1.
[134] [At that time] Msrah Melik was still alive.
Hearing of Mher's deeds of bravery,
Msrah Melik became furious—
Was not Sassoun a tributary of Melik?
But Mher knew nothing of this
And had not paid any tax to Melik.
Melik issued orders [to his envoys]:
—Go to Sassoun,
Tell Mher to prepare to have a fight with me.
The pahlevans of Msrah Melik came to Mher and said:
—Melik challenges you to a fight.
Mher said: If he is asking for a fight,
Let him come. We will see what he wants from us.
Hearing this, Tzenov Hovan said:
—Mher, you are a big man, intelligent;
Ride to Msr. Go to Msrah Melik,
Treat him amicably, know the man,
Be friendly with him. Ask him to lower our tax.
It is heavy. We cannot pay it.
Mher then said: —God spare your household, Hovan,
I did not know, and you did not tell me
That we pay tax to Melik.
2.
Saying this, Mher mounted Kourkig Jelaly,
Rode to the outskirts of Msr.
Msrah Melik was sitting on the stone bench
At the great gate of his mansion,
When in the distance he saw a rider
Who looked like a huge fort mounted on a horse
[135] That was dashing like a hurricane.
The rider, Mher, arrived, greeted him.
Msrah Melik was awed at the sight of this giant.
From fright he could not return his greeting.
Melik said to himself:
—Such a man on earth! Could that be possible?
He ordered [the attendants]: —Hold his horse.
The servants held the horse.
Mher dismounted. Msrah Melik asked:
—Where are you from, brave one?
Mher replied: —I am from Sassoun,
I am the son of Sanasar.
—Oh, no! exclaimed Msrah Melik,
Are you the one living in my land?
Are you Mher?
—Yes, I am Mher.
—Did you come to fight? asked Msrah Melik.
Why don't you pay the tribute that is due me?
The land of Sassoun belongs to me.
We will fight in the morning.
—We will fight, replied Mher.
3.
In the morning Mher of Sassoun
Went and faced Msrah Melik.
Mher of Sassoun and Msrah Melik started to fight.
The earth was giving way under their feet
And getting ploughed in furrows.
Some said:
—The fighters were like thundering clouds.
Others said:
—Mountains crumbled from the quake they caused.
The earth trembled from their blows;
With their maces, weighing three hundred liters each,
[136] They exchanged blow for blow. Again and again
They fell on each other and exchanged blow for blow.
For three days and three nights they fought,
But could not down each other.
Mher was powerful,
While Msrah Melik was cunning, crafty.
Msrah Melik realized that he could not overpower Mher.
He realized that Mher was an aznavoor.
He said: —Mher of Sassoun,
Come, let us come to terms.
I thought there was no one stronger
Than me in the world,
But neither one of us could down the other.
I am granting to you all the tribute you owe me.
Sassoun is no longer a tributary to me;
With all its lands Sassoun is yours.
Go back, eat and drink, and flourish;
Only in time of war
We will assist each other [as allies].
Msrah Melik added: —When I die I will entrust
My wife and children to you.
When you die you will entrust your wife
And children to me.
People must not say we left orphans behind.
They cut their finger tip, mingled their blood,
Sealed the pack, became [blood] brothers.
But Msrah Melik did not act in good faith.
He feared Mher. He feigned friendship.
4.
Mher rode back to Sassoun.
He saw Tzenov Hovan standing at the door;
Mher greeted him.
Tzenov Hovan returned his greeting and asked:
[137] —Mher, lad, did you get our tax reduced?
—Hovan, what would you say [to this]? replied Mher.
Msrah Melik is a good man,
He abolished our tax, and said to me,
'With all its lands Sassoun is yours.'
And do you know, Hovan, added Mher,
Melik and I became [blood] brothers?
Time passed.
Mher governed Sassoun so well
That no one dared to violate its borders;
The bird on its wings could not fly over Sassoun,
The snake on its belly could not crawl into Sassoun.
Sassoun flourished under Mher.
5.
Time passed.
Msrah Melik died.
Upon the death of Msrah Melik,
His queen, Ismil Khatoun—
A young and beautiful woman—
Said to herself: —I need a man who will rule my land
And keep peace among my princes.
Why should I not send for Mher,
Asking him to come, to be my guest
And share my bed, so that
I can have a giant offspring from his race?
My husband was saying to me,
Ismil, if we do not get an offspring
From Mher and from his horse,
Mher's race will destroy us.'
Then what did Melik's wife do?
[138] She sent two pahlevans to Sassoun.
