Stand firm, O Armenians! Stand firm for the land
That gave thee in childhood her cherishing hand;
Stand firm for thy country, thy cradle, thy grave,
The country that reeks with the blood of the brave.
’Tis here in their dungeons, ’mid torture and moan
The blood of thy fathers so freely has flown;
And this is the land where still thou hast saved,
Great glories and names, on thy memory engraved.
’Tis here, for his home, and the pleasures it brought,
Our ancestor, Haik, so courageously fought;
And Vartan, that champion of sweet liberty,
Broke asunder the chains of foul slavery.
O Freedom, thou blessing that nations have craved,
How long has thy ensign and emblem here waved!
How many Armenians, so noble and brave,
For thee have gone down to a premature grave!
Though fortune has struck it with terrible blows,
And left alone Armenia a prey to its foes,
Though subdued, yet unconquered, our nation still lives,
To break the slave bonds that a base tyrant gives.
Armenia still lives, and out to the world
Her flag of distress she now has unfurled;
In torture and pain she utters the cry,
“With freedom to live; with slavery to die.”
Oh, why should our strife be rewarded with pain,
And the blood of our bravest be poured out in vain!
Oh, why should our country’s most sorrowful wail,
Have stirred noble souls to a cause that must fail!
Oh, why should this effort of unceasing pace,
These brave souls, be given without even a trace!
For this can it be that our country fares worse,
And even must bear with this terrible curse?
Nay, never! Thank God, the day’s soon at hand
When victory shall marshal our patriot band!
For this we have prayed--but alas! ever so,
Our prayers are unanswered as years come and go.
But if ever thus the fates may decree,
Then welcome we death that our souls may be free;
Let kind Mother Earth to her bosom enfold
The corpse of a nation, all bloodless and cold.
The nations, astonished, may view her dark grave,
And see the ruined homes they neglected to save;
And thousand of hearts with repentance may grieve
For the lost Christian nation they failed to relieve.