B16 The Assyrians of Armenia

Nadia Aloverdova of Guylasar, Armenia in Guylasar, Armenia

naparət maləc Tuma mən-⁺ʾIran mən-mata Yangəjja šīt ʾalpo tmanyammo ʾəsri tmanya bərrák̭əna mən-⁺hošaruyta ⁺tmanəssár batə ⁺várəna gu ʾuprət ʾArmanəs-⁺tan. bəsyák̭əna gu-⁺ṱuyranə márona gōl, gōl ʾAsór. ⁺tama k̭at tre šənnə pyášəna gašúk̭əna gu-dá meša, ⁺roba dəbbabə, divə, ⁺talə ⁺šulə váyəna. har ʾannə tavəryaté ⁺šulə ⁺bixalena. mara ʾaxnan lipəx dūz ducta xeta. gu-⁺ṱuyranə lēx xiyyə. ʾannə mešaváy k̭alé bitáyələ lēx ⁺myasa damxaxən. ʾannə dəbbabə, ⁺šulə, ʾaryə ʾəttən. cullə ⁺ʾallan pisuyta vádəna. k̭emax ⁺salax ⁺ʾultux. ʾazax. ⁺mṱilan ⁺ʾal-⁺ʾatrət diyyan pešax ⁺tama. la, xazzax mu vadəx. mən-⁺tama ⁺bəddárəna ⁺tmanəssár batə. bitáyəna ⁺mṱáyəna cəs šak̭ita ⁺ʾAzad. laxxa šak̭ita ʾitən šəmmo ⁺ʾAzā́d꞊la ⁺ʾAzā́d ⁺ʾAvā́n márəna. ureməs ʾəštá yarxə maləggə k̭a ⁺ʾurusná ⁺tama xúmyəna. k̭ošunət ⁺ʾurusnáy vítəla gu-⁺ʾIran baba savət diyyan k̭até gúšk̭əna. ⁺xarto k̭at ⁺díyyəna k̭at baba savət diyyan ⁺bəddárəna bə́ššəna ⁺ʾIran, ⁺k̭əryena mírəna temun laxxa xa dana mata ʾitən, pušun ximun. ʾanga xošoxun ṱ-atya, pešitun. baba sávət-diyyan bətyávəna susavayé bitáyəna laxxa ⁺mṱáyəna. laxxa váyəla xa dana ⁺k̭alla. k̭amta ⁺hošarə mən-ʾarəmnáy ci-⁺p̂alšiva ʾitar ⁺k̭alla ⁺ṱúrsəva. dəpnatət ⁺k̭alla bitáyəna, gašúk̭əna dūz dúctəla, miyya basima pyášəna laxxa. mara laxxa jəns꞊ila. dəpnət ⁺k̭alla ⁺hošarə laxxa váyələ gōr, gorət ⁺hošarə laxxa꞊da gu-dá tsentr꞊ət diyyan, ʾicət ʾadiyya ʾannə magazín ⁺šulə ʾitən, la? ⁺tama víyyəna ⁺gorət ⁺hošarə. bat-⁺k̭uraváyəna, ʾaxnan marəx gōr. ⁺tamma ʾani lena ⁺mumməddə. ʾaxnan bat-⁺k̭uravayə marəx məllattət diyyan ⁺mammúdəna ⁺crəsyánəvax. ⁺ʾamman ⁺hošaruyta lela ⁺mamməddə max dē꞊t-diyyan ʾay k̭a-dani márəna gōr bat-k̭uraváy lena mara. ʾannə ⁺ʾaturayə k̭at bitáyəna laxxa dəpnət ⁺k̭alla