Ingiluri Simghera

* In Ingiloi dialect * 

(scroll down for English translation)

Ar minakhi shenzhur kal

Ver demeghts’ev chem gulsh khar

Ha zhikhara kalo sakhlsh

Tsot’a khnibe gomoi k’arsh

Ar minakhi shenzhur kal

Gulqivashi gamichnda

Ra zhikhara kalo sakhlsh

P’its’a khnibe gomoi k’arsh

Gadai k’ai zhughab gebneb

Me shentan veghar davdgeb

Ra bevria sopelshia kaleb

Nu mekhvets’eb ts’ai gebneb

Ar minakhi shenzhur kal

Gulqivashi gamichnda

Sak’otsnela maints gamish

Tu dadgomai aghar gind

Translation:

An Ingiloi Song

(boy)

I’ve never seen a woman like you  

I can’t help it – You are in my heart

Why are you sitting at home?

Come out for a little bit!

I’ve never seen a woman like you

You have fallen into my heart

Why are you sitting at home?

Come out for a little bit!

(girl)

Boy, I’m telling you the truth

I will no longer be with you

There are many beautiful women in the village

Stop pleading with me, I’m telling you to go

(boy)

I’ve never seen a woman like you

You have fallen into my heart

Just allow me one last kiss

If you no longer want to be with me!

Iori Shairi

(scroll down for English translation)

Iori khom ioriam tbilisshia mt’k’vari

Me marursa mart’qopeli var jer ara kali

Valent’ias gamotkhues gavkhdi mati rdzali

K’ik’olas bich’i vania aris chemi kmari

K’ik’olas bich’i vania aris chemi kmari

Chvens sakhlis ts’in dukania, k’okht’a mik’it’ani

Me im mik’it’nels shevuqvardi gadamavlo tvali

Me im mik’it’nels shevuqvardi gadamavlo tvali

Movida da chamigorda rogorts chemi kmari

Chems mazlists’uls daenakhna, mas gaukres tavi

Mosuliqo chaek’et’na mas garedan k’ari

Mosuliqo chaek’et’na mas garedan k’ari

Gasuliqo gaet’ana t’quili ambavi

Vano mindridanats modis amrushuli ari

Adek marusav gametsa ar shemak’la tavi

Avdek mets gamovetsale hqvanda ori dzmani

Avdek mets gamovetsale hqvanda ori dzmani

Arts imatma momtsa bina, amik’et’a gzani

Bolos isev kmarma momtsa tavis shesapari

Turme bina mit’om momtsa, sik’vdilis dro ari

Vano bazridan amodis, ghvinit mtvrali ari

Gverdze hk’idia khanjali, gat’ekhili ari

Totkhmet’ alagas ro damk’ra dadgas siskhlis ghvari

Me ro vano davinakhe chavuk’et’e k’ari

Vanom danats moikhmara shaimt’ria k’ari

Totkhmet’ alagas ro damk’ra dadgas siskhlis ghvari

Me khutmet’ alagas damk’ra aghar chanda t’ari

Ts’avida gamoesamlma valent’ias rdzalia

Kalebo qvela gaprtkhildit visats gqavdet kmari

Aravisze ar most’quvdet ar sheak’lat tavi

Translation:

The Iori is easy, the Mtkvari is in Tbilisi

I am Marusa from Martqopi, not yet a woman

They asked for my hand in marriage,

To be Valentia's daughter-in-law 

K’ik’ola’s son Vania is my husband

There is a shop in front of our house, with a cute innkeeper

That innkeeper fell in love with me, he took a good look at me

He came and laid with me as if he were my husband

My nephew saw us, may he go to hell!

He came and locked us in from the outside

Then he went and spread the story

Vano’s came from the field all cheated on:

-Get up Marusa, I heard, don’t make me kill you

I got up and went away

He had two brothers

They didn’t give me shelter either

But in thee end my husband took me in again

It turned out he gave me a shelter because it was time to die

Vano came from the market, drunk on wine

A broken hanging from his side

When I saw him, I locked him out

But he used his knife to break down the door

He slashed me fourteen times, there was a puddle of blood.

