Нэхъ ф1ыуэ слъагъу дыдэра!!!

"Who told you that we Circassians will become extinct?!" 
[«Хэт фэ къыв­жезыIар, адыгэр ды­кIуэ­­ды­жыну?!»]

Composed and sung by Albert Lhache [Лъачэ Альберт; Альберт Тлячев].

This is a song that expresses the Circassian collective yearning towards unity of all the Circassians, everywhere, in Circassia and all the Diaspora countries. It embraces optimism and negates the narrative of the doomsayers who predict the extinction of the Circassian nation. 

Lhache is a prolific Adigean singer and songwriter. He composed many songs on Circassian villages, towns and clans in Circassia and the diaspora, emphasizing Circassian unity. "Who told you?!" well represents his fine art of composition. The artist is a good representative of modern-day Circassian bards.

"Who told you that we Circassians will become extinct?!" [«Хэт фэ къыв­жезыIар?!»], Albert Lhache

"The Song of Murat Wezi"

Written by the great Circassian poet and bard Bechmirze Pasch'e (1859-1936).

Sung by Anatoly Weter (Уэтэр Толэ; Otarov). 


«УЭЗЫ МУРАТ И УЭРЭД»

Уэзы МураткIэ зэджэри щIалэ фIыцIэ къуэгъукъэ! 

Ежьу: Уо!

Шы гъурым тесри (уой маржэ) гъусэ пхуэхъункъэ!

Ежьу: Уо, уо, уо!

Уи шы пэхужьыр (уой маржэ) зэрыпхэщIыбгъуэрэ,
Гумкъалэ губгъуэмэ (уой маржэ) Мурат щозауэ.

Зэныбжьэгъу щIалэхэр (уой маржэ) къызэрогъащтэрэ!
ЩIылъэр къэмыщтэурэ (уой маржэ) Мурат къэщтэнкъым!

Уи шы пэхужьыр (уой маржэ) тхьэкIумэ гъуанэрэ,
Тутнакъэщ щхьэгъубжэмкIэ (уой маржэ) Мурат ныкъокIыр!

Тет пристафыр (уой маржэ) Мурат кIэлъопхъэрэ,
Бгы пхъуантэ быдэми (уой маржэ) Хахуэр дохьэжыр.

Уэ мэкъумэшыщIэхэм (уой маржэ) вы щIогъэщIэжыр. 
Уэ уи ижэгъухэри (уой маржэ) жейми къыпхуоскIэр!
Уэ уи ижэгъухэри (уой маржэ) жейми къыпхуоскIэр!



"The Song of Murat Wezi"

He whom they call "Murat Wezi" is a darksome and wiry fellow! 

Chorus: Wo!

Astride his lean steed (hey, ye masses), he's the perfect riding companion!

Chorus: Wo, wo, wo!

On thy dark bay [literally: old white-nosed] steed (hey, ye masses), with a wide croup [hindquarters],
In the fields of Gwmqale* town (hey, ye masses), Murat carrieth on the fight (against tyranny).

The lads in the land (hey, ye masses), thou terrorisest!
Even if thou dost terrorise the whole earth (hey, ye masses), thou shall not scare Murat!

Thy dark bay (hey, ye masses), ever the obedient one,
From the prison window (hey, ye masses), Murat escapeth!

The chief of police (hey, ye masses), is hunting down Murat,
To the stronghold in the mountains (hey, ye masses), the Brave One retreateth.

For the peasants (hey, ye masses), thou harnessest the oxen (in recompense). 
Thy enemies (hey, ye masses), thou startlest from sleep! 
Thy foes (hey, ye masses), thou makest jump from slumber!


* Gwmqale (Гумкъалэ) is a town (nowadays called "Georgiyevsk") situated on the Kuma River (Гум in Circassian) in (Greater) Kabarda to the northeast of Bgiytxw (бгитху; Pyatigorsk).




Translated by Amjad M. Jaimoukha


This is a song against Russian despotism. It relates the heroic story of Murat Wezi (real first name “Toqw”; born in 1858 in the village of Qaledes, near Georgiyevsk in the north of Kabarda, now in the Stavropol Krai), the intrepid Circassian abrek (абрэдж; abrej; protector of the weak and poor), and his struggle against tyranny in the period of Tsarist Russia's occupation of Circassia. He managed to escape many times from the clutches of the Tsarist invaders, despite perfidious tip-offs. One account tells of his emigration to Turkey, where he lived until his death. Another version has him exiled to Siberia, from where he never comes back.


Abrekhood

Blood-revenge led to the common North Caucasian phenomenon of the abrek (abrej in Circassian), the "outlaw" horseman, or riding "brigand", who would live in the wild and without the norms of society until the feud was resolved, which could be never. In the Russian and Soviet eras the reference was extended to those wanted by the authorities, in this context becoming local and sometimes national heroes, eulogized in music and verse. North Caucasian literati were duly obliged to denigrate the abreks as anti-heroes. 

Circassian history of vehement struggle against the Russians is rife with abreks who would later assume mythical characters. If the abrek is a paradigm to be emulated in North Caucasian folklore, he is a bandit to be eliminated in Russian estimation. This is but one point of many at which the minds of the North Caucasians and Russians shall never meet.

The Qilishbiy Village (now Nartan) minstrel, Bechmirze Pasch'e, apart from being the founder of modern Kabardian [Eastern Circassian] poetry, was a very versatile songwriter, in the best tradition of the Circassian bards. He immortalized the Kabardian revolt of 1913 against Tsarist rule in the famous song "Dzeliqwe War" [«ДЗЭЛЫКЪУЭ ЗАУЭ»]. He made use of the traditional heroic song genre to convey his ideas, as in "Wezi Murat yi Wered" ("The Song of Murat Wezi"). A collection of his poems and compositions (Усагъэхэр; Wisaghexer) was published in 1963.

Anatoly (Tola) Weter (Уэтэр Толэ; Otarov) (1941-1988) was a well-known singer from Kabarda. He possessed a powerful, yet lyrical voice suitable for such energetic songs as “Xekw Wered” (“Song for the Fatherland”), and “Gwm yi wered” (“Song of the Heart”), both written by Wimar Thebisim and Qirimiz Zhene. Amongst his timeless recordings are the anthem-like “Diy nex’izchxem qitxwefsch’am winafe” (“The Decree of Our Elders”) and two ancient Nart chants, namely “Baterez” and “Nisrenzchach’e”.

"The Song of Murat Wezi"

Amjad Jaimoukha

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