Khosrovidukht

File:4-Kemah Kalesinden Bakış.jpg

Modern-day Kemah, Turkey, where the ancient city Ani-Kamakh was in which Khosrovidukht was imprisoned

KhosrovidukhtTemplate:Refn (Template:Langx, Template:Literal translation;

1. REDIRECT Template:floruit) was an Armenian hymnographer and poet who lived during the early 8th century. After her slightly earlier contemporary Sahakdukht, she is the first known woman of Armenian literature and music, and among the earliest woman composers in the history of music.

Daughter of the ruler of Goghtn, Template:Ill, her father was killed and she was imprisoned in a fortress of Ani-Kamakh (modern-day Kemah) for twenty years. Her brother was imprisoned and eventually killed; Khosrovidukht's only surviving work, the (chant) "" (More astonishing to me) was dedicated to him. Its authenticity has occasionally been doubted, with some scholars attributing it to Sahakdukht. The work did not enter the general repertory of liturgy but was eventually approved by the Armenian Church for religious use.

Life

Extremely little is known about Khosrovidukht.Template:Sfn Active in the 8th century, she is recorded as being a member of the royal family.Template:Sfn Her father was Template:Ill, who ruled Goghtn, a province of Vaspurakan.Template:Sfn Her given name is unknown; the 'dukht' of Khosrovidukht means 'daughter of'.Template:Sfn She is also known as Khosrovidukht Goghtnatsi (Khosrovidukht of Goghtn).Template:SfnTemplate:Refn

Khosrovidukht's father was killed in 706,Template:Sfn when the local Muslim governor gathered many Armenian nobles in Nakhjavan and Goghtn and massacred them.Template:Sfn Khosrovidukht's brother, Template:Ill, was then abducted by Muslim Arabs and brought to Syria,Template:Sfn while she was taken to the fortress of Ani-Kamakh, now known as Kemah.Template:Sfn She remained there in isolation for twenty years.Template:Sfn Her brother converted to Islam, before gaining his freedom years later and returning to Armenia.Template:Sfn Vahan then converted back to Christianity and the same Muslims, who considered his abjuration a crime, had him killed.Template:SfnTemplate:Refn His death was in either 731Template:Sfn or 737.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The 1978 Anthology of Armenian poetry reports that Khosrovidukht died in 737 as well,Template:Sfn though this is not corroborated in other sources.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Works

Template:Template other The work of Khosrovidukht was not known to scholars until the 19th century.Template:Sfn After its discovery, she was recognized as the second (after her earlier contemporary Sahakdukht) woman composer and poet of Armenia.Template:Sfn A modern recording of the piece exists, performed by the Sharakan Early Music Ensemble.

The only work attributed to Khosrovidukht is "" (), a , or a canonical hymn.Template:Sfn The title is variously translated as "More astonishing to me",Template:Sfn "Wondrous it is to me",Template:Sfn and "It is amazing to me".Template:Sfn The piece has been described by historian Agop Jack Hacikyan as evidencing "a great deal of literary skill",Template:Sfn and by ethnomusicologist Şahan Arzruni as "florid".Template:Sfn Like the work of Sahakdukht,Template:Sfn Khosrovidukht's piece was not included in the collection of official ;Template:Sfn however, despite its secular nature, "" eventually became approved by the Armenian Church for use in services.Template:Sfn Later sources record that the work is dedicated to her brother, following his death.Template:Sfn Some scholars, including Ghevont Alishan, Malachia Ormanian and Grigor Hakobian attribute the work to Sahakdukht instead.Template:Sfn See for an English translation of the piece.

"Zarmanali e Ints" ("Զարմանալի է ինձ") Զարմանալի է ինձ, Քան զերգս երաժշտականաց, Ձայնս ողբոց քոց հնչմունք, Ո՜վ երանելի տէր Վահան, ընտրեալ յաստուծոյ։ Առաւել յորդորէ այս զհոգւոյս մասունըս, Յօրինել քեզ երգս ո՛չ զղջականըս, Այլ հոգևորըս, և ուրախարարըս, Յորդորականըս, և ներբողեանըս, Ո՜վ երանելի տէր Վահան, ծառայ Քրիստոսի։ Զարհուրեցուցանէ զքոյ ճգնութիւնդ Զմարմնոյս բնութիւնըս. Իսկ դու առաւել գտար. Ո՜վ երանելի տէր Վահան, սիրող Քրիստոսի։ Արտաքնոցըն ըզգաստքըն Ստեղծիչ բանք սնոտեացն ի պատրութիւն. Իսկ քոյդ սիրայնոյ՝ աստուածարեալ և ոգեշահ․ Ո՜վ երանելի տէր Վահան, ընտրեալ յազատաց։ Որպէս քաջ նահատակ, Պատրաստեալ ի պատերազմ, Կատարեցեր զընթացըս քոյ, Արիաբար՝ յազգացն հարաւայնոյ, Դասաւորեալ ընդ անմարմնականսն. Ո՜վ երանելի տէր Վահան, Գողթնեացն իշխեցող։ – Khosrovidukht (8th century)

Further reading

• This article is essentially a reprint of

External links

• Template:Replace on YouTube performed by the Sharakan Early Music Ensemble, Armenouhi Seyranyan (singer) and Daniel Yerazhisht (conductor)