Mtao Khat’ebis Savanev
Text & Music: Gogia K’avtiashvili
(scroll down for English translation)
Mtao khat’ebis savanev
Ghmerti gmparvelobt tavada
Tkvens sadideblad amovalt
Santlebit salotsavada
Nu dagvibarebt mlotsvelta
Khat’is k’ars movalt tavada
Amovimdzghvarebt k’urat’ebs
Shesats’irt dasak’lavada
Jvaro ts’inap’art nak’urtkho
Krist’es siskhlshi khar nabani
Mt’ers shentan ertad ebrdzodnen
Kebuli mama-p’ap’ani
Matsavit samshoblosatvis
Shevkhsnat samotkhis k’arebi
Ghmerto, gvimravle vazhk’atsni
Ts’inap’art shesadarebi
Ghmerto uk’urtkhe parkhmali
Khevsurs da gudamaqrelsa
Jvaro p’irjvari dasts’ere
Mtashi mtielta ak’vnebsa
Ar moishleba arasdros
Aragvelebis khseneba
Mtiulet-pshav-khevsuretshi
Salotsavebis sheneba
Translation:
Mountain, Safe Haven of the Icons
Mountain, safe haven of the icons
May God protect you
In order to praise you, we will come up
With candles to pray
There is no need to ask us, we who pray
For we'll come to you, to the door of the shrine
Following our bulls
Which will be offered as a sacrifice
The Sacred Cross of our ancestors
Washed with the blood of Jesus
Along with It they fought the enemies
Of our much-praised ancestors
Let's open the doors of Heaven
As our ancestors did, for the motherland
God, may more brave men be born
Men as good as our ancestors
God, bless the weapons
Of the men from Khevsureti and Gudamaqari
In the mountains make the sign of the cross
Over the cradles of those from Mtiuleti
Never will they be forgotten
The people from Aragvi¹
Who built sacred places of worship
In Mtiuleti, Pshavi and Khevsureti.²
¹The major river of the eastern Georgian highlands of Khevsureti, Pshavi and Mtiuleti. The 112 kilometer long Aragvi was dammed in Zhinvali in 1986, forming the Zhinvali Reservoir which provides power to much of Georgia. The river eventually flows into the Mtkvari at Mtskheta.
²Highland regions in northeastern Georgia.
Maqvala Tsiklauri