Maratouk ensemble Nare yar and Khorotik Manan Armenian folk songs

Armenian folk dance songs, “Nare yar” and “Khorotik Manan,” performed by “Maratouk” ensemble. Vocal: Yervand Torosian. In the picture: an Armenian woman by Dutch writer, traveler and painter Cornelis de Bruijn (painted in 1704).
As Sargis Petrosyan, doctor of historical sciences, says the refrains of Armenian folk dance songs are the main parts which have been preserved from time immemorial, and they contain information about pantheistical beliefs. The refrain words which today may seem meaningless show what kind of songs they were and whom they were devoted to. E.g. Nar or Nare, this was the name of the goddess of water and rivers. She also encloses the qualities of motherhood, she is a mother goddess. All the songs containing the words, Hoy Nar, Hoy Nare or just Nar, were probably ritual songs to ask for water, rain from the goddess, which later losing their initial meaning transformed into love songs, maintaining the melody and refrains. As a song, the content of “Nare yar” is the following: a guy speaks to a girl, asking to give him an answer weather she loves her or not. If the girl leaves her in doubt he will go mad, will roam in the mountains. The next scene shows young girls. Having swum in the nearby river, they are wet and tremble and at the same shine like pomegranate seeds.
The next song is “Khorotik Manan” which shows lovers, a young man and a girl named Manan, escaping together. The girl’s parents are against their marriage and so they decided to escape. But as it appears she hesitates and the guy tries to make her walk faster and not to stop. Her beauty, her eyes and eyebrows made him fall in love with her and so he suffers from the love of her. And again he hastens beautiful Manan. Then the song describes their way, fields, the wind playing with the girl’s clothes, sometimes a little opening her breast which makes his heart leap but then he recovers his senses and hastens her again.
English translation of the text is by Ani Toroyan.
Armenian text of the song in Latin letters:

Aghji, qou Asttsou siroun,
Akh, Nare yar, Nare yar,
Chenis indzi ereroun,
Im khorotik, mekoutchar,
Thalis hetev sareroun,
Akh, Nare yar, Nare yar,
Ynknam mets-mets qareroun,
Im khorotik, mekoutchar.

Nare, Nare, Nare yar,
Im khorotik, mekoutchar,
Nare, Nare, Nare yar,
Barov ertanq Tsovasar.

Sasnou geghen erku hars,
Akh, Nare yar, Nare yar,
Ynkats en get, ky loghen,
Im khorotik, mekoutchar.
Elats en ap, ky doghen,
Akh, Nare yar, Тare yar,
Qynts nrran hat ky shoghen,
Im khorotik, mekoutchar.

Nare, Nare, Nare yar,
Im khorotik, mekoutchar,
Nare, Nare, Nare yar,
Barov ertanq Tsovasar.

Mek ky qeles, mek ky kaynis,
De qele, shout-shout qele,
Sirounik Manan, sirounik Manan,
Achqov-ounqov mard ky spane,
De qele, shout-shout qele,
Sirounik Manan, sirounik Manan.
Qou ser ynke mydj im lerdin,
De qele, shout-shout qele,
Khorotik Manan, khorotik Manan,
Qyzi karnim, tygh zis qertin,
De qele, shout-shout qele,
Khorotik Manan, khorotik Manan.

Arty artin qosha-qosha,
De qele, shout-shout qele,
Khorotik Manan, khorotik Manan.
Yes qou sirouts hala, masha,
De qele, shout-shout qele,
Khorotik Manan, khorotik Manan.
Barak qamin zis ky maghe,
De qele, shout-shout qele,
Sirounik Manan, sirounik Manan.
Ьaghe, mydj our tsotsin thaghe,
De qele, shout-shout qele,
Khorotik Manan, khorotik Manan.

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