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Sari Gelin

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Sari Gelin is a folk song popular among northern Middle Eastern peoples, such as Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Iraqis, Kurds, Persians, and Turks. The origin of the song is uncertain, though it is believed to have an Armenian origin. Sari Gelin has many different lyrical interpretations in many languages, but the melody remains unchanged. Whether the name Sari Gelin refers to a blonde bride, a girl/bride of the mountains, or simply a bride in yellow garments is unknown since the history and precise origin of many songs, originally belonging to oral folk traditions such as Sari Gelin, are difficult to determine.

A controversial documentary with the same title as the song (due to it being linked to Armenians in Turkey) was distributed in Turkish schools which shows the official Turkish version of the Armenian Genocide.

Etymology

Sarı is a Turkic adjective meaning "yellow." However, it can also mean "fair-skinned" or "blonde." The word gelin means someone who comes to the family (i.e. a bride), with its root in the Turkic word gel (meaning "come"). It is mainly used in the Turkish and Azerbaijani languages, and is a popular loan word from the Ottoman Turkish language by local minorities, like Armenians and Kurds.

Alternatively, local words were often adopted in the Ottoman Turkish language, and sarı may also derive from the Armenian word sari (meaning "of the mountain"). In Armenian, the song is also known as Sari Aghjik which means "Mountain Girl" and Vard Siretsi which means "I loved a rose."

In short, Sari Gelin could translate to "blonde bride/maiden" or "fair-skinned young girl", but also to "mountain bride," which would complement the folklore of the Turkish man falling in love with an Armenian maiden from the mountains (see Meaning below).

Meaning

The song is known in Turkey to be based on a story similar to Romeo & Juliet, where a Muslim Turkish man falls in love with a Christian Armenian girl. In Turkey, Sari Gelin is often used in documentaries or television programs about Armenians, and is somewhat recognized as a mourning song for the tragedy that befell the two nations. In Azerbaijan, Sari Gelin is known to be a legend in which "Blond Maiden" symbolizes the love between a Turk and a Christian lady after a Seljuk Turkish victory against the Byzantine Empire.

Translation

Here are a few translated portions of the song in different languages:

In Armenian:

From Vard Siretsi (Sari Aghjik) / I Loved A Rose (Girl of Mountain):

I loved a rose, it gave thorns,
Dle yaman, dle yaman, dle yaman.
She left and chose someone else,
Ah let your mother die, girl of mountain, oy oy
Girl of rock, oy oy,
Rock-hearted girl, oy oy,
Malign-hearted girl

From Sari Gyalin:

The clouds pieces pieces, maid of the mountain.
I could not have the one I loved,
Ah, let your mother die, maid of the mountain.
There you are white like milk, maid of the mountain.
You look like an opened rose,
Ah, let your mother die, maid of the mountain.

In Azerbaijani:

You don't braid the end of your hair,
You don't pick a dewy flower.
What is this love?
They will not let me marry you.
Oh, what can I do?
Oh, what can I do?
Golden Bride
The tallest of this valley,
Shepherd, give me back the lamb.
I wish that one day I could see
The face of my beloved
Oh, what can I do?
Oh, what can I do?
Golden Bride
They will not let me marry you.
May your grandmother die.
Oh, Golden Bride
Golden Bride


In Persian:

The Maiden Cupbearer
Dancing, drunkard
from the feast of escorts
Fleeing away, fleeing away.


Pouring in the glass of wine
the sorrow of yearning,
the grief of parting.
As shattered rubies:
The hearts of escorts.


My bleeding heart,
shaken, tumbling down;
My worried gaze
soften and drenched
following her tread.


The Maiden Cupbearer
Dancing, drunkard
from the feast of escorts
Fleeing away, fleeing away.


In Turkish:

Erzurum bazaars and markets, ohh honey, Fair bride
A girl walks inside, may your grandma die
Fair bride aman fair bride aman my dear
A fountain pen in her hand, oh honey, Fair bride
She writes cure to my sorrow,
May your grandma die fair bride aman
Fair bride aman fair bride aman, my dear
A bird in Erzurum, oh honey, Fair bride
A silver at it`s wings,
May your grandma die fair bride aman
Fair bride aman fair bride aman, my dear
my love has gone, didnt came back , oh honey, Fair bride
there is certainly something going on, may your grandma die my fair bride aman
Fair bride aman fair bride aman, my dear

References

  1. Yurdatapan, Sanar. "Turkey: Censorship Past and Present" in Shoot the Singer!: Music Censorship Today. Marie Korpe (ed.) Zed Books: New York, 1994, p. 190.
  2. ^ Baydar, Yavuz. "‘Sari Gelin’ DVD should have no place in schools." Today's Zaman. February 20, 2009. Accessed at July 05, 2009 Excerpt: "referring to an old Armenian song "Sarı Gyalin", later adopted into Turkish."
  3. Armenian question documentary causes more controversy. Today's Zaman. February 20, 2009.
  4. Erdem, Suna. "Father sues Turkish Education Ministry over Armenian 'genocide' DVD." The Times. February 28, 2009.
  5. http://www.turkishclass.com/forumTitle_39109
  6. http://fly-on-wall.blogspot.com/2007/12/legend-of-sari-gelin.html

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