Armenian revolutionary songs are patriotic songs that promote Armenian patriotism. The origins of these songs lay largely in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when Armenian political parties were established to struggle for the political and civil rights of Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire.
The Armenian revolutionary movement, initially led by the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party (est. 1887) and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (est. 1890), took place in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.[1] This was caused by years of oppression from the Ottoman Empire, especially under the rule of sultan Abdul Hamid II. This was the period when Armenians began demanding their most basic rights and defending Armenian towns from Ottoman oppression. Certain armed Armenian patriotic groups formed to fight the Turkish oppression and defend Armenian towns from Kurdish brigands. These volunteer fighters were called fedayees. In some instances, they were successful in defending Armenian locals, earning them popular support and elevating them to the status of heroes. This environment was thus ideal for the development of Armenian patriotic songs to support these freedom fighters.[2]
Some of the songs tell the stories of individual fedayees, such as Serob Pasha and General Andranik, who confronted the Turkish onslaught. They also talk about historical battles, successful guerrilla operations, heroic deaths, and genocide, among other sensitive topics.[3]
The songs are generally heard at Armenian gatherings. It is also seen as a way to educate the newer generation of Armenians about their history through the songs.
Armenian revolutionary songs are very popular among the youth of the Armenian diaspora.
Below is a list of several well-known Armenian songs. Popular current singers of these include Karnig Sarkissian, George Tutunjian, Nersik Ispiryan, Harout Pamboukjian, Berj Nakkashian, Samuel Vartanian.
Note that the English transcription of their Armenian names has been carried out in the Eastern Armenian dialect.
| Original name | Transcription | Translation | Lyrics | Music | Date | Performed by | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Հայ քաջեր | Hay qajer | "Armenian Braves" | Nersik Ispiryan | Nersik Ispiryan | Harout Pamboukjian, Nersik Ispiryan, Heda Hamzatova | |||
| Հասնինք Սասուն | Hasninq Sasun | "We'll Get to Sasun" | Harout Pamboukjian | |||||
| Պիտի գնանք | Piti gnanq | "We Must Go" | Nersik Ispiryan | |||||
| Դաշնակ Դրո | Dashnak Dro | "ARF Member Dro" | Hrant & Gayane | Dedicated to Drastamat Kanayan (Dro) | ||||
| Ձայն տուր ով ֆիդա | Dzayn tur ov fida | "Speak Up, Fedayi" | Sahak Sahakyan | |||||
| Քաջ Նժդեհ | Qaj Nzhdeh | "Brave Nzhdeh" | Nersik Ispiryan | Dedicated to Garegin Nzhdeh | ||||
| Գևորգ Չավուշի հիշատակին | Gevorg Chavushi hishatakin | "In Memory of Chavush" | Nersik Ispiryan | Dedicated to the memory of Kevork Chavush | ||||
| Հայ ֆիդայիք | Hay fedayiq | "Armenian Fedayees" | Harout Pamboukjian | Dedicated to the Battle of Holy Apostles Monastery, 1901 | ||||
| Գինի լից | Gini lits | "Pour Wine" | Dedicated to the assassination of Talaat Pasha, one of the top men responsible for the Armenian genocide, by Soghomon Tehlirian | |||||
| Ախպերս ու ես | Akhpers u Yes | "My brother and I" | ||||||
| Կովկասի քաջեր | Kovkasi qajer | "Caucasian Braves" | ||||||
| Արյունոտ դրոշ | Aryunot drosh | "Bloody Flag" | ||||||
| Գետաշեն | Getashen | "Getashen" | ||||||
| Լեռան լանջին | Leran lanjin | "On the Mountain Slope" | ||||||
| Մեր Հայրենիք | Mer Hayreniq | "Our Fatherland" | The national anthem of Armenia | |||||
| Զարթի՛ր, լաօ | Zarthir lao | "Wake Up, My Dear" | ||||||
| Զեյթունցիներ | Zeythuntsiner | "Folks of Zeytun" | ||||||
| Ադանայի կոտորածը | Adanayi godoradzuh | "The Adana Massacre" | ||||||
| Աքսորի երգը | Aqsori Yerkuh | "The Refugee Song" | ||||||
| Պանք Օթօմանի գրաւումը | Banq Othomani gravume | "Bank Ottoman Takeover" | Dedicated to the 1896 Ottoman Bank Takeover | |||||
| Լիսբոն 5 տղոց երգը | Lisbon 5 Dghots Yerkuh | |||||||
| Մենք անկեղծ զինուոր ենք | Menq Angeghdz Zinvor Yenq | "We Are Sincere Soldiers" | ||||||
| Սերոբ Փաշայի երգը | Serop Phashayi Yerkuh | "The Song of Serop Pasha" | Dedicated to Aghbiur Serob | |||||
| Ձայն մը հնչեց Էրզըրումի հայոց լեռներէն | Dzayn Muh Hnchets Erzërumi Hayots Lerneren[4] | "A Call Sounded from the Armenian Peaks of Erzerum" | ||||||
| Ով որ քաջ է | Ov vor qaj e | "Who Is Brave" | Sahak Sahakyan, Karnig Sarkissian | Dedicated to Aghbiur Serob | ||||
| Հիմի է՛լ լռենք | Hima el lrenq | "Be Silent now!" | Raphael Patkanian | Sahak Sahakyan | ||||
| Ազատության Սիրույն Համար | Azatuthyan Siruyn Hamar | "For Beautiful Freedom" | Hovhannes Badalyan, Armen Guirag | |||||
| Տալվորիկ | Dalvorik | "Dalvorik" | Mihran Damadian | Armen Guirag, Hovhannes Badalyan, Nersik Ispiryan, Hayrik Muradyan | Dedicated to the 1904 Sasun uprising and the last stand at Talvorik Valley | |||
| Եփրեմ Խանի Երգը | Yephrem Khani Yeruh | "The Song of Yeprem Khan" | Dedicated to Yeprem Khan | |||||
| Իբրև Արծիվ | Ibrev Artziv | "As an Eagle" | Karnig Sarkissian, Hovhannes Badalyan, Ara Guiragossian | Dedicated to Andranik | ||||
| Դաշնակցական Խումբ | Dashnaktsakan Khumb | "Dashnak Group" | Karnig Sarkissian | |||||
| Արազի Ափին | Arazi Aphin | "On the Aras Banks" | Ara Guiragossian, Karnig Sarkissian | Dedicated to Garegin Nzhdeh | ||||
| Դարձյալ Փայլեց | Dardzyal Phaylets | "Shoned Again" | Dedicated to Hrayr Dzhoghk | |||||
| Ախ Վասպուրական | Akh Vaspurakan | "Oh, Vaspurakan" | Armen Guirag | |||||
| Բամբ Որոտան | Bamb Vorotan | Ghevont Alishan | Hovhannes Badalyan, Ara Guiragossian |