20th-Century Armenian Literature

	A MOTHER'S HEART

	By AVETIK ISAHAKIAN
	  Translated by Ara Baliozian


	There is an old tale 
	About a boy 
	An only son 
	Who fell in love with a lass.

	`You don't love me, 
	You never did,' said she to him.
	`But if you do, go then 
	And fetch me your mother's heart.'

	Downcast and distraught 
	The boy walked off 
	And after shedding copious tears 
	Came back to his love. 

	The girl was angry 
	When she saw him thus 
	And said, `Don't you dare come back again 
	Without your mother's heart.'

	The boy went and killed 
	A mountain roe deer 
	And offered its heart 
	To the one he adored.

	But again she was angry 
	And said, `Get out of my sight. 
	I told you what I want 
	Is your mother's heart.'

	The boy went and killed 
	His mother, and as he ran 
	With her heart in his hand 
	He slipped and fell.

	`My dear child, 
	My poor child,' 
	Cried the mother's heart, 
	`Did you hurt yourself?'


--
Ara Baliozian was born in Athens, Greece and received his education
in Venice, Italy. He lives in Ontario, Canada and writes in
Armenian and English and has published over 20 books of his
works. He has translated works from Armenian writers, such as
Grigor Zohrab, Zabel Yessayan, and Kostan Zarian into English.