To the pahlevans she gave
Her girdle and veil together with a letter.
She said to them:
—Take this letter and give it to Mher;
Tell him: Ismil Khatoun
Invites you to visit with her.'
The pahlevans reached Sassoun,
Took the letter to Mher's house;
Mher was out, hunting.
On his return in the evening
The pahlevans went to him and said:
—Msrah Khatoun sends you this letter
With her girdle and veil,
And invites you to visit with her.
Mher glanced at the girdle, the veil, and asked:
—What does this mean?
Let me see the letter.
The pahlevans handed the letter to Mher.
He read what Ismil Khatoun had written:
—Come, take me.
I am sending you [my] girdle and veil.
As you are ruling Sassoun,
You can rule Msr, too.
If you do not come
You will be more like a woman than I am.
You took an oath with Msrah Melik
To take care of his wife and children.
Mher said: —Brave ones,
A vow in the name of God is sacred to me.
Come, let us go in,
Break some bread [with me] before you leave.
Take my greetings to Msrah Khatoun.
I will be with her within forty days
[139] To see what there is to be done.
The pahlevans went into Mher's house,
Had some food, [then] returned to Msr.
Mher remained alone.
6.
Mher read the letter again.
He went to Armaghan: —My wife, he said,
Ismil Khatoun has sent a letter
And has asked me to go to Msr. I am going.
Armaghan said: —Do not go, Mher,
Why do you need to go?
Do you want to possess her?
Has she ever seen you
To send her girdle and veil to you?
Does she know whether you are handsome or unsightly?
Why does she invite you to Msr? She will beguile you.
Don't go, Mher. She doesn't covet your charm,
She covets your valour, your virility.
She has heard, she knows how valourous you are,
She is asking you to go to her;
She wants a child from you.
It is not right, Mher, don't go.
You are taking her—leaving me [behind].
Mher said: —My wife, if I do not go,
I will be [considered] a woman like her.
I have made a vow with Melik,
What can I do? I must go.
Mher's wife said: —Don't go.
Mher said: —I must go.
She said [again]: —Don't go.
[140] Mher said: —I am going.
Mher's wife said then:
—Mher, I cannot prevail on you,
But, if you go, I vow that
You will be a father or brother to me,
You will not share my bed for forty years.
7.
Mher went to Deghtzoun Dzam's [his mother's] chamber,
Summoned his kinsmen,
Summoned his ministers,
Summoned Vardapets [doctors of the Church], and said to them:
—Msrah Melik's wife has sent for me;
I am going. What would you advise?
Tzenov Hovan said: —Why are you going?
Melik's wife is cunning,
She is the wife of our enemy,
She will beguile you. Don't go.
You have no son, stay at home,
God may grant a son to you.
But the ministers and Vardapets said:
—Mher, if you want to go,
We will not say do not go.
Is it not our wish that you rule
Not only Msr but other kingdoms, too?
If Ismil Khatoun has sent for you,
Why should you not go?
Her land is yours; go quickly, take over the rule of Msr.
8.
Thirty-nine days were over, one day was left.
Mher was getting ready to leave Sassoun.
What did Armaghan do?
[141] She took a black cover and
Spread it over Mher's bed-pillow.
Mher mounted his horse.
Tzenov Hovan ran to him,
Clung to the neck of his horse, cried and pleaded:
—Don't go, don't go,
That wicked woman is beguiling you.
Unable to bear this any longer,
Mher swung his mace toward Tzenov Hovan.
The swinging mace raised such an air current that
It knocked Hovan unconscious.
Mher was alarmed.
He jumped down from his horse,
And, weeping, massaged Hovan's heart;
—Hovan, my elder brother, wake up, he said,
I have taken an oath before God;
If I do not go, I will die for breaking my vow.
Hovan sat up and said:
—Ay, [brother] Mher, now that you are going,
May desolate roads bloom before you,
And may no arm of your enemy rise against you.
Hovan stood up, kissed Mher on his forehead.
Mher mounted Kourkig Jelaly,
Took with him Charbahar [Four Spring Seasons] Kamy and rode away.
9.
Mher started in the morning, reached Msr in the evening.
Msrah Khatoun was sitting at her window;
She had darkened her eyelashes [with kohl],
And arranged her side-bangs.
For the distance of an hour she had the roads
Covered with carpets and lighted with torches.
She wanted to arouse in Mher a desire for her.
[142] Her eyes were pinned to the road,
When in the distance she saw a rider;
He looked like a big fort, mounted on a horse,
Dashing like a hurricane.
