A catchy melody in the voice of lovely Ms Firangiz Ragimbekova, what more do you need to make a great Azeri song? Composer Eldar Mansurov, who studied at the Azerbaijan state conservatory, was a pioneer of combining mugham and pop, This “East-West synthesis”, to borrow the expression repeated throughout Aida Huseynova’s book Music of Azerbaijan: From Mugham to Opera, is achieved in this song, which begins with a modern Western drum set and swiftly changes to a masterful oud solo. The video, from the 1990, might as well have been from 1970. Ragimbekova semi-belly dancing in plastic pearls and polka-dotted power suit, with her top-notch lipstick and hair, is a pleasure for any lover of vintage visuals.
Aramızda nə qalır ki
What remains between us?
Bir keçilməz dərya var
An impenetrable sea
Yadımızda nə qalır ki
What remains in our minds?
Bir yozulmaz röya var
An inexplicable dream
Yadımızda nə qalır ki
What remains in our minds?
Bir yozulmaz röya var
An inexplicable dream
Səni məndən kim alar ki
Who will take you from me?
Qismətinə kim qalar ki
Who will be your destiny?
Mənim olsan nə olar ki
What would happen to me?
Dağılmaz ki bu dünya
The world wouldn’t fall apart
Mənim olsan nə olar ki
What would happen to me?
Dağılmaz ki bu dünya
The world doesn’t fall apart
Bu çalınan nə kamandır
Playing on the kaman
Ürəyimin telləri
The strings of my heart
Görüşmürük nə zamandır
How long have we not seen each other?
Saymaq olmur illəri
One can’t even count the years
Görüşmürük nə zamandır
How long have we not seen each other?
Saymaq olmur illəri
One can’t even count the years
Bilməz idim sinəmdəsən
I didn’t know you were in my heart
Bu kimsəsiz aləmdəsən
In this lonely world
Qarşılaşsan mənimlə sən
Your meeting me
Dağılmaz ki bu dünya
It doesn’t make the world fall apart
Qarşılaşsan mənimlə sən
Your meeting me
Dağılmaz ki bu dünya
It doesn’t make the world fall apart
Notes:
I never formally studied Azeri, so this translation is provisional until someone who knows more puts something better online. Those who know Turkish will recognize most words; it’s fun to see yürek as ürəy (heart), yilleri as illəri (the years), rüya as röya (dream). Minor dialectical variations.
Qismet: Kismet, fate, originally from Arabic قِسْمَة, the word spread to various languages through Ottoman Turkish.
Kaman: Stringed instrument played with a bow
almanzali 