Hovhannes Shiraz
(1915-1984)
* Some of the information in the following biography is translated
and summarized by Shant Norashkharian from SHIRAZ: SELECTED WORKS,
edited by Hovhannes Hannesian, and published in Beirut, 1985 by
Shirag Publishers. The poems are from the same book.
The deportation and massacres of Western Armenians had widowed
many thousands of mothers and children who became orphaned and
helpless.
The city of Alexandropol, (formerly Leninagan, now Gyumri), had
turned to an enormous orphanage. In those tragic days, on April 27,
1915, only three days after the terrible massacre of Armenian
writers and other intellectuals, was born Hovhaness Onnig
Garabedian. He passed his childhood during the most tragic times
of Armenian history, starving, thirsty and barefoot.
In 1935, he attracted attention by publishing his first work,
"BEGINNING OF SPRING". His fame spread everywhere. Novelist Adrbed
named the talented poet "Shiraz", because "this youth's poems have
the fragrance of roses, fresh and covered with dew, like the roses
of Shiraz." In 1937 he entered the Armenian Literature Department
of Yerevan's State University, where he studied until 1941.
Until his death on March 14, 1984, Shiraz published many books,
mostly poetry, but also quartets, parables and translations, and
enjoyed the love and recognition of Armenians everywhere as one of
the greatest Armenian poets of this century.
He is immortalized by such lines as:
"Let all nations reach the moon,
But Armenians to Massis."
"As long as you never have a hut in the fatherland,
You are just a forgotten orphan under foreign moon."
Shiraz, like his contemporary Baruyr Sevag, was an
anti-establishment poet who was very popular with the people of
Soviet Armenia but despised and fought against its corrupt
leadership all his life. He also had a unique way of expressing his
feelings. One night, after having a few drinks which he often did,
he stood at the statue of Lenin in the central square of Yerevan
and publicly urinated on it. By doing so, he showed more courage by
urinating than many of his "literary" colleagues showed with their
books.
A Short Bibliography
Writings by Hovhannes Shiraz:
Shiraz, Hovhannes. Araks zinch tsutsane (Erevan: Sovetagan
grogh hrat., 1978).
________. Banasteghtsutyunner (Erevan: Haypathrat, 1954).
________. Erker (Erevan: "Sovetakan Grogh" Hratarakchutyun,
1981).
________. Girk khaghaghutyan (Erevan: Haypathrat, 1950).
________. Kareakner (Venice: S. Ghazar, 1973).
________. Hatentir (Erevan: Haypathrat, 1954).
________. Hatentir (Beirut: Hratarakutiwn Sewan
Hratarakchakan Tan, 1971).
________. Hatentir (Beirut: Shirak Hratarakchatun, 1985).
________. Hatentir (Erevan: "Mehyan" Hratarakchutyun, 1992).
________. Hayots danteakane (Beirut: Hratarakutiwn Tekeian
Mshakutayin Miutian "Shirak" Amsagri, 1988).
________. Hayots danteakane: hay kotoratsneri haverzhasugin
(Beirut: Sevan, 1965).
________. Hayots danteakane: hay kotoratsneri haverzhasugin
(Beirut: Hratarakutyun Sevan Hratarakchakan Tan, 1978).
________. Hayots danteakane: hay kotoratsneri haverzhasugin
(Erevan: "Khorhrdayin grogh," 1990).
________. Hayots danteakane: hay kotoratsneri haverzhasugin
(Erevan: "Nairi," 1991).
________. Hudundir (Tehran: Armen, 1983).
________. Hushardzan mayrikis (Erevan: Hayastan
Hratarakchutyun, 1968).
________. Hushardzan mayrikis (Erevan: "Hayastan"
Hratarakchutyun, 1971).
________. Hushardzan mayrikis (Erevan: Hayastan
Hratarakchutyun, 1972).
________. Hushardzan mayrikis: poem hyusvats
banasteghtsutyunnerov (Erevan: "Sovetakan grogh," 1979).