By the fifteenth slash, you could no longer see the handle

There she goes, Valentia's daughter-in-law

All you wives, beware

Let no one fool you, don’t make them kill you

Iremi

(scroll down for English translation)

Gamigonia mtvarian ghames

T’bastan mivida erti iremi

T’ba iqo mshvidi, da mok’amk’ame

Shemokhat’uli lerts’mis chrdilebi

Tavis landi shemishna morevs

Da ro sinjavda shnosa da iers

Ar moets’ona pekhebi torem

Korbuda rkebma mokhibles dzlier

Sts’ored im khanas utsnaur dzalit

Gamoapkhizla lomis ghrialma

Da dats’unebul pekhebma dzalit

Gadaakroles gashlil ialaghs

Gadaakroles t’qes sheepara

T’qe daepara gauval buchkebs

Da rotsa bilik’s edzebda ts’amit

Im lamaz rkebit gaeba utseb

Rom davupikrdi k’argo, am ambavs

Brdznulia igi da dzvelisdzveli

Im irmebivit shents pikrob albat

De, ase iqos survili sheni

Mkholod itsode, itsode mkholod

Tu kebit upro gadairevi

Eg silamaze dagghup’avs isev

Rogorts daghup’a rkebma iremi

Translation:

This song is based on a poem by Joseph Noneshvili, a famous 20th century Georgian poet. Venera Urushadze translates Noneshvili's poem in her 1958 Anthology of Georgian Poetry:

‘Tis said one lovely moonlight night

A deer came wandering to a pool.

The pool, surrounded by tall reeds,

Lay motionless and tempting cool.

He saw his image mirrored there,

And at the antlers gazed with pride,

But at the long and slender legs

With deep regret and chagrin sighed.

Then suddenly a lion's roar

Awoke him from his reverie,

And in an instant the slighted legs

Like lightning flew across the lea.

Within the covert of the woods

He dashed to find a safe retreat,

But the branches of the thickets caught

The much-coveted antlers neat. 

Now give a thought to this old tale

For like the deer, perhaps, your eyes

See but the beauty of your face

Blind to all beneath the skies.

So if in praise you find delight

Then know, remember well, my dear,

Your beauty may destroy you as

The antlers high destroyed the deer.''

Irmas Dat’irili

Text: Gogia Kavtiashvili

Music: Nato Tsiklauri

(scroll down for English translation)

Shen t’adzris angelozi khar

Da salotsavi santeli

Samotkhis sasupevelshi

Irma dagadges nateli

Rogor gshvenoda sidinje

Sitsili mch’ekar khmiani

Auchkareblad lamazad

Sheni simgheris ts’k’riali

Aghar mogvikhval am kveqnad

Ats’ mits’as mibarebuli

Gadakhundeba taroze

Sheni ts’igni da rveuli

Shen t’adzris angelozi khar

Da salotsavi santeli

Samotkhis sasupevelshi

Irma dagadges nateli

Translation:

Irma's Mourning Song

Text: Gogia K'avtiashvili

Music: Nat'o Ts'ik'lauri

You are the church’s angel

The sacred candle

In the paradise of Heaven

Irma, you will shine eternal

Your dignified charm

Your thunderous laugh

Your beautiful grace

The clarity of your song

You will not come back to us

For you are buried in the earth

Your books and your notes

Will fade on the shelf

You are the church’s angel

The sacred candle

In the paradise of Heaven

Irma, you will shine eternal

Ivnisis Ghame

Text & Music: Eldara Bukvaidze

(scroll down for English translation)

Khuti ekvsi da shvidi

Ivnisis ghame dadga

/Ra damavits’qebs im ts’utebs

Dzlivs gamibrts’qinda/

Sizmrad megona tavi

Sitbos skhivebi mts’vavda

/Chemtvis mzets iqo mtvare

Vints rom me gverdit mqavda/

Qoveltvis vkhedav me shen nak’valevs

Sadats gind viqo dghea tu ghame

/Qvelapers vitmen siqvarulistvis

Tu k’i ram vitsi me shenzed rame/

Tvalebs davkhuch’av, isev davkhuch’av

Oghond gigulo chems siakhloves

/Rit avit’ano chemi ar iqo

Am pikrit mudam var simart’oves/

Translation:

