Harry Terhanian.com

Aghchikuh mahrtun keetin puhrnadz eh - the girl is holding the man’s nose

Men are naturally attracted by the physical features of women, namely: the eyes, face, hair, breasts, hips, legs, feet, etc. Women accentuate their features with make-up such as mascara, blush, lipstick, breast enhancement, revealing clothing, hairdos, and other artifacts that improve their feminine appeal. Women are similarly attracted to men who have appealing physical features.

When the raw physical attraction of a man and woman leads to intimate contact, a hard knot of attraction and attachment develops.
Often a man can be so attached to his woman that he literally seems to be like a beast of burden (bull, horse, etc.) that is controlled by a nose ring that is pulled by a rope and seemingly forces the huge animal to comply to its owner’s will.

In Armenian, when a person says, “the girl is holding the man’s nose,” it means the man is completely controlled by the woman’s feminine charms and tries to satisfy to her every whim to keep her loyalty. He is like the beast of burden controlled by the nose ring.

There is an amusing Armenian folk song called “yeghsoh jahn.” It is called a zouk yehrk or duet with a chorus in the background. It goes like this.

Chorus sings:
Yeghsoh nuhsdeh, gohv guh guteh,
Hahgohn ehgeh, tour guh duhpeh
(Yeghsoh - the wife’s name - sits, milking a cow
Hahgoh -the husband’s name- comes, and knocks on the door)

Yeghsohn gouzeh, shad pahn gouzeh
ahrantz khosdoum tour chee pahnah
(Yeghsohn wants, many things she wants,
without a promise she won’t open the door)

Hahgohn guhseh, “gouhdahm” guhseh
eench vohr yahrees seerduhn ouzeh(nah)
(Hahgohn says, “I’ll give you anything” he says
whatever my sweetie’s heart wants)

hoy, hoy, hoy, hoy, hoy, hoy, Yeghsoh jahn

Yeghsoh sings:

kohdik gouzehm sahdaf sahradz
mashseek gouzehm vohsgov gahradz

A belt I want decorated with shiny shells
Fancy shoes I want with golden threads

Chorus sings:

gohdrouk mehchkeen kohdik gouzeh
kohtouk vohdeen masheek gouzeh

(She wants) a belt for her disfigured belly
And shoes for her prosthetic feet

Hahgohn sings:

ahckees vuhrah, kuhnahm, ahrnehm
koh gahrodeetz mee togh mehrnehm

“On my eyes” (an idiomatic phrase in Armenian which means “the only thought in my mind), I’ll go and I’ll purchase (whatever you want)
I’ll sacrifice everything (even my life) for your sake (for yearning for you)

Chorus sings:

ouzeh, Yeghsoh, ehlee ouzeh,
ahsah, ehl eench guh sahzeh?

Yeghsoh wants so much more,
Say more, what else do you want (does your saz - tambour- say)?

Yeghsoh sings:

mahdnotz gouzehm, kohhahr shahrehm,
ahgnotz gouzehm, nahmag kuhrrehm

I want a ring, with many jewels,
I want eyeglasses, to write letters.

Chorus sings:

kerahn mahdeen mahdnotz gouzeh,
pahrtahn kuhteen ahgnotz gouzeh

She wants a ring for her grotesque finger,
She wants eyeglasses for her weird nose.

Hahgohn sings:

ahsah, ehl eench gouzehs, ahrnehm,
seeroun Yeghsoh chahrut dahnehm.

Say, whatever else you want, I’ll get,
My dearest Yeghsoh, may I relieve you of all troubles.

Chorus sings:

ouzeh Yeghsoh, ehlee gouzeh,
ahsah, ehl eench kehz guh sahzeh
hoy, hoy, hoy, hoy, hoy
Yeghsoh jahn.

Yeghsoh wants so much more,
Say more, what else do you want (does your saz-tambour- say)?

Yeghsoh sings:

zahrtehr gouzehm vuhzees gakhehm,
seehrdut gouzehm, hehduh khaghahm.

I want a pretty necklace to adorn my neck,
I want your heart to play with.

Chorus sings:

yehrgahr vuhzeen zahrtehr gouzeh,
hahm seerd gouzeh, hahm sehr gouzeh

She wants a necklace for her long neck,
she wants (to play with) his heart(strings) and love.

Hahgohn sings:

eht eench ahseer, eem Yeghsoh jahn,
ko eht yeghneek soyeen ghourbahn.

Whatever you said, my dearest Yeghsoh,
I’ll sacrifice myself (my every energy) that beautiful neck of yours.

Chorus sings:

teh touruh pahtz, aihy duhnavehr,
dehss eench eh kehz pehrelh nuhvehr.
Yeghsohn ouzetz, sahd pahn ouzetz,
Hahgohn uhsahv, goudahm, uhsahv,
Yeghsohn votcheench tzehrk chuhpehretz
eer mouhrahzeen Hahgohn hahsahv.