________. Im enker lorike (Erevan: Haypethrat, 1960).
________. Khaghaghutiwn amenetsun: hayrena-hammamardkayin
khoher (Erevan: "Sovetakan grogh," 1982).
________. Khaghaghutyun amenetsun: hayrena-hammamardkayin
khoher (Erevan: "Sovetakan Grogh" Hratarakchutyun, 1982).
________. Knar Hayastani (Erevan: Haypethrat, 1958).
________. Knar Hayastani (Erevan: Haypethrat, 1963).
________. Lirika (Erevan: Sovetakan Grax, 1986).
________. Rustawtsi Shotan ew Tamare (Beirut: Tparan Etvan,
1952).
________. Shirazean tagher (Beirut: Hratarakchatun K.
Tonikean ew Ordik, 1984).
________. Shirazian tagher (Beirut: Dongiguian, 1972).
________. Shirazian tagher (Beirut: Dongiguian, 1984).
________. Siamanto ev Khajezare: poem (Erevan: Haypethrat,
1955).
________. Siamanto ev Khjezare: poem (Erevan: "Sovetakan
Grogh" Hratarakchutyun, 1979).
________. Siamanto ew Khajezare: poem (Beirut: Tparan Etvan,
1957).
________. Siamanto ew Khjedzare (Glendale, CA: Navasart,
1989).
________. Siamanto yev Khjedzare (Erevan: Hamalsarani
Hratarakdzowtyown, 1979).
________. Siamanto i Khadzhezare: poema-skazka (Erevan:
Armianskoe gos. izd-vo, 1960).
________. Siraname: poem (Erevan: Haypethrat, 1959).
________. Siyamantu va Khijjahzarah (Iran: Ghukas
Karapityan, 1971).
________. Stikhi i poemy (Moscow: Khudozh. lit-ra, 1960).
________. Stikhotvoreniia i poemy (Moscow, 1956).
________. Yerg Hayastani (Erevan: Haypethrat, 1940).
________. Yotnapatum (Erevan: "Sovetakan Grogh"
Hratarakchutyun, 1977).
Shiraz, Ovanes. Pamiatnik materi: stikhi i poema (Moscow:
Sovetskii pisatel, 1981).
________. Rodnik: stikhi (Moscow: Gosudarstvennoe izd-vo
khudozhestvennoi literatury, 1945).
Writings about him:
Aghababyan, S. Hovhannes Shiraz (Erevan: Sovetakan Grogh
Hratarakchutyun, 1984).
Atabekyan, S.A. Hovhannes Shirazi knarergutiwne (Erevan:
Erevani Hamalsarani Hratarakchutyun, 1979).
Barseghyan, Kh.H. Shiraz: hush-novelner, masunkner (Erevan:
Luys, 1986).
________. Shiraz: hush-novelner, tankagin masunkner (Erevan:
"Arevik," 1990).
Batikyan, L.M. Hovhannes Shirazi mayrakane (Erevan:
Sovetakan Grogh Hratarakchutyun, 1976).
Grigoryan, A.P. Patumner Shirazi kyankits (Erevan: Sovetakan
Grogh, 1987).
Harutyunyan, Aleksandr Grigori. Pamiatnik materi: vokalnyi tsikl
na stikhi O. Shiraza: dlia golosa i fortepiano (Moscow: Vses.
izd-vo Sov. kompozitor, 1980).
Matrirosian, Viktor Arshavirovich. Tvorcheskii put Ovanesa
Shiraza (Erevan: Akademiia nauk Respubliki Armeniia, In-t
literatury im. M. Abegiana, 1990).
Muradian, H.D. Hovhannes Shiraz (Erevan: Kidelik, 1975).
Terterian, Avet Rubenovich. Rodina: vokalno-simfonicheskii
tsikl: na armianskom iazyka (Melodiia, 1960, 1969).