Ismil Khatoun said:
—That rider can be no one but Mher of Sassoun.
Mher arrived, drew near, saluted,
Stopped at her window and said:
—Ismil Khatoun, say what you have to say.
—Mher, my man, said Ismil Khatoun,
Is that the way a guest speaks?
Dismount, come in, so that I can tell you.
—No, said Mher, tell me now, at once.
I have sworn before God [that]
I will not move my foot from my stirrup;
Say what you have to say.
—It is truly said that the people of Sassoun
Are stubborn, Ismil Khatoun said.
Your land is not in ruins,
Sassoun is not hard pressed for fire,
And you did not come to borrow kindling for fire.
Dismount, refresh yourself, then go.
—No, no, my lady, said Mher,
I will listen to no such talk;
Just tell me what you want to say.
Seeing that Mher was determined to turn back,
She said to the servants: —Doom to you!
Don't you have seven-year-old wine?
He is turning back; hurry, hurry!
The attendants brought some seven-year-old wine,
Gave it to Mher still on his horse. He took the wine.
As he drank the wine, it went to his head.
Ismil Khatoun ordered the servants: —Hold the horse!
They held the horse, Mher dismounted.
She took him to her palace,
Where she welcomed him.
[143] —Why did you send for me? asked Mher.
She said: —Mher, I sent for you to come
And bring order to our land.
My seven princes do not submit to my rule.
Mher said: —Very well; let me have some food now.
Tomorrow morning summon those princes.
I will know how to deal with them.
Ismil Khatoun then said to him:
—Mher, I sent my girdle and veil to you
Because I want you to share my bed;
That is why I sent for you.
—That is impossible, said Mher,
How can I share your bed?
You are an unbeliever, I am a Christian.
—Mher, said Ismil Khatoun,
I will have you for my husband,
My Kingdom will be yours,
You will fight my enemies.
I love you, Mher.
You will be mine by your own will.
You will be mine against your will.
With endearing words and tender love
Ismil Khatoun intoxicated Mher;
She honored him, feasted him,
And served him abundantly with heady wine,
Until, helpless, Mher yielded
And went to Ismil's bed.
Ismil Khatoun then ordered the stablemen:
—Mate Kourkig Jelaly with the mares.
The servants mated Kourkig Jelaly with the mares.
Ismil conceived by Mher,
The mares got in foal through Kourkig Jelaly.
In the morning the seven princes of Msr came to Mher
[144] And stood at the door of the audience chamber.
Seeing them, Mher said:
—Ah, my lords, you have come.
The seven princes, one by one,
Stepped back and stood at attention.
Mher asked: —My lords, [do you know]
What sort of a man I am?
They said: —Above the earth we acknowledge God,
On this earth we acknowledge you.
The seven princes of Msr bowed before Mher.
Mher then wanted to return to Sassoun,
But Ismil Khatoun would not let him.
She kept him always under wine.
When nine months, nine days, nine hours were completed,
A son was born to Ismil Khatoun.
To carry on her husband's name,
She named the child Msrah Melik.
10.
Ismil kept Mher's mind befogged by wine for seven years.
One day as he was returning from outside,
He stopped at the door when he heard a voice.
Msrah Khatoun was playing with her son
And mirthfully saying:
—Your mother would die for you, Melik,
May you rebuild the Msr homeland
And destroy the Armenian homeland.
Hearing these words,
Mher sobered and said to himself:
—I came here and extinguished the flame of Armenia
And rekindled the flame of Msr!
Mher went in and asked:
—Ismil, what are you saying to that child?
[145] He is hardly out of his swaddling clothes,
And you are teaching him to be wicked.
Is he going to extinguish the flame of Sassoun
When he grows?
Ismil said:
—Yes. [That is why] I am rejoicing over my son.
When he grows, he will rule the whole world.
Mher said:
—Do you presume that
The son you have will destroy Sassoun?
Are you going to destroy my race and rebuild Msr?
I swear I will not come near you again,
I swear I will not stay in Msr,
I will return to Sassoun.
Melik's wife said:
—I wanted to bear a son,
I wanted an heir to the throne of Msr.
I wanted to keep the flame of Msr alive.
I kept you under wine for seven years;
You may go now or you may stay.
Hearing this, Mher sobered.
As he sobered, he said to himself:
—I will not stay here another day.
What shall I tell to Armaghan and Hovan?
How right my wife, Armaghan, was!
She said to me, 'Do not go.'
But I did not listen to her.
