Sari Gelin (, ; ) or Sari Aghjik () is the name for a number of folk songs popular among the people of Iran, the southern Caucasus (most prominently present-day Azerbaijan and Armenia) and in eastern Anatolia in present-day Turkey. All versions of the song use the same melody and are written in the Bayati makam or mode, but are sung with different lyrics.Ottman history, Episode 35: Sari Galin between Azerbaijan, and Turkey by Chris Gratien from Georgetown University Podcast and Pdf The consensus about its country of origin is contested.
In the song, a boy complains to or about an unattainable girl he loves. Sari Gelin is either a blonde bride or a girl from the mountains, depending on the language of the lyrics.
Etymology In Armenian, the song is known as Sari Aghjik, where sari (սարի) means "of the mountain", and "aghjik" means "girl". Together they mean "girl/bride from the mountains".
In Azerbaijani and Turkish the song is known as Sari Gelin, sarı as a Turkic adjective means "yellow". The word gelin or gəlin means someone who comes to the family (i.e. a bride). Thus Sarı Gelin can mean "golden/blond/fair-skinned bride."
Versions
Armenian Sari Aghjik The Sari Aghjik (Mountain Girl) version uses the same melody with the Armenian word for the girl (aghjik աղջիկ) as in the song Vard Siretsi ("I loved a rose").Video for Jivan Gasparian's "Sari Aghjik" (Սարի աղջիկ) by Armenian dudukVideo for "Vart Sireci" ("Sari Aghjik") / Վարդ Սիրեցի (Սարի Աղջիկ) in Armenian Both Armenian versions, are about the boy complaining that the unkind girl has rejected him. In Armenian Sari Aghjik, the girl has chosen someone else over him. The lyrics translate to:Armenian lyrics Վարդ սիրեցի՝ փուշ դառավ,Դլե յաման, (×3),
Գնաց, ուրիշին առավ ... Ա՜խ, մերըդ մեռնի, սարի աղջիկ, օ՜յ, օ՜յ, Քարի աղջիկ, օյ, օյ, Քար սիրտ աղջիկ, օյ, օյ, Չար սիրտ աղջիկ:
Գնաց, ուրիշին առավ, Դլե յաման, լեյլի յար ջան. I loved a rose, it turned to thorns,My heart yaman! (×3)
She left and chose someone else, Akh! let your mother die! You mountain girl, oy oy you stone girl, oy oy, you stone-hearted girl, oy oy, you wicked-hearted girl.
She left and chose someone else My heart yaman! Leyli dear beloved (Persian-Armenian) Մինուճարիս մեղքացիր,Դլե յաման, (×3)
Թույն մի ածա թեժ վերքիս ... Ա՜խ մերըդ մեռնի, սարի աղջիկ, օ՜յ, օ՜յ ... Քարի աղջիկ, օյ, օյ, Քար սիրտ աղջիկ, օյ, օյ, Չար սիրտ աղջիկ:
Թույն մի ածա թեժ վերքիս ... Դլե յաման, լեյլի յար ջան. Take pity on my only childMy heart yaman! (×3)
Don't pour poison into (salt on) my wound. Akh! let your mother die! You mountain girl, oy oy you stone girl, oy oy, you stone-hearted girl, oy oy, you wicked-hearted girl.
Don't pour poison into my wound My heart yaman! Leyli dear beloved. Եղնիկ եմ՝ նետը կրծքիս,Դըլե յաման, (×3)
Տիրել ես խելք ու մտքիս ... Ա՜խ մերըդ մեռնի, սարի աղջիկ, օ՜յ, օ՜յ ... Քարի աղջիկ, օյ, օյ, Քար սիրտ աղջիկ, օյ, օյ, Չար սիրտ աղջիկ:
Տիրել ես խելք ու մտքիս ... Դլե յաման, լեյլի յար ջան. I am a deer with an arrow in my chestMy heart yaman! (×3)
You have possessed my thoughts and my mind. Akh, may your mother die! You mountain girl, oy oy you stone girl, oy oy, you stone-hearted girl, oy oy, you wicked-hearted girl.
You have possessed my thoughts and my mind. My heart yaman! Leyli dear beloved The phrase "Don't pour poison into (salt on) my wound" is an idiom that means "don't make my troubles worse".
