Armenian Poems

Book excerpt: The rich and bountiful poetry of Armenia is presented in this collection, adeptly and sensitively translated to English to preserve the expressive beauty in the verses. Armenian poems are rich with passionate expression, sometimes voicing pride in the national culture, history and identity. Some of the poems are outright romantic; celebrating the beauty, aesthetics and emotive intensity of youthful courtship. Other verses celebrate Armenia's martial prowess; with differing cultures on multiple sides, the land often saw battle. The importance of the country's location at the border between the European and Asian continents finds allusion, as authors nod to past glories, and predict future prowess. Reference to the scenic lands of Armenia, its local dances and the way of life abound in the verse, the poetry often brimming with cultured allusions. Significantly, this anthology includes the most famed and celebrated works by the lauded national poets, together with older poetry and hymns dating back as far as the early-Medieval era. The reader thus acquires an acute impression of how Armenian poetic works evolved through the centuries.