Night of June

Five, six then seven

Night of June has begun

I’ll never forget those moments

I was nearly shining

I thought I was in a dream

Warm rays burned me

The one who I had by my side

Was for me both the sun and the moon

I always see your footprints

Whever you want I'll be, night or day

I'll bear everything for love

Anything that has to do with you

I will close my eyes over and over

Merely come closer to me

I couldn't bear for you not to be mine

With this thought, I am forever lonely

Jamata   

(scroll down for English translation)

Svansa jamatas amboben

Dzlier at’erobda ghebsao

K’ari-k’ar dauaraqe

Ushgulel khaldeshlebsao

Ghebulno akhalo vazhno

Chveni dghe aris dghesao

Qvelani sheviaraghdet

Tavzari davtset mt’ersao

Tavgadakachlul jamatas

Shishisgan sulis sdzvrebao

Sheurtskhevs mots’ipuloba

Badzgebshi uk’udzvrebao

Jamata gakhda parshia

Perdshi pintikhi khvdebao

Siskhli gadasdis ghvarada

Svani jamata k’vdebao

Es imit’om jamatao

Ar gvishvebdi mgzavradao

Ts’agvartmevdi chokha-nabads

Dagvadebdi valadao

Translation:

Jamata

They say that Svan¹Jamata

Terrorized Ghebi²- He waited for

The Khaldeshli Family of Ushguli³

At their doorsteps

Young brave men of Ghebi

Today is our day

Let’s all take up arms

And scare off the enemy

The heart of bold Jamata

Is seized with fear

Let his maturity be disgraced

For he is hiding in the holly bushes!

Jamata’s flesh was minced

By a bullet in his side

Blood escapes in torrents

Svan Jamata is dying

This is because, Jamata

You did not let us travel!

You robbed us of our chokhas4️⃣

And you always left us in debt!

¹ Svaneti is a region in Georgia, perched high in the Caucasus Mountains in the northwest of the country.  The local language is Svan, one of four Kartvelian languages spoken in Georgia.  Due to its isolation, Svaneti more than other regions has retained many of its ancient customs throughout the centuries, including its unique choral singing tradition.  

² A village with a rich and long history, Ghebi was in the same region as Svaneti until the principalities were divided in the 16th century. Today it is in Racha.

³ A village in Upper Svaneti. Read more about Ushguli here.

4️⃣Part of a traditional male dress of the Caucasus. There are four versions of the garment within Georgia, and it is linked to a strong sense of national pride. Read more about the chokha here.  

Translation:

Soldier's Joke Song

Hey, you Javakhetian,¹ you insatiable sleeper!

The donkeys were dispersed by wolves,

With an accordion and a flute

K’oba pursued them with his barrel gun

Three times in a row he shot,

His gun thundering a lament

A child sacrificed himself

His mother returned, moaning

He is badly wounded, he can’t even make it inside

He needs doctors' hands,

He needs treatment at home

He died tragically, sacrificing his life to the army…

But he argues with master Guram

That he got him in trouble

His entire work and labor, wasted away

I'll tell you a story

That happened fifty-six years:

They called us in, 19-20-year-old boys

You, Valodi Dzidzishvili

You are of that age

And you must go to soldier on, to obey rules

The commander is waiting for you,

At the top of the hill

He’s brought some notes

And inquires about you

I received the note from the army Saturday

And by Sunday I was ready

I bid my parents and relatives goodbye

And they blessed me on my way

We got on the train in Tbilisi

At eleven o’clock

The sound of the wheels started

We travelled for nine days and nights

Until the roofs of Dzerjivski² appeared

We hardly rested, measuring sleep by the minute

When the time came someone shouted loudly

-Hurry up, get up!

¹Someone from Javakheti, a region in southwest Georgia.

²Dzerzhinsk is a city in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia, 500 kilometers east of Moscow.

Jarji

(scroll down for English translation)

Jikhvtan navali k’ldeebi

Rom nakhot gagik’virdebat

Imat nats’olsa nadgomsa

Tolni ar moek’ideba

[Jarjim nu mizdev jikhvebsa

Mogineleben t’ialni

Ar daijera jarjima

Skhvats bevr mamtsdara ch’k’viani]

Jarjim chakheda jikhvebsa

Ra mshvenierni ts’vanano

Rka rkaze gadaudvia

Angelozebsa hgvanano

Chamoukrola vazhk’atsma

Khirimit sp’ilos dzvlianit

Ts’in jikhvta uk’an jarjima

K’ldeeze gadighes griali

Amoiq’vanes vazhk’atsi

T’iris pshavetis mtania

K’arebze gamoasvenes

K’ldit dapletili t’ania

Sakhsovrad jarjis saplavze

Daakres jikhvis rkania

Zed gauk’etes ts’arts’era

Jarji jikhvtagan mk’vdaria

Translation:

Jarji

You would be amazed if you knew

Where the wild goats¹ roam on the cliffs

These places can't be seen or touched

Not even by the birds

[Jargi, don't hunt the wild goats

For they will exhaust you!

