Sari Gelin (Azerbaijani: Sarı Gəlin, سارؽ گلین, Azerbaijani pronunciation: [ˈsαːɾɯ ɟʲæˈlʲin]; Persian: دامن کشان, romanized: Dâman Kešân) or Sari Aghjik (Armenian: Սարի աղջիկ, romanized: Sāri Āγčīk) is the name for a number of folk songs popular among the people of Iran, the southern Caucasus (most prominently present-day Azerbaijan and Armenia) and in eastern Anatolia in present-day Turkey. All versions of the song use the same melody and are written in the Bayati makam or mode, but are sung with different lyrics. The consensus about its country of origin is contested.
 Sari Gelin is either a blond bride or a girl from the mountains, depending on the respective lyric language. What the versions have in common, is a boy complaining to/about a girl he loves but cannot achieve.
 Sarı as a Turkic adjective means "yellow". Thus Sarı Gelin can mean "golden/blond/fair-skinned bride." In Azerbaijani language it may also refer to a person's soul. The word gelin in Turkish or gəlin in Azerbaijani means someone who comes to the family (i.e. a bride), with its root in the Turkic word gel (meaning "come").
 In Armenian, the song is known as Sari Aghjik, where the word sari (սարի) means "of the mountain", and the word "aghjik", with an equal syllable number, means "girl". Together they mean "girl/bride from the mountains".
 All versions of Sari Gelin-Sari Aghjik use the same melody and are written in the literary genre known as Bayati, which is one of the most popular forms of poetry in most of the Middle East. Bayati poetry is known for its reflective and introspective prose. Generally, Bayati poetry consists of lines of seven syllables written in a simple rhythm. However, There are many different lyrical interpretations of Sari Gelin among Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Georgians, Persians, and Turks. The song is a subject of contention and accusations of plagiarism among the countries where it is popular. At the moment, there is no consensus about its country of origin.
 The Sari Aghjik (Mountain Girl) version uses the same melody with the Armenian word for the girl (aghjik աղջիկ) as in the song Vard Siretsi ("I loved a rose"). The lyrics translate to:
 Գնաց, ուրիշին առավ ...
Ա՜խ, մերըդ մեռնի,
սարի աղջիկ, օ՜յ, օ՜յ,
Քարի աղջիկ, օյ, օյ,
Քար սիրտ աղջիկ, օյ, օյ,
Չար սիրտ աղջիկ:
 Գնաց, ուրիշին առավ,
Դլե յաման, լեյլի յար ջան.
 She left and chose someone else,
Akh! let your mother die!
You mountain girl, oy oy
you stone girl, oy oy,
you stone-hearted girl, oy oy,
you wicked-hearted girl.
 She left and chose someone else
My heart yaman! Leyli dear beloved (Persian-Armenian)
 Թույն մի ածա թեժ վերքիս ...
Ա՜խ մերըդ մեռնի,
սարի աղջիկ, օ՜յ, օ՜յ ...
Քարի աղջիկ, օյ, օյ,
Քար սիրտ աղջիկ, օյ, օյ,
Չար սիրտ աղջիկ:
 Թույն մի ածա թեժ վերքիս ...
Դլե յաման, լեյլի յար ջան.
 Don't pour poison into (salt on) my wound.
Akh! let your mother die!
You mountain girl, oy oy
you stone girl, oy oy,
you stone-hearted girl, oy oy,
you wicked-hearted girl.
 Don't pour poison into my wound
My heart yaman! Leyli dear beloved.
 Տիրել ես խելք ու մտքիս ...
Ա՜խ մերըդ մեռնի, սարի աղջիկ, օ՜յ, օ՜յ ...
Քարի աղջիկ, օյ, օյ,
Քար սիրտ աղջիկ, օյ, օյ,
Չար սիրտ աղջիկ:
 Տիրել ես խելք ու մտքիս ...
Դլե յաման, լեյլի յար ջան.
 You have possessed my thoughts and my mind.
Akh, may your mother die!