Please open the door, oh homey lady,
Just see what gifts I have brought you.
Yeghsohn desired, desired so many things,
Hahgohn said, “I’ll give,” he said,
Yeghsohn didn’t receive anything (more than a promise),
But Hahgohn got his heart’s desire. (She let him in)

Yeghsoh gets Hahgoh to promise her fulfillment of every wish. Apparently, he gets his desire of entering her home and hearth without giving her anything more than a promise. We know however, that if Hahgohn wants to keep her graces, he must satisfy some or all of her wishes. If he does, then “she is holding his nose.” In other words, he is a henpecked husband who yields to his wife’s every demand.

In the Armenian folk song Yeghsoh jahn, Hahgohn pretends to be henpecked by yielding to every one of Yeghsoh’s wishes, and on the strength of his promises gets entry into her home, without delivering anything he promised.

This is an Armenian folk song that echoes the playful innocence of life in the Armenian village.

guhngahn fehluh pahrtzur yen sehluh

There is a story entitled “May God protect us” that illustrates this proverb.

One day a man sat outside the entrance of his friend’s store. An old beggar woman approached this man and stretched her hand to beg from him.
“May God protect you from the deceits perpetrated by women,” she said. “Now give me some money.” The man looked at the beggar women with disdain and said, “Go about your business old woman. What power do women have that they can even think of doing harm with their evil designs?”

Just then an attractive, respectable woman walked by and heard the exchange between the old woman and the man. When she walked past the man, she looked at him and aknowleged him by signaling to him with her eyes to follow her. The man was bewitched by the youthful glance and stunning beauty of the woman. He stood up and followed her to a side street that was deserted. The woman turned and spoke to the man.

“I am confident you understand why I signaled to you with my eyes. I’m attracted to you. Here, take this money and fetch a roasted chicken and some other delicious preparations for a dinner. I’ll wait for you here and come back quickly so we can go to my house and have a good time tonight. My husband is not at home tonight. He went to a far off village for the night.

The man took the money and following the woman’s instructions purchased a roasted hen and other delicious preparations. On his return, they proceed to her house and entered.

The woman set the table with a clean linen cloth and they sat together and engaged each other in intimate small talk as they leisurely ate and drank.
Suddenly they heard someone opening the front door.

The woman addressed her guest, “Quickly, climb into this big chest, it is my husband.” When he stepped into the chest, she closed the lid and locked it and hid the key in her pocket. She composed herself as if nothing had happened as her husband entered the dining room.

The husband noticed that the table was set for two with plenty of food that seemed to be half eaten. Not doubting the faithfulness of his wife, he passingly remarked to his wife, “How is it that you are all alone and yet have set a table for two with such abundance of tasty roast chicken and other savory treats and are eating by yourself.

His wife replied, ” First sit down and let’s have a kind of “wishbone contest” in the following way. If you can tell me a tall tale and fool me, I’ll buy you a bundle of white underpants. If I succeed in tricking you , you buy me a nice necklace.”

“Your on,” said the husband. The wife began to recount her “tall tale” to fool her husband.

“I was doing my shopping in the market today when I saw a beggar woman ask a young man for ten coins. The beggar said to the man, “May God protect you from a woman’s evil ways.” The young man replied, “What power do women have that they can even think of doing harm with their evil designs?” Hearing the young man’s words, I decided to teach him a lesson. As I walked by him, I made eye contact with him and made him understand that I was interested in him. He followed me. I turned to him and gave him some money to buy the foodstuff that you see on the table.
We came home together and sat down at this table. We were eating and drinking and warming up to each other when you knocked on the door.”

The husband jumps up in disgust and yells, “What the hell are you saying you conniving woman.” You dare to tell me a tall tale like this, I expect better from you.”

“Wait, I am not finished,” said the wife. “When you knocked on the door, I was so frightened that I pleaded with my male guest to hide in this big chest.”

“What more nonsense are you babbling, you…”

“If you don’t believe me, here, take the key, open the chest and look for yourself,” said the wife as she handed him the key. The husband’s heart began to miss a few beats. His honor was wounded. He was visibly shaken and instinctively took the key from his wife’s hand.

“I won,” said the wife almost faint with glee. “I gotcha.”

“Oh my God,” you naughty woman, God……,” said the jaded husband. “Just to get a necklace from me you made up this tasteless game. You spent money, set the table, and fabricated this phony story and “wishbone contest” to make a fool of me. ” He threw the key at his wife and left the house disheartened.

The wife opened the chest to let the young man out. He was in a frightful condition from the woman’s machinations. She said, “Get on your way, young man. Now you can understand what a woman is, and what she is capable of if she puts her mind to it.” Never forget what the beggar woman told you about the wiles of women. The machinations of women are so great that even a powerful cart pulled by burly oxes cannot bear the weight.”

The young man learned his lesson from the unexpected and amazingly engineered ploy of the woman. At the same time, he was in awe of the woman’s moral high ground. He left as fast as he could run.

Khehghehtzik geenickneren yev pahrk gdzou dakhdeghen herrou gehtzeer, sirdut gahyeeren