But Jarji didn’t believe them

And other wise men have been mistaken, too]

Jarji looked at the wild goat

He thought it was so beautiful

With its antlers gathered together

It resembled an angel

The young man rushed ahead

With his ivory hilted sword

But the wild goat jumped off the cliff  

With a rumble, Jarji fell too

The mountains of Pshavi are crying

For the young man who was taken

They brought in his body and laid it to rest 

Ripped and torn by the rocks

On his grave, in remembrance of Jarji

They placed the wild goat's antler

And on it they inscribed:

Jarji, killed by the wild goat

¹ The Caucasian tur, a mountain-dwelling caprid found in most of the Caucasus. They live in rough mountainous terrain between 800 and 4,000 meters above sea level.

Instrumental

Jijetze

(scroll down for English translation)

Gadmogikhede, jijeto

Veliano da t’qiano

Sada khar chemo lamazo

Tvalch’relo kera tmiano

Rogor ukhdeba gazapkhuls

Svet’itskhoveltan mts’vaneo

Guneba dats’qnarebulma

Ra bevrjer gavikhareo

Miqvarkhar chemo Jijeto

Chemo gamzrdelo dedao

Miqvarkhar gormaghalao

Jijets rom gadmokhedao

Saamur khar satskerlad

Tovleb rom chamoshrebao

Shurtkhi daits’qebs st’venasa

Gugulits achkamdebao

Shurtkhi daits’qebs st’venasa

Gugulits achkamdebao

Qepit urjulo qorani

K’inch’ukhebs chamohqvebao

Verkhvlis kheobav, lamazo

Nap’ireb balakhiano

Sadats k’i gadavikhede

Qvelgan aragvsa qriano

Gadmogikhede, jijeto

Veliano da t’qiano

Sada khar chemo lamazo

Tvalch’relo kera tmiano

Translation:

Jijeti¹

Come and look at Jijeti

Its valleys and forests

Where are you, my beautiful one

With blonde hair and eyes of many colors
 

How the springtime suits you

Green like Svetitskhoveli²

It puts me at ease

This place has made me happy so often

I love you, my Jijeti

You have educated me like a mother

I love your high hills

That look out over the village

You are so pretty

When snow melts

The birds begin to whistle

The cuckoo coos
 

The birds begin to whistle

The cuckoo coos

The barking, faithless raven

Soars down from the cliffs
 

Silver gorge, beautiful one!

With grassy edges

Wherever I look

I am met by the Aragvi³

Come and look at Jijeti

Its valleys and forests

Where are you, my beautiful one

With blonde hair and eyes of many colors

¹A beautiful village in the municipality of Tianeti, where Gia, the singer, was born and raised.

²The Living Pillar Cathedral 11th century Georgian Orthodox church, located in Mtskheta, 20 kilometers northwest of Tbilisi.  It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the second largest church in Georgia.

³The 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.

Jvari Ts’inasa

(scroll down for English translation)

Jvari ts’inasa marjvniv mkharesa

Ghmerto shen dasts’er

Am nepiont jvarsa

Dagvalotsine shenis dzalita

Gvamravle nepe p’at’ardzalita

Shiadzenine tskhra vazh ert kali

Angelozisa hkondet matk’vali

Jvari ts’inasa marjvniv mkharesa

Translation:

In Front of The Cross 

In front of the cross

Stand to the right 

God, bless the bridegroom

Bless us with your strength

Bridegroom, may you prosper

May you have nine sons and one daughter

Take angel steps

In front of the cross

Stand to the right

Jvari Ts’inasa (from Pshavi)

Jvari ts’inasa adga mkharesa

Shen krist’e ghmerto dasts’ere jvari

Akhal qoilta da akhal sheqrilta

Ert sastaulze t’k’bilad daberdnen

Jvari ts’inasa adga mkharesa

Translation:

In Front Of The Cross (from Pshavi)

In front of the cross, stand on one side

Jesus Christ, wed these flowers¹

The new bride-groom

May they age together sweetly in one bed

In front of the cross, stand on one side

¹New couples are referred to as flowers.

