How woman is made

God mixed the clay and the sun
To create the marble body of woman.
Mixed the dream and the light
To make her breast firm and steady.

Took the blue sky for her eyes,
For her brows used dark night
And designed arrows of love.
For her lips used honey and nectar.

From the birch made her graceful posture,
From the rain-cry and erotic play,
From the rainbow-smile and laugh,
From the cranes-pace and coquetry,
And from the willow made her hair.

From the deer took confused gaze,
From the rose bush- delicate heart and prickle,
From the seas- patience of water
And from the foxes- cunning and device,
From the mountains- charm and grandeur,
And from earthquakes- impulsiveness and severity.

God created the woman this way:
Supreme, imposing, majestic, impressive,
A little flattering, fawner and meek,
Passionate and irascible and tetchy.
Made her seat in Heaven next to him…

God named her heavenly,
Anointed her with incantation,
Opulent and divine…

By Souren Muradian, 1965
Translated by Narduhi Gheridian, 2021

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Narduhi Gheridian

Narduhi Odette Gheridian grew up in Yerevan during the Soviet era. She worked at the children’s newspaper Pioner Kanch and then with the Garoun youth magazine. In 1973, she emigrated to Quincy, Massachusetts with her husband and two children and worked for the Baikar newspaper as a proofreader and layout editor. She later worked for John Hancock Insurance for 25 years. She has always been involved in the Armenian community, participating in the Yerevan Chorus and working as an announcer for the Armenian Independent Broadcasting of Boston for more than 24 years. After retirement, she and her husband moved to Boynton Beach, Florida to enjoy the beautiful weather year-round. She is currently a member of the ARS Soseh Chapter and enjoys submitting translations of Armenia poetry to both the Hairenik and Asbarez newspapers.

Latest posts by Narduhi Gheridian (see all)

• On preserving Armenian literature - October 19, 2021
• How woman is made - February 14, 2021