Sisak Vardzabedian
In Honor of the 25th Anniversary of AGBU*

Translated from Armenian by Daniel Janoyan
Glendale,California,

For the past five years plus seventy
You've been marching bravely and boldly
Undermining all obstacles and difficulty
O our beloved and proud UNION**.

You were a shelter to orphans and widows
And a father for one and all
You built schools and centers of sports
For the new generations ideal Armenians to be.

You were the embodiment most admired
For your age-old wishes and hopes
And we keep praying for you always
For your future to be bright and enlightened.

You've been the unweary guard to our culture
O our most beloved Benevolent UNION
Let your family keep growing and increase
And your life span be counted in many thousands.

* AGBU stands for The Armenian General Benevolent Union which has and sponsors schools, sports and cultural centers all over the world including Armenia. It's pet school and Armenian cultural center is the Melkonian Educational Institute in Nicosia, Cyprus, which prides itself to have given the Armenian community some of its prominent intellectuals.

** UNION is referred to the Armenian General Benevolent Union.
 
Armenian Poetry