Jvari Ts’inasa (Mokheuri)

Jvari ts’inasa

Shen krist’e ghmerto

Dasts’ere jvari

Akhal qoilta

Akhal shaqrilta

Jvari ts’inasa

Translation:

In Front of the Cross (from Khevi)

In front of the cross

Jesus Christ

Marry these new flowers¹

The new bride-groom

In front of the cross

¹New couples in Georgia are referred to as flowers.

Jvari Ts’inasa (Pshauri)

(scroll down for English translation)

Angelozebi                          

Dadgen mkharesa              

Gadmodgit pekhi               

Jvaris ts’inasa                       

Shen krist’e ghmerto

Dast’ere jvari

Akhal qoilta                         

Ertad shaqrilta                  

Dazde bech’edi

Shen krist’e ghmerto

Translation:

In Front of the Cross

Angels

Stand on one side

Step

In front of the cross

Jesus Christ

When the new flowers¹ come together

Bless their union

Place the rings on them

When they are united

Jesus Christ

¹Georgians refer to new couples as flowers.

Amaqo Gudamaqrelo

Text: Father Tamas Chokheli

(scroll down for English translation)

Mtashi arts’ivi navardobs

Tsashi ghrublebi hpenia

/Chanchkertan k’lde-ch’iukhebshi da

Esoden moulkhenia/

Aragvo shensa k’altebsa

K’ldeni lodebi hpenia

/Amaqo gudamaqrelo da

Rad rad mogits’qenia/

Rad chamakhvel barada

Mtashi suntkva shenia

/Tvaljvriani makhvili da

Omshi ar mogisvenia/

Sakmeni savazhk’atsoni

Mas moutmelod gelian

/Unda dast’ovos sitsotskhle da

Mogikhmobs aragvelia/

Samasmeerte iknebi

Ise ghimili gpenia

/Mamuls anatsvlo sitsotskhle da

Chveulebaa shenia/

Ias saplavze nazardsa

Tsremli tsvar-namad zdenia

/Davit’ireben sts’orebni da

Arts’ivni anaprenia/

Amaqo gudmaqarelo da

Rad rad mogits’qenia

Translation:

Proud Man From Gudamaqari¹

The eagle soars through the mountains

Clouds hang in the sky

By the waterfall, in the rocky gorges

It is revelry
 

Aragvi,² at your banks

Cliffs and boulders hang

Proud man from Gudamaqari,

What has upset you so?

Why have you come down to the plains?

In the mountains you breathed better

You give your sword with the many crosses

No respite from war
 

The work of a young man

Awaits you

You should leave this existence

The Aragvi is calling you

You will be the three-hundred-and-first³

To bear such beauty

To give your life for your country

That is the custom

A violet grew at the graveyard

It sheds tears of dew

Your peers will cry for you

And the eagles will fly in mourning

Proud man from Gudamaqari--

What upsets you so?

¹A small highland in northeast Georgia along the Aragvi river valley. Read more about Gudamaqari here.

²The 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.

³A reference to the three-hundred Aragvians:  three hundred men from the highlands along the Aragvi River who gathered together in 1795 and fought the battle of Krtsanisi against the invading Qajar Army.  They pledged to fight until their death, and only a few returned home. Many famous Georgian authors have paid tribute to the men in their writing. In 2008 they were canonized as martyrs in the Georgian Orthodox Church.

