Legenda Machkhaanze

Text: Ioseb Gogashvili  

(scroll down for English translation)

 

Gulis p’irs siskhlis sdioda

Ts’ioda velze kari

Alaznis p’iras mosula

mt’ris utvalavi jari

 

Gadats’ves k’akhis sopeli

Ar darcha kva kvazeda

Gadarcha erti bavshvi

Gadarcha erti deda

 

Gulshi chaik’ra p’irmsho

T’qes sheapara tavi

Glovit gazarda bavshvi

T’anze emosa shavi

 

Daizrdeboda ch’abuk’ad

Machkha hkonia gvari

Da mis samts’qemsos gashenda

Sopeli machkhaani

 

Translation:

 

The Legend of Machkhaani

 

A bosom was covered in blood

In the valley the wind howled

Towards the banks of the Alazani¹

Approached the enemy’s innumerable army

 

The village of Kakhi was burned down

No stone was left on top another

Only one child survived

Only one mother survived

 

She embraced her firstborn child

And hid herself in the woods

In mourning she raised her child

Clad in clothes of black

 

He grew into a young lad

His family name was Machkha

His flock grew into

The village of Machkhaani

 

¹Having its source in the Greater Caucasus, the Alazani River flows through Kakheti and forms the border between Azerbaijan and Georgia before it runs into the Mtkvari River.