Մի տրտմնջար, անտէր հոգի,
Թէ չունիս զենք ու պաշտպան.
Գանձերդ չեն խորած ոսկի,
Որ վրադ աչք ուենան։

Հոգիդ անդուռ շտեմարան,
Բերքերդ անկեղծ, անկապուտ.
Բաշխէ առատ եւ անվարան,
Մինչեւ վախճանն օրերուդ։

Վահէ Վահեան, 1967

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Here is the English translation…

DON”T GRUMBLE

Don’t grumble, you restless soul,
That you don’t sit in a guarded fortress,
Yes – your pockets are not lined with gold,
But you are free from greed’s grasp.

And so, your soul remains a doorless warehouse,
Your fruit pure, untainted,
Spread it far and wide without hesitation,
Until your final breath.

Vahe Vahian, 1967

How many unspoken emotions,
How many dreams of yearning and of love,
And how many overripe hopes,
Sleep within the bosom of these pages,
Like an a flower that has never blossomed ?

But they begin to tremble, they wake !
Hopes and dreams, yearning and love,
Just as Spring fills the gnarled branches of oak with vibrant green youth,
I give new life to these shadows of the past…
My soul fills with tears..

And I begin to think…Who,
After many years have passed,
Will give these slumbering pages life once more,
And give these fading shadows another Spring…

Vahe Vahian, 1955

Here is the original Armenian version.

Vahe Vahian’s “To the pages of a photo album”