Անի Թորոյան).
Armenian folk labor song (Song of the Butter churn) “Tik zarkem” (“I’ll shake the churn,”Shatakh Region). Performed by Shoghakn Ensamble. Vocal is by Hasmik Harutyunyan. On the photograph –Yernjak province, state of Syunik, Greater Armenia, and Mount Vishapasar (Mount of Dragons).
In Armenian (հայերեն):
На русском языке:
The Butter churn is a barrel-lie or long pot, convex in the middle and having ahole at the center through which the milk cream is poured into the churn and shaken until butter is made. Two types of butter churns were used in Armenia: the clay churns, resembling clay pitchersand were shaken sitting on the floor and wooden ones which were hung from logs and were shaken by hands or feet. Usually, the churn was shaken by two adult women. They shook it until the cream tuned into butter and doogh. It also had other names in different parts of Armenia, such as dzdzum or tsepots. The last name probably comes from the sounds of the doogh with its choppy sounds.
During the process of the shaking, women sang songs, which were generally called Churn songs. This songs is from the Shatakh region. In the first part of the song, a woman sings that their churn is beautiful, most likely there were beautiful ornaments on it. Then she says: “I’ll shake the churn and make butter, then make soup from it for the men working on the mountain”. Next comes the refrain of the song imitating the sounds made during shaking, choppy sounds, and the woman says. “I’ll make butter and our home will prosper.’’ House utensils and food mark the prosperity of a household and butter was one of those important things in old times.

Mer dzedzoum nakhoun i,
ote maqyou matsoun i,
Tik zarkem, yegh hanem,
Saraktiroun chash anem.

Tsamp, ha, tsemp zarkem,
Noukim yegh hanem,
Tsamp, ha, tsemp zarkem,
Mer toun shen anem.

Mer vochkhar zatou i,
Berategh motou i.
Tik zarkem, yegh hanem,
Saraktiroun chash anem.

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