bətváy ⁺ṱarúsəna. nixa nixa ⁺ʾumra ⁺ṱarúsəna. mənné váyəna muyyə ⁺ʾumra ⁺Mar ⁺K̭uryak̭us. ⁺Mar ⁺K̭uryak̭us vilə ganu ⁺ʾarp̂á šənnə babu ⁺k̭ṱíluna k̭at hammanuyta víyyələ gu-⁺jamahat tanuvva xina k̭a-babu ⁺k̭ṱíləna. k̭a-baxtu mírəna ʾanga ʾat꞊da b-ʾurxət ⁺gorax ṱ-azatən, brunux k̭am ⁺ʾaynax ⁺k̭aṱlaxxə. ⁺ʾOliṱa vítəla yəmmət ⁺Mar ⁺K̭uryak̭us. ⁺Mar ⁺K̭uryak̭us mírələ yəmmi c-oya ʾatən tarcatta ya ʾurxa, ⁺ʾamman ʾən bábət-diyyi ya ʾurxa dvík̭olə, ʾana ⁺bəddayən babət diyyi honana naša víyyələ ʾurxa dūz dvík̭olə. ʾana p̂ṱ-azən bi ʾurxət babi. bəšk̭áləna k̭a-yala sura xarbúsuna m-⁺al-pallacanə. candurə candúrələ bitáyələ bənpálələ rišu ⁺bəč̭lápulə. yəmmu bitáyəla mara ʾanga ⁺ʾarp̂á šənnə yala suri ⁺p̂urmíyyələ xayyə mu꞊ina ʾana mujja ⁺deran ⁺baráy mən-hammanuyta. k̭a-dáy꞊da ⁺ʾallu ⁺bək̭ṱáləna. ʾadiyya ʾaxnan yumət ⁺Mar ⁺K̭uryak̭us mən bretət yəmmu, mən yəmma bretá víyyələ bi ʾIyyul ʾəsri tmanya b-yarxa, ʾaxnan ʾo yuma cut ⁺dana vadəx ʾarya ⁺šara ya ⁺Mar ⁺K̭uryak̭us꞊lə ya ⁺ʾumra. baba savət diyyan mənné múyyuna laxxa xa dana sura ⁺ʾumra ⁺ṱúrsəna. šxumtu muyyalan, laxxa ⁺ṱurəslan. ya yacca vədlan. ⁺ʾavun súrəva. múyyona laxxa yacca ⁺ʾumra ⁺ṱurəslan. ⁺ʾav꞊da ʾitən, k̭a-⁺dav꞊da gašuk̭ən ʾadiyya. ʾitar laxxa pyášəna. m-axxa ⁺várəla šənnə šabáy vobšem šīt ʾalpo tmanyammo tlay taxmúnəna k̭at ⁺ʾumra garvəssilə. šīt ʾalpo tmanyammo ʾarp̂i ⁺ṱarúsuna ya ⁺ʾumra. vayəx ⁺nəsṱərnayə ʾaxnan ⁺ʾaturayə mən Yangəjja ʾatyanə. vayəx ⁺nəsṱərnayə k̭at laxxa užə ⁺k̭anunə bəxlápəna, ʾarəmnáy hamananuytət gané ʾətlun, ⁺ʾurusnáy hammanuytət gané ʾətlun, k̭at bəššəx k̭abulox p̂ravaslavya mən ⁺ʾurusná ʾaxnan vayəx p̂ravaslavni mən ⁺nəsṱərnayə bəxlapəx ⁺ʾal-p̂ravaslavni hammananuyteni. šīt ʾalpo tmanyammo ⁺tmani xamša ʾaxnan ⁺ʾaturayət diyyan k̭abúlona ya hammanuyta. ya ⁺ʾumra mən-⁺nəsṱərnayə bəxlápələ ⁺ʾal-p̂ravaslavya.