Azerbaijani Sarı Gəlin
In Azerbaijan, Sarı Gəlin (Blond Maiden) is a legend that symbolizes the love between a Muslim Azerbaijani and a Christian Armenian girl who are kept apart.Ottman history, Episode 35: Sari Galin between Azerbaijan, and Turkey by Chris Gratien from Georgetown University Podcast and Pdf
This versions of Sari Gelin-Sari Aghjik use the same melody and are written in the literary genre known as Bayati, which is one of the most popular forms of poetry in most of the Middle East. Bayati poetry is known for its reflective and introspective prose. Generally, Bayati poetry consists of lines of seven syllables written in a simple rhythm.karabakh foundation Sarı Gelin blog
Saçın ucun hörməzlər, gülü sulu dərməzlər, Sarı Gəlin.You don't braid the end of your hair, you don't pick a dewy flower. yellow (blond, fair) bridebu sevda nə sevdadır, səni mənə verməzlər; neynim aman, aman, (×2) Sarı Gəlin.What a love is this love! they will not give you to me. what can I do? aman! (secure me! / help! / please!) aman! (×2) yellow bridebu dərənin uzunu, çoban qaytar quzunu, Sarı Gəlin.The tallest of this valley, shepherd, return the lamb, yellow bride.nə ola bir gün görəm, nazlı yarın üzünü; neynim aman, aman, (×2) Sarı Gəlin.I wish that one day I could see the face of my playful love what can I do? aman! aman! (×2) yellow bride.Gün ola mən bir görəydim Nazlı yarımın üzünü Neynim aman, aman (×2) Sarı gəlinCould there be a day I would see (correct translation?) the face of my playful love what can I do? aman! aman! (×2) yellow bride.
The Azerbaijani version of the song was processedГаджибеков У. А. Доклад в связи с годовщиной смерти композитора Асафа Зейналлы // О музыкальном искусстве Азербайджана / Составитель Кубад Касимов, редактор Кара Караев. — Б.: Азербайджанское государственное издательство, 1966. — С. 123. and pitched by Azerbaijani composer Asaf Zeynally (1909–1932).Эльшана Агасиева. Социально-философская сущность азербайджанского музыкального фольклора как средство, сохраняющее особенности характера азербайджанцев // Мир культуры. — Баку: Азербайджанский государственный университет культуры и искусств, 2010. — В. ХХ. — С. 51.
The text of the song in the Azerbaijani language was published in 1982 in Baku under the edition of Hamid Arasly.Azərbaycan klassik ədəbiyyatı kitabxanası. I cild. Bakı, 1982. 512 pp. Page 500. In 2001 the Azerbaijani text of the song was published by Rafik Babayev."Min bir mahnı" kitabı. II nəşr. El-Alliaance, Bakı, 2001. 511 pp. Page 270.
Azerbaijani long version DayIrMan sings a longer Azerbaijani version, which translates to:DayIrMan"Leyla va Deyirman"Translation by Farida Aghayeva from Azerbaijani International. Don't braid the end of your hair, Don't pluck the flower while it's young, yellow bride. Don't braid the end of your hair, Don't pluck the flower while it's young, yellow bride.
You were born for love with me; / We were born to love each other; You are the only one; on earth, in life, in the sky. You are my sunshine, my fire. I fell in love with you on a moonlit night The sun, a man and yellow bride; The only star, land and your breath, I love life, life is you. My eyes that see you are full of eagerness, You came into my dream like a ray, yellow bride.
What kind of love is this? They won't let me marry you. What should I do, what should I do, yellow bride? What kind of love is this? They won't give you to me.
It's me, looking for you among the stars. Answer me, don't break my heart! I will breathe with your warm breath, I will remember you all my life, Enough! dry your tears, don't cry! Don't keep the fire in your heart too long, Your destined happiness is written on your forehead. Pure love within one night. But this is only a dream and you are in my dream, You are my yellow bride among my wishes.
What kind of love is this? They won't let us marry. What should I do, what should I do, yellow bride? What kind of love is this? They won't give you to me.
It's us, only us and the sky, You came to me in this utter night. The light woke me up, And we got separated among the stars. Oh, God, hear my crying, I felt this sharp pain in my heart, Love is a game and I was winning, I couldn't imagine such an end. But you wanted death, You achieved your goal in the end, yellow bride.
What kind of love is this? They won't let me marry you. What should I do, what should I do, yellow bride? You are my yellow bride, You are my yellow bride.
Along this valley, Give the lamb back to me, shepherd ... You are my yellow bride ...
Turkish Sarı Gelin
Erzurum çarşı Pazar,leylim aman! aman! (×2)sarı gelin.
İçinde bir kız gezer, ay! nenen ölsün, sarı gelin aman! (×3) suna yarim. In the bazaar of Erzurum,my Leyli, aman! (secure me! / help! / please!) aman! (×2)yellow (or blond) bride.
