Khosrovidukht of Goghtn

Two Armenian women poets, Sahakdukht of Siunik (Սահանդուխտ Սյունեցի) and Khosrovidukht of Goghtn (Խոսրովիդուխտ Գողթնացի), flourished in the eighth century. No doubt there would have been other women poets before and after them, but their works have not survived. As her name implies, Khosrovidukht was the daughter of Prince Khosrov of Goghtn (now in the territory of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic) and sister of Vahan of Goghtn. She wrote this poem in memory of her brother after his martyrdom in 738.

The translation is by Diana Der Hovanessian and Marzbed Margossian (Anthology of Armenian Poetry, New York: Columbia University Press, 1978)

More Astonishing

More astonishing to me
than the lyrics made for you,
more amazing than the music composed
for your death,
is the sound of the sobbing mourning
you, Lord Vahan, chosen of God.

Let me be inspired in that clear part
of my soul, to compose songs for you too,
but not songs that mourn;
but joyous, exhorting praises for your work,
blessing you, servant of Christ.

Although you found your labor,
and your ascetic self-denial
which is so terrifying to my body's nature,
more rewarding than praises,
let me praise, oh blessed Vahan, lover of Christ.

Let those outsiders
who built upon vanity
go down in defeat.

Let your soul rest in divine light,
oh blessed Vahan, chosen of the free.

Brave martyr, it was while performing
unselfishly against the nations of the south
that you were fixed forever
as an immortal and blessed ruler of Goghtn.

Զարմանալի է ինձ

Առաւել յորդորէ այս զհոգւոյս մասունըս,
Յօրինել քեզ երգս ո՛չ զղջականըս,
Այլ հոգևորըս, և ուրախարարըս,
Յորդորականըս, և ներբողեանըս,
Ո՜վ երանելի տէր Վահան, ծառայ Քրիստոսի։

Զարհուրեցուցանէ զքոյ ճգնութիւնդ
Զմարմնոյս բնութիւնըս.
Իսկ դու առաւել գտար.
Ո՜վ երանելի տէր Վահան, սիրող Քրիստոսի։

Արտաքնոցըն ըզգաստքըն
Ստեղծիչ բանք սնոտեացն ի պատրութիւն.
Իսկ քոյդ սիրայնոյ՝ աստուածարեալ և ոգեշահ․
Ո՜վ երանելի տէր Վահան, ընտրեալ յազատաց։

Որպէս քաջ նահատակ,
Պատրաստեալ ի պատերազմ,
Կատարեցեր զընթացըս քոյ,
Արիաբար՝ յազգացն հարաւայնոյ,
Դասաւորեալ ընդ անմարմնականսն.
Ո՜վ երանելի տէր Վահան, Գողթնեացն իշխեցող։

“More Astonishing” - “Sharakan” choir, voals - Armenuhi Seyranyan | "Զարմանալի է ինձ" - "Շարական" անսամբլ, Մենակատար՝ Արմենուհի Սեյրանյան:

By Gagik Stepan-Sarkissian

AI Celebrating Pride: Queer Armenian Library

A literary moment or literary movement?

J.P. Der Boghossian, founder of QAL

J.P. Der Boghossian, founder of QAL

This month, the Queer Armenian Library, the International Armenian Literary Alliance, and Hye-Phen Magazine co-hosted a panel and a reading of Queer Armenian writers. Two events of historic significance. Certainly prior to this there have been readings of Queer Armenian writers and facilitated discussions, but two global events through Zoom with writers and attendees from Yerevan to Los Angeles was certainly historic.

These events confirm an epochal moment for Armenian literature. Never have we had a genre which we can call Queer Armenian literature. Over the past two decades dozens of writers of novels, poetry, memoirs, short stories, and essays created it. Against the odds in some cases. Many authors wrote in isolation. In other cases, Queer literary organizers published anthologies and launched digital platforms, but did so in opposition to, or without the support of, Armenian organizations. And this work builds on the pioneers of the twentieth century, from poets like Charents and Tekeyan, to fiction writer George Stambolian, and memoirist Arlene Voski Avakian.    

Yet, after these two events I am hesitant to continue to call it a genre. We may have a literary movement on our hands. We generally know literary movements as the “—isms” (realism, romanticism, naturalism, etc.); and, while bookstores would call Queer Armenian literature a genre and then place it on the subgenre bookshelves of Armenian literature or LGBTQ literature, the more likely comparison may be the Harlem Renaissance or the Black Arts movement or the New York School.

 Instead of a physical location (Harlem or New York), we have the vast expanse of the internet, through which writers can now connect into a larger and emerging community of writers. The themes of this potential new movement include challenging the norms of Armenian relationships, interrogating gender roles, queering ideas of intimacy, challenging nationalism and colonialism simultaneously, and providing new explorations of Armenian identity.

At the panel, Armen Ohanyan suggested the idea that minority discourse may be a better framework for Armenian identity as all Armenians find themselves as part of a minority. This minority identity could be more universal for Armenians, instead of only using language, faith, or residence (not all Armenians speak Armenian, not all Armenians are members of the Apostolic Church, and not all Armenians live in Armenia). Queer Armenian writers would be better positioned to explore this idea of Armenian identity as they are a minority within a minority. During the panel, this discussion led to the recollection of previous arguments that Armenian identity itself could be considered queer.  

But more importantly, these themes are not limited to Queer authors or Armenian authors. This movement could be part of a larger movement with deeper implications for the larger SWANA and MENA regions and their corresponding diasporas.                 

Perhaps the idea of a Queer Armenian literary movement is an overreach, too grandiose. But despite the diversity of styles, subject matter, and mediums, a consistent thread throughout Queer Armenian writing is its audacity to imagine, to love, and to speak necessary truths.

By J.P. Der Boghossian

AI Celebrating Pride: GALAS

In 2018, in celebration of GALAS' 20th anniversary,  the Board of Directors approached a long standing community member and filmmaker Jacob Halajian to make a short film honoring the history, legacy and current work of GALAS LGBTQ+ Armenian Society. This documentary captures the spark and catalyst that started what we now know to be GALAS.  An interview with Azad Mazmanian, reveals publicly for the first time, the harrowing challenges she experienced as one of the first openly LGBTQ+ Armenians in Los Angeles.  The documentary tracks the early days of GALAS as well as its current relevance in our community. Hear first hand, the very personal experiences of our LGBTQ+ Armenian community and how an organization dedicated to the support, safety and success of individuals in the LGBTQ+ Armenian community has come to be and continues to flourish.