⁺várəna ⁺roba ⁺dana váyəna ⁺roba k̭ašə surayə. Yəprəm váyələ, ʾIso váyələ, Mixayəl váyələ, k̭aša ⁺Sandu váyələ. ⁺roba ʾatxa k̭ašə viyyan꞊lə. m-cul-prak̭ta váyələ k̭aša Mixayəl. k̭a-daha aksor vádəna, Səbbər ⁺šadúruna. represya váyəla šīt tlay ⁺šavva. laxxa surayət diyyan šīt tlay ⁺šavva ⁺roba pənyelun. ⁺xar šīt ʾarp̂í xa k̭at ⁺davi vila ⁺roba pnilun. mən-⁺bár da ⁺raba aksor videlun. dax tanaxən p̂alk̭onik̭꞊ət diyyan, ⁺rabi ⁺Bark̭araxā́n bi Čin ⁺rama naša víyyələ, dvík̭una. mírəna ʾatən ureməs mən-Bərya m-⁺úydalə ⁺bíyyətun p̂erevaróṱ ʾoditun. xa dana ʾarəmná honana víyyələ mərrə yala xáyələ-ʾalaha b-⁺šadrilux Səbbər. ta duglə dagəl. mara ʾana mujja daglən? tani ʾaxnan ⁺jə́myəxva bi surayə k̭a-diyyi ⁺byáyəna malca mattini ʾazax ⁺ʾal-⁺ʾatrət diyyan. ʾat b-dayya park̭itən. ʾatxa꞊da vádələ ⁺Bark̭araxā́n. mara ʾaxnan ⁺jə́myəxva ⁺tama xamzúməxva bi surayət ganan, ⁺ʾaturayə k̭a-diyyi prəšlun malca mərrun temun ʾazax ⁺derax ⁺ʾal-ʾatrət diyyan ⁺tama p̂ṱ-oət malca. ya naša ʾatxa prak̭əl ⁺sāǧ pyašəl. bitáyələ beta yāl-suru uže gurvəssə ⁺ʾamma túrvənte šudə́nnəna. ham brunu ham bratu. ⁺roba ⁺janjū́r ya naša k̭a-surayət diyyan pīs lelə viyya, cullə mata꞊da k̭atu bətxárəla. baba savət diyyan laxxa pəšle xatxa xile. ⁺xarto Stalən p̂rik̭ás ⁺puləṱlə šīt xamši tre mərrə mān ʾicət bəxxayəl ʾo-lišana gar ⁺yaṱṱilə. ʾaxnan uže k̭at p̂ravaslavya k̭úbloxva ʾatxa꞊da lišanət ⁺ʾurusnayə ləplan, Rusya, ⁺k̭reta ctavta lišanət ⁺ʾurusnayə. madrasət surayə dvərra. ptixalun lišanət ⁺ʾurusnayə. laxxa dax pyášəxva gu-⁺Hayəstan xa dars vadəx ʾət-ʾarəmnayə ʾēn xinə lišanət ⁺ʾurusnayə. cut xa ⁺ʾaturaya ⁺byáyələ lišā́n ganu ʾadiyya. ʾangət ⁺ʾaturayət diyyan lá-ʾavini k̭əržala, nuyna, ⁺ṱera, ʾóini xa hucma. taxmə́nnini bi xa məndi cut-xa basət ganu taxmúnələ.

