On the occasion of the 157th anniversary of Hovhannes Tumanyan’s...

04:21:00 19.02.2026

On the occasion of the 157th anniversary of Hovhannes Tumanyan’s birth, let us once again recall one of the finest passages from his poems — words that are among the most important for our movement:

"We are all but guests in life

From the fleeting day of birth,

One by one, we come and pass

Through this transient world of earth.

Love and laughter fade away,

Beauty, treasures, throne, and fame,

Death is ours, and we are death’s,

Yet a person's deeds remain.

Deeds alone live on, remember,

Spoken of for ages long,

Blessed is the one whose work

Keeps them living ever strong."

In these lines it is indirectly expressed that we must dedicate our transient lives to eternity — to a creative, generative process. Only in this way is it possible for us ourselves to become part of eternity and live a meaningful life.

I have often compared these lines of Tumanyan to a well-known Viking saying, which is approximately translated as:

"Cattle die, and kinsmen die,

And so one dies one's self;

One thing I know that never dies,

The fame of a dead man's deeds."

All the wise men of history have deeply understood that we came into this world naked and we shall leave it naked. All the things we possess will, like our bones, turn to dust and disappear. Therefore, the most important thing in this life is the work a person accomplishes for the greatness of his race. That must be the primary goal of our lives, and the politics we pursue, the art and science we create, as well as armed struggle, must serve this supreme mission.