Khars Vgevar Naialaghars

(scroll down for English translation)

Khars vgevar naialaghars

Rkit mits’asa vchkhver vbubuneb

/Ghmerto samshoblo mitsotskhle

Sizmarshits amaz vduduneb/

Arts t’ant matsvia arts pekhta

Davdivar dedishobila

/Mets imat gvaridana var

Vints sigharibit tsnobila/

Tsot’a makvs tsot’as vjerdebi

Bechavtats gavuziareb

/Avis tkmit avis ktsevita

Guls arvis davuzianeb/

Qoranma qorans gasdzakha

Ialbuzisa mtasao

/Vest’umrot vazha-pshavelas

Is gagvikarvebs dardsao/

Mtas ikit mtvare amodis

Mtas aket nisli edeba

/Gavqureb kveqnis ch’ir-varams

Da gulze tsetskhli medeba/

Khars vegevar naialaghars

Rkit mits’asa vchkhver vbubuneb

Translation:

I Am Like The Buffalo When I Work
 

I am like the buffalo when I work

I dig into the earth with my horns

God, long live the homeland

Is what I murmur in my dreams
 

I have no clothes on my body, nor shoes on my feet

I walk stark naked

I come from a family

Known for their poverty

I have so little, but a little will be enough

I will share it with the poor

And I will hurt no one

With wicked words and actions
 

A raven called to another raven

On Elbrus Mountain¹ :

Let’s visit Vazha-Pshavela²

He will rid us of our sorrow

On one side of the mountain, the moon rises

On the other side, fog sits

I look at the troubles of my country

And a fire burns in my heart

I am like the buffalo when I work

I dig into the earth with my horns

I am like the buffalo when I work

I dig into the earth with my horns

¹The highest peak in the Caucasus Mountains 

²Luka Razikashvili (1861-1916) was one of Georgia’s most famous poets and writers. He wrote under the pen name Vazha-Pshavela, which literally means the Son from Pshavi. He was born and raised in the village of Chargali where a museum for him, opened in 1961, exists today.

K’akheto

(scroll down for English translation)

Ros gaipurchkneba ia da enzela, Maisis dilaso

Mashin mertskhali chamoukrolebs, Alaznis p’iraso

Samotkhis k’utkhia edemis baghnari,

Modi da nakheto

Rogor ar gimghero, rogor ar shegako,

Chemo k’akheto

Shirakis velo, alaznis velo, amts’vanebulo

K’akhuro suprav, k’akhuri ghvinit, damshvenebulo

He he hari harale

Gtkhov chveni mkharets moinakhulot,

Tundats ts’amier

Da moisminot t’k’bili kartuli mravalzhamier

K’akheli glekhits moinakhulet mkhreb gamartuli

Da ak ikhilet tsek’va tamashi dzveli kartuli

He he hari harale

Translation:

Kakheti¹

When violets and snowdrop bloom on a May morning

Then a swallow will fly across the Alazani River²

It is part of heaven, this garden of Eden

Come and see it!

How can I not sing to you, not praise you

My Kakheti!
 

Shiraki Valley,³ Alazani Valley, all in green

Adorned with a Kakhetian feast, and Kakhetian wine
 

Just come visit our region for a while!

And listen to a sweet Georgian Mravalzhamier4️⃣

Come meet the Kakhetian peasants

And witness old Georgian dances and games

¹ Situated in eastern Georgia, Kakheti is a region that centuries ago was an independent kingdom. Telavi is the capital of Kakheti. 

² Having its source in the Greater Caucasus, the Alazani River flows through Kakheti and forms the border between Azerbaijan and Georgia before it runs into the Mtkvari River.

³ An arid area on the border of Azerbaijan in southeastern Georgia where Maqvala's village lies. It is an area where shepherds bring their flocks to graze during the wintertime before ascending to summertime pastures.

4️⃣Mravalzhamier means Long life.  Mravalzhamier songs are often song at the feast table to wish longevity and prosperity. 

K’akhetze

(scroll down for English translation)

Tsiv gomboridan simgherit

Sitsotskhlis gadmosakhedi

Moschans iisper ghrublebshi

K’akheti, chveni k’akheti, he he he…

         Ai, k’akheti mtebs da velebze

         Rom ar tskhreboda mt’rebis tareshi

         Tval motsimtsime kalishvilebi

         Qvavilebivit chanan qanebshi

Ghrublebi amaghlebula

Vit alaverdis t’adzari

Pikrivit mimopant’ula

Nangrevebi da natsari, he he he…

         Natsikharebi hqvavis amier

         Atasi ts’lobit gadabuguli

         Gadarbaislon mravalzhamier

         Gulidan gulze galobs bulbuli

Translation:

Kakheti

From the Tsiv-Gombori¹ in song

Life’s view can be seen

In the violet clouds

Kakheti, our Kakheti²

Ah Kakheti, mountains and valleys

The enemies' raids

The twinkling of our daughters’ eyes

Like flowers, lighting up the cornfields

The clouds rise,

Like Alaverdi Cathedral³

And in a thought, dispersing

The ruins and ashes

One thousand years incinerated

Long life!