The family of Malik Tuma flees from Iran, from the village of Yangəjja, in the year 1828 from the Afshar dynasty. Eighteen families enter the territory of Armenia. They go up into the mountains (to a place) they call ‘pool,’ ‘the pool of Ashur.’ There, where they stay for two years, they look in the forest (and see that) there many bears, wolves, foxes, and so forth. They are constantly eating their cows and so forth. They said ‘We are used to living in a flat place. We have not lived in the mountains. Sounds come from these forests and we cannot sleep. There are those bears and so forth, lions. All these are annoying us. Let’s get up and go down (the mountain). Let’s go. If we reach our country, we shall stay there. If not, let’s see what we shall do.’ From there eighteen families return and arrive near to the stream of ⁺ʾAzād. There is a stream there, its name is ⁺ʾAzād, they say ⁺ʾAzād ⁺ʾAvān. Now, for six months the headmen looked after the Russians. The army of the Russians was in Iran and our forefathers looked after them. Then, when they knew that our forefathers were returning and going to Iran, they called them and said ‘Come here. There is a village (here), stay and live (in it). If you are happy, stay.’ Our forefathers mount their horses and come and arrive here. Here there is a fortress. Previously the Afshars used to fight with the Armenians, so they had built a fortress. They come to the environs of the fortress and see that it is a flat area, with good water, and they stay here. They say ‘Here it is good.’ Next to the fortress, the Afshars had a tomb, the tomb of the Afshars is here, in this centre of ours, where now there are the shops and so forth, no? There were the tombs of the Afshars. They are tombs, we say ‘tomb’ (gōr). There they are not baptized. We say cemetery (for us), because our people are baptized, we are Christians. But the Afshar community does not baptize like that of ours, so for them they say ‘grave’ (gōr). They do not say ‘cemetery.’ The Assyrians who come here, next to the fortress, build houses. Gradually they build a church. They had brought a church with them, St. Quryaqos. St. Quryaqos was himself four years old when they killed his father, because the faith had come into the community and he was preaching. They killed his father. They said to his wife ‘If you go in the way of your husband, we shall kill your son before your eyes.’ Julietta was the mother of St. Quryaqus. St. Quryaqus said ‘Mother, you may abandon this path, but if my father stuck to this path, I know that my father was a wise man and held to the right path. I shall go on the path of my father.’ They take the child and throw him down from the stairs. He rolls and rolls, falls and splits his head open. His mother comes and says ‘If my four year old child has understood what life is, how can I revert from faith?’ They kill also her on top of him. Now we on the day of St. Quryaqus, on which he was given birth by his mother, in Iyyu, the 28th of the month, we every time hold a festival on that day, it is the festival of this St. Quryaqus, this church. Our forefathers brought it with them and here made a small church. They brought its sanctuary stone and we built it here. We made it huge. It was small. They brought it here and we built a huge church. That exists, I am looking at it now. Then they stay here, years and weeks pass, in short in the year 1830 they think about enlarging the church. In the year 1840 they build this church. We are Nestorians, we Assyrians coming from Yangəjja. We are Nestorians, when here the laws change, the Armenians have their own faith, the Russians have their own faith, with the result that we go and accept orthodoxy from the Russians, we become orthodox and change our faith from (being) Nestorians to being orthodox. In the year 1885 our Assyrians accept this faith. This church is changed from (that of) the Nestorians to orthodoxy.

Much time passes, there are many Assyrian priests. There is Ephrem, there is Iso, there is Mixayəl, there is Father Sandu. We had many such priests. The last of all is Father Mixayəl. They exile him and send him to Siberia. The repression takes place in the year thirty-seven. Here in the year thirty-seven they annihilated many of our Assyrians. Then in the year forty-one when there was the war, many were annihilated. After that they exiled many. What should we say, they arrested our colonel, Rabi ⁺Bark̭araxān, who was a high-ranking person in China. They said ‘You together with Bərya wanted to make a revolt.’ There was an intelligent Armenian, the lad said ‘As God lives, man, they will send you to Siberia. Come and tell lies.’ He says ‘How can I lie?’ ‘Say that we met with Assyrians and they want to make me king, so that we go to our country. You will be saved with this.’ ⁺Bark̭araxān does this. He says ‘We had gathered there and were talking with our Assyrians, and the Assyrians selected me as king. They said “Come, let’s go and return to our country. There you will be king.”’ That man was saved in this way and survived. He comes home. His children have already grown up, but both of them, both his son and his daughter, have gone mad. That man suffers a lot and he has not been bad for our Assyrians, the whole village remembers him. Our forefathers stayed here and live like this. In the end Stalin issued an order in the year fifty-two, saying ‘Whosoever, wherever he lives, should know that language. We, since we had accepted orthodoxy, we accordingly learnt the Russian language, (the language of) Russia, reading and writing in the Russian language. The school for Assyrians closed. They opened it as (the school for) the Russian language. Since we are staying here in Armenia, we do one lesson of Armenian, the others are in Russian. Every Assyrian wants his own language. Now, if our Assyrians were not a crab, fish, bird, they would be a government. They think of one thing, each thinks about himself.