A girl is walking around, oh, may your grandma die! my yellow bride, aman! (×3) my tall beautiful dear. Elinde divit kalem,leylim aman! aman! (×2)sarı gelin.
Dertlere derman yazar, / Katlime ferman yazar, ay! nenen ölsün, Sarı gelin aman! (×3) suna yarim. With the paper/ink and pen in her handmy Leyli, aman! aman! (×2)yellow bride.
She writes the prescription for my pains, / She writes the sentence to my assassination, oh, may your grandma die! my yellow bride aman, (×3) my tall beautiful dear. Erzurum'da bir kuş varleylim aman! aman! (×2)sarı gelin.
Kanadında gümüş var, ay! nenen ölsün, sarı gelin aman! (×3) suna yarim. There's a bird (girl) in Erzurummy Leyli, aman! aman! (×2)yellow bride.
It (She) has silver in its wings, oh, may your grandma die! my yellow bride, aman! (×3) my tall beautiful dear. Palandöken güzel dağ,leylim aman! aman! (×2)sarı gelin.
Altı mor sümbüllü bağ ay nenen ölsün sarı gelin aman! (×3) suna yarim. Palandoken is a beautiful mountain,my Leyli, aman! aman! (×2)yellow bride.
Underneath has garden with purple hyacinth, oh, may your grandma die! my yellow bride aman! (×3) my tall beautiful dear. Vermem seni ellere,leylim aman! aman! (×2)sarı gelin.
Niceki bu halimse, ay! nenen ölsün, sarı gelin aman! (×3) suna yarim. I don't give you to others,my Leyli, aman! aman! (×3)yellow bride.
Till I am well (alive), oh, may your grandma die! my yellow bride, aman! (×2) My tall beautiful dear.
Kurdish Ser Le Ser Ranî There are versions of this song in Sorani, the Kurdish language that is predominantly spoken in Iran and Iraqi Kurdistan. One of these versions was performed by Mohammad Mamle, a well-known Kurdish singer.
Yar bo min bê wefa bû Ser leser rranî, taku beyanî Bûn be mîwanî nazenînimMy boyfriend was not faithful for me He put his head on her thigh until the morning She was my lover's (new) guestDostî namîhrebanî Ser leser rranî, taku beyanî Bûn be mîwanî nazenînimHe is not a merciful lover He put his head on her thigh until the morning She was my lover's (new) guestZorim hewll legel da Ser leser rranî, taku beyanî Bûn be mîwanî nazenînimI've tried so hard with him He put his head on her thigh until the morning She was my lover's (new) guestBê xeber bûm nemzanî Ser leser rranî, taku beyanî Bûn be mîwanî nazenînimI didn't know about it He put his head on her thigh until the morning She was my lover's (new) guest
Persian Dāman Kešān The Persian version is entitled Dāman Kešān () or Sāqi e Mey Xārān ().
،دامن کشان ،ساقی می خواران ،از کنار یاران ،مست و گیسو افشان .می گریزدDragging her skirt, The cup-bearer of wine drinkers, past her suitors/friends, inebriated and with flowing hair, flees.،در جام می ،از شرنگ دوری ،وز غم مهجوری ،چون شرابی جوشان .می بریزدIn the goblet of wine, from the sorrow of separation, and from the grief of parting, like boiling wine, she pours.دارم قلبی لرزان ز غمش؛ .دیده شد نگران ،ساقی می خواران ،از کنار یاران ،مست و گیسو افشان .می گریزدI have a heart trembling because of her sorrow; my eyes have become distressed. The cup-bearer of wine drinkers, past her suitors/friends, inebriated and with flowing hair, flees.دارم چشمی گریان ز رهش؛ .روز و شب بشمارم تا بیایدI have an eye crying before her way; I count days and nights until she comes.آزرده دل ،از جفای یاری ،بی وفا دلداری ،ماه افسونکاری .شب نخفتمHeartbroken from the anguish of a sweetheart, a disloyal beloved, a charming moonlike beauty, I didn't sleep at night.با یادش تا ،دامن از کف دادم ،شد جهان از یادم .راز عشقش در دل تا نهفتمWith her memory, as I lost control, I forgot the world, while I hid the secret of her love in my heart.ز چشمانش ریزد به دلم .شور عشق و امید ،دامن از کف دادم ،شد جهان از یادم .راز عشقش در دل تا نهفتمFrom her eyes she pours into my heart the sensation of love and hope. I lost control, I forgot the world,