The nightingale sacredly sings

From heart to heart.

¹A mountain range within the Caucaus Mountains in Kakheti which separates the Iori and Alazani river valleys.

²Situated in eastern Georgia, Kakheti is a region that centuries ago was an independent kingdom. Telavi is the capital of Kakheti.

³A famous monastery in the eastern Georgian region of Kakheti.  The monastery was founded in the 6th century by Joseph Alaverdeli from Antioch, one of the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers.

K'akhetze

(scroll down for English translation)

Tsiv gomboridan simgherit
Sitsotskhlis gadmosakhedi
Moschans iisper ghrublebshi
K’akheti, chveni k’akheti, he he he…

         Ai, k’akheti mtebs da velebze
         Rom ar tskhreboda mt’rebis tareshi
         Tval motsimtsime kalishvilebi
         Qvavilebivit chanan qanebshi

Ghrublebi amaghlebula

Vit alaverdis t’adzari
Pikrivit mimopant’ula
Nangrevebi da natsari, he he he…

         Natsikharebi hqvavis amier
         Atasi ts’lobit gadabuguli
         Gadarbaislon mravalzhamier
         Gulidan gulze galobs bulbuli

Gzebs zemot didi marani

Dats uli t’qeshi charguli

Mteli k’vira rkats’itels

Kvevrebshi gakvs chkapuni

         Bich’ebi uk’ve qurdzens sts’uraven

         Kvevrebshi okros shuki ighvreba

         Moschkebs mach’ari da guls sts’quria

        Sheni simgheris sheni dideba

Translation:

K'akheti¹

From the Tsiv-Gombori² mountains in song

Life’s view can be seen

In the violet clouds

Kakheti, our Kakheti

     Ah, Kakheti, mountains and valleys

     Stifling the enemies' raids,

     The twinkling of our Daughters’ eyes

     Lights up the cornfields like flowers

The clouds rise

Like Alaverdi Cathedral³

And in a thought, dispersing

The ruins and ashes

    One thousand years incinerated

    Long life!

    The nightingale sacredly sings

    From heart to heart.

Above the road is a big wine cellar

For an entire week

The rkatsiteli4️⃣

Splashes in the kvevri5️⃣ 

     The boys are already filtering the grapes

     In the kvevri is a golden light

     The new wine streams, the heart is thirsty

     For your song, your glory

¹ Situated in eastern Georgia, Kakheti is a region that centuries ago was an independent kingdom. Telavi is the capital of Kakheti.

² A mountain range within the Caucaus Mountains in Kakheti, which separates the Iori and Alazani river valleys. Telavi lies at its foothills.

³ A famous monastery in the eastern Georgian region of Kakheti.  The monastery was founded in the 6th century by Joseph Alaverdeli from Antioch, one of the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers.

4️⃣One of the oldest grape varieties in Georgia, rkatsiteli produces a sweet white wine. Read more about it here. 

5️⃣ A large earthenware vessel used for the fermentation and storage of wine in Georgia. Read more about the kvevri here.  

There is no English translation available for this song. If you are able to provide one, please include it in an email to TsutisopeliProject@gmail.com and we will update the page.

Kal-Vazhis Sat’rpialo

Kalau silaghev gulisa

Mak’mare t’anjva pikrebi mts’veli

Stkvi sit’qva shvebisa

Vazhau qoil var k’ordisa

Amosuls mtebshi utskho alersi

Rad meqorebisa

Kalau shors viqav brdzolada

Shevmusre mt’eri veragi mt’eri

Mshvidobis mgmobeli

Vazhav garjilkhar sts’orada

Miqvars vazhk’atsi mkhne da mamatsi

Mshvidobis mdomeli

Kalau shentvis makvs es guli

Vazhav var sheni ertguli

Dghe gvakvs mziani nateldghiani

Brts’qinavs da daria

Vishromot, vilkhinot vikharot

Guls javri ar mivak’arot

Vadidot khalkhis diadi dzala

Kveqnis siqvaruli