Armenian Literature: Comprising Poetry, Drama, Folk-lore and Classic Traditions;: Translated into English for the First Time
General
Armenian Literature: Comprising Poetry, Drama, Folk-lore and Classic Traditions;: Translated into English for the First Time
Armenian literature; Armenian literature -- Translations into English
So David set out. The giants perceived a rider coming, for the dust from
his horse's hoofs rose to heaven: "This rider comes to fight with us.
Perhaps he is of the race of Sergo."[28]
[28] Sergo-Sarkus (Sergius) so the Kurds called the Christians,
regarding them as descendants of St. Sergius, who is very popular among
the Armenians of Wan and Musch.
They called to him, saying: "Ho, fellow! who are you, and whence come
you? Do you know Chandud-Chanum? Will you take this ring to her?"
David said: "Certainly I know her, but I have come to take your heads to
the Princess Chandud. I know nothing about your rings!"
The eyebrows of Schibikan of Chorassan hung down over his breast and he
fastened them across his back. Hamsa of Lori had an underlip so long
that it reached the ground and swept it.
David and the giants began to hack and hew each other and they fought
with clubs and bows until night. David cried: "I believe in the high and
holy cross of Maratuk," and took his sword and cut both their heads off.
He bound their hair together and hung them across his horse like saddle
bags and their tongues furrowed the ground like a plough.
David rode away with their heads and had already traversed half the way
when he saw approaching him, riding between heaven and earth, a rider,
who called out to him! "Do you think you have conquered the giants
Schibikan and Hamsa?" The rider sprang behind David and struck at him
with a club. He crawled under the saddle and the club struck the stirrup
and tore it loose, and it fell to the ground. David sprang out from
under the saddle and cried: "Bread and wine, as the Lord liveth!" and
swung his club over his enemy. The enemy dodged the blow, but his hair
fell away from his face. David looked and recognized Chandud-Chanum; she
had disguised herself and had come to meet him.
"O shameless woman!" David said. "You would disgrace me a second time."
They rode together into Chandud-Chanum's city. They arrived and
dismounted and called Chandud-Chanum's father. David said to him: "Will
you give me your daughter for a wife?"
Her father said: "I will not give her to you. If you will marry her and
live here, I will give her to you. If you must take her away, I will not
give her. How can I do otherwise? I have enemies all around me; they
will destroy my city."
And David said: "I will marry her and stay here. I will not take her
away."
So they were married and celebrated the wedding, feasting seven days and
seven nights.
The time passed by unheeded, and when nine months, nine days and nine
hours had passed, God sent them a son.
And David said to Chandud-Chanum: "If this child is mine, he must have a
mark--he will show great strength." They put the child in
swaddling-clothes, but instead of bands they bound him with
plough-chains. He began to cry and stir in his cradle and the chain
snapped into pieces.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account