Grace

There is an ancient belief that during the active labor mother, while in a state of weakened frontal brain cortex (a state of deep meditation and deactivated consciousness), “goes to the stars after her baby’s spirit and they come back together”. This is my wife’s portrait breastfeeding our two month old baby. I could feel the bonding between them and capturing that moment made me feel bonded with them too. She then started singing lullaby to soothe him, which made that moment even more precious and complete. It was a lullaby based on “Cradle Song”, a poem by Rafael Patkanian (1830-1892), one of the most popular Armenian poets. A lullaby with powerful underlying meaning and beautifully simple melody which speaks to all Armenians as a whole. Nightingale, leave our garden, Where soft dews the blossoms steep ; With thy litanies melodious 
 Come and sing my son to sleep! 
 Nay, he sleeps not for thy chanting, 
 And his weeping hath not ceased. 
 Come not, nightingale ! My darling 
 Does not wish to be a priest. 
 O thou thievish, clever jackdaw, 
 That in coin findest thy joy, 
 With thy tales of gold and profit 
 Come and soothe my wailing boy ! 
 Nay, thy chatter does not lull him, 
 And his crying is not stayed. 
 Come not, jackdaw ! for my darling 
 Will not choose the merchant’s trade. 
 Wild dove, leave the fields and pastures 
 Where thou grievest all day long; 
 Come and bring my boy sweet slumber 
 With thy melancholy song ! 
 Still he weeps. Nay, come not hither, 
 Plaintive songster, for I see 
 That he loves not lamentations, 
 And no mourner will he be. 
 Leave thy chase, brave-hearted falcon! 
 Haply he thy song would hear. 
 And the boy lay hushed, and slumbered, 
 With the war-notes in his ear. English translation of the poem by Rafael Patkanian. Photo taken by medium format black&white film. Yerevan, Armenia, 2020.