* Biography compiled by Shant Norashkharian *
"Courage is the price that Life exacts for granting peace,
The soul that knows it not, knows no release from little things."
Amelia Earhart
Zarifian was born in Istanbul, Turkey, where he finished his high school education and decided to dedicate his life to teaching. He was a good athlete and won some medals after participating in Olympic games. However, because of the beginning of his illness and World War I he was unable to pursue his goals. He was called for military duty in the Turkish army, where he collapsed physically and spiritually under extremely hard conditions and tried to commit suicide several times by poisoning himself. After the war he became a translator in the English army and a teacher at the high school from which he graduated. In the subsequent years, in spite of his advancing illness, Zarifian went through a highly creative period and wrote some of his best poetry. His favorite writers were Byron, Schiller, Lamartine and Tolstoy. After publishing two volumes of poetry, SONGS OF SORROW AND PEACE (1921) and SONGS OF LIFE AND DEATH (1922) Zarifian finally succumbed to his illness on April 9, 1924.
Compassion
By M. Zarifian
* Translated from Armenian By Shant Norashkharian *
A little girl is telling me
That she's in love with me madly
A little girl really loves me...!
The infinite night of my eyes
It seems that she has not seen yet;
A little girl to give me love...!
Perhaps she has not looked inside
The dark abyss of my soul yet;
A little girl struck by my love...!
If she had heard that not one love
Was breathing down in that abyss
Would the little poor one not sigh...?
Therefore I said as a brother
That one feels cold under the moon;
"Go, go, and sleep", I said to her;
Then I went and cried far away...
Do Not Touch Him
By M. Zarifian
* Translated from Armenian By Shant Norashkharian *
Do you know how much sorrow
Is deep inside this boy's soul?
Do not touch him, let him laugh;
The madman's laugh is plenty...
In the depth of that boy's soul
I have come down and have seen
A dream, so old and fading,
In one corner, ruined love...
Ah, do not touch that boy now;
They leave the madman alone...
Decision
By M. Zarifian
* Translated from Armenian By Shant Norashkharian *
Not even to make a sigh
On this road with a dead end;
To command that it may dry
The final drop of the tears;
To stretch a hand to no one
To come and put off this fire;
During the night, still, unseen,
To watch far like an idol;
To watch the shore where many
Stars have fallen from my heart;
And that old rock where my soul
Abandoned me for a rose...
And then to smile and to walk
On this road with a dead end.
From "Songs Of Sorrow And Peace"
Scorn
By M. Zarifian
* Translated from Armenian By Shant Norashkharian *
From depths of my pain, behold, destiny,
I have against you a limitless smile;
Know that now again I am scorning you,
Do not think that you have now destroyed me...
In vain do you pour ashes on my heart;
There is a ray there from infinity...
Only my bones are victims of your blows,
My mind does not need them to rush ahead...
My forehead is bright as is the daybreak;
My soul always fair, always proud, smiling,
It is still soaring in infinite space...
In vain do you pour ashes on my heart;
There are gods there who came down from the sky;
From depths of my pain, behold, they're singing...
From "Songs Of Life And Death"
* Translation Copyright 1998 by Shant Norashkharian *
