This piece is from a beautiful Georgian folk love poem. During my time in Afghanistan, we did a lot of work with the Georgian military, and I was always very impressed by their culture and music, so I decided to do some research into it. Georgian music is some of the oldest polyphonic music in the world, and that ancient sound is reflected in the "chant" parts of this piece. Modern chordal movements are also included to contrast the old with the new while still maintaining continuity throughout. There is both positivity and pain in this piece which is approprtiate for both the narrator of the poem and for the country of Georgia itself.
I recorded this myself (countertenor I recorded down a minor third and then transposed, low basses same thing but up a major second), so excuse the mediocre singing.
Net'avi ratme maktsia
bulbulad gadamaktsia
bulbulis ena masts'avla
baghebshi shemomachvia
davk'ono okros k'onebi
davpero vertskhlis ts'q'alshia
saghamo khanze giakhlo
chamogiq'aro banshia
dilit ro gamosuliq've
shig gagekhvios k'avshia
ნეტავი რათმე მაკცია
ბულბულად გადამაკცია
ბულბულის ენა მაწავლა
ბაღებში შემომაჩვია
დავკონო ოქროს კონები
დავპერო ვერცხლის წყალიშია
საღამო ხანზე გიახლო
ჩამოგიყარო ბანშია
დილით რო გამოსულიყვე
შიგ გაგეხვიოს კავშია
I wish I could turn into something:
Turn into a nightingale,
And learn the nightingales' language;
I'd come to dwell in the garden.
I'd gather up golden bouquets,
Dip them in liquid silver,
I'd come to you in the evening,
And lay them on your roof.
When you come out in the morning,
May they be entwined in your curls!