Bemoaning his fate, Mher cursed himself:
—My eyes should have been struck blind that
I came here and for seven years
I watered and kept green a stranger's field,
While my own field went dry. Woe to me! What did I do?
I extinguished the flame of Armenia,
[146] Rekindled the flame of Msr.
Mher silently stole away from Msr, and,
Crushed and remorseful,
He returned to his home Sassoun.
11.
They took the good news to Armaghan:
—Mher has returned.
Armaghan spread ashes over the palace courtyard
And closed the gates.
Mher found every entrance barred,
And every door walled.
He asked: —Why have they closed the doors
And will not let me enter my house?
Armaghan replied:
—Because you are not my husband.
You left me and went to Msr;
Do not come to me.
Mher pleaded: —Open the gate!
Armaghan replied: —Mher, when you left me,
I vowed that I would not let you come
To my bed for forty years.
You are my father, my brother, [not my husband].
You went and rebuilt the [odchakh] House of Msr
And wrecked the House of Sassoun.
To atone for your sin,
You must do penance for forty years;
Then you will be allowed to come to my bed.
Mher was stunned. He said:
—After forty years it will be too late.
Melik [the boy] will grow up to full manhood.
Mher tried to persuade his wife to relent.
Armaghan would not relent.
147.
They took the news to Tzenov Hovan:
—Mher is back from Msr.
Hovan went to Armaghan and said:
—Armaghan, Mher came back today;
Come, remove the black cover [from his bed-pillow].
She removed the black cover and said:
—Hovan, my elder brother,
I know Mher has come back;
He was beguiled by that wicked [woman].
He took with him silver, brought back copper.
I cannot break my vow.
—Sister mine, said Tzenov Hovan,
We will summon Vardapets
And a few elders to hold council
And release you from your vow.
They summoned and assembled Vardapets and elders.
These Vardapets and elders
Sat in a council [discussed the law].
They said: —After all, no harm has been done;
He is human—a man prone to sin.
Let us admit he went away, had an affair of love;
But he is back now.
Armaghan, how many years have you taken your oath for?
—For forty years, replied Armaghan.
The Vardapets and elders then said:
—Blessed one, the law rests in the hands of Vardapets;
Forty years we will reduce to forty months,
Forty months we will reduce to forty weeks,
Forty weeks we will reduce to forty days, and
Forty days we will reduce to forty hours.
A waggish priest then added:
—Forty hours we will reduce to this instant.
[148] A Vardapet then offered a prayer
And said: May God absolve you,
Go now, and, with mutual assent,
Live together as man and wife.
Then Mher said: —They are right, my lady,
Let me come to your bed.
God may grant us a son
To keep the light of Armenia burning.
Armaghan opened the door and said:
—As it is, Man is always at the head,
Woman is always at the foot [bottom] ,
She cannot keep the door closed to man.
I am opening the door now; come in;
God will grant us a son,
But we will be breaking a vow. We both will die.
Our son will be left an orphan, on the mat.
Mher said: —May God grant us a son [so that]
He will overpower Melik.
The light of Sassoun shall not be extinguished.
A wolf cannot devour a lamb of God.
We are of this earth, destined to die.
But when we die, our son will live in our stead.
He will keep our memory alive, [and]
The name of our House will not perish.
Armaghan said:
—We will break a vow. The onus is on you.
They reduced forty years to forty months,
Forty months to forty weeks,
Forty weeks to forty days, and
Forty days to forty hours.
When the forty hours came to an end,
[149] Armaghan and Mher came together [as man and wife];
Mher's wife, Armaghan, conceived.
In the meanwhile
Mher went to the Mount of Sassoun.
There he had a park planted and a pavilion built.
He stocked the park with all the beasts and birds
Of God's creation; walled the park
And named it Dzovasar [Mountain overlooking the sea].
At a distance of two hours from Dzovasar
He built a beautiful monastery;
Named it the High Madonna of Marout.
He manned the monastery with priests, Vardapets,
And gave asylum to the destitute,
The blind and the lame.
Completing his work, he returned to Sassoun.
When nine months, nine days,
And nine hours were fulfilled,
A son was born to Armaghan.
They baptized the child, named him David.
When they brought the child home,
Mher and Armaghan, forsworn, died.
Mher's mother, Karsoun Jewgh Dzam Degtzoun,
Went into mourning upon Mher's death.
She confined herself in a room behind seven doors
Where no sun would shine on her head,
No light would enter until the child would grow
And take Mher's place.
Sassoun mourned Mher.
David was left an orphan.