You mountain girl, oy oy
you stone girl, oy oy,
you stone-hearted girl, oy oy,
you wicked-hearted girl.
 You have possessed my thoughts and my mind.
My heart yaman! Leyli dear beloved
 The phrase "Don't pour poison into (salt on) my wound" is an idiom that means "don't make my troubles worse".
 In Azerbaijan, Sarı Gəlin (Blond Maiden) is a legend that symbolizes the love between a Muslim Azerbaijani and a Christian Kipchak girl who are kept apart. "seni mene vermezler" ("They will not give you to me") is a reference to this story.
The lyrics
translate to:
 Saçın ucun hörməzlər,
gülü sulu dərməzlər,
Sarı Gəlin.
 You don't braid the end of your hair,
you don't pick a dewy flower.
yellow (blond, fair) bride
 bu sevda nə sevdadır,
səni mənə verməzlər;
neynim aman, aman, (×2)
Sarı Gəlin.
 What a love is this love!
they will not give you to me.
what can I do? aman! (secure me! / help! / please!) aman! (×2)
yellow bride
 bu dərənin uzunu,
çoban qaytar quzunu,
Sarı Gəlin.
 The tallest of this valley,
shepherd, return the lamb,
yellow bride.
 nə ola bir gün görəm,
nazlı yarın üzünü;
neynim aman, aman, (×2)
Sarı Gəlin.
 I wish that one day I could see
the face of my playful love
what can I do? aman! aman! (×2)
yellow bride.
 Gün ola mən bir görəydim
Nazlı yarımın üzünü
Neynim aman, aman (×2)
Sarı gəlin
 Could there be a day I would see (correct translation?)
the face of my playful love
what can I do? aman! aman! (×2)
yellow bride.
 The Azerbaijani version of the song was processed[clarification needed] and pitched by Azerbaijani composer Asaf Zeynally (1909–1932).
There is also an Azerbaijani folk dance called Sari Gelin. This folk dance is performed under the music of Azerbaijani version Sari Gelin song with Azerbaijani instruments.
 The text of the song in Azerbaijani language was published in 1982 in Baku under the edition of Hamid Arasly. In 2001 the Azerbaijani text of the song was published by Rafik Babayev.
The Azerbaijani version by the Iranian Hossein Alizadeh and the Armenian Jivan Gasparyan sometimes use the Turkish line "Sarı Gəlin aman!"; and finish with the first stanza of the Persian version.
 DayIrMan sings a longer Azerbaijani version, which translates to:
 Don't pluck the flower while it's young, yellow bride.
Don't braid the end of your hair,
Don't pluck the flower while it's young, yellow bride.
 You were born for love with me; / We were born to love each other;
You are the only one; on earth, in life, in the sky.
You are my sunshine, my fire.
I fell in love with you on a moonlit night
The sun, a man and yellow bride;
The only star, land and your breath,
I love life, life is you.
My eyes that see you are full of eagerness,
You came into my dream like a ray, yellow bride.
 What kind of love is this? They won't let me marry you.
What should I do, what should I do, yellow bride?
What kind of love is this? They won't give you to me.
 It's me, looking for you among the stars.
Answer me, don't break my heart!
I will breathe with your warm breath,
I will remember you all my life,
Enough! dry your tears, don't cry!
Don't keep the fire in your heart too long,
Your destined happiness is written on your forehead.
Pure love within one night.
But this is only a dream and you are in my dream,
You are my yellow bride among my wishes.
 What kind of love is this? They won't let us marry.
What should I do, what should I do, yellow bride?
What kind of love is this? They won't give you to me.
 It's us, only us and the sky,
You came to me in this utter night.
The light woke me up,
And we got separated among the stars.
Oh, God, hear my crying,
I felt this sharp pain in my heart,
Love is a game and I was winning,
I couldn't imagine such an end.
But you wanted death,
You achieved your goal in the end, yellow bride.
 What kind of love is this? They won't let me marry you.
What should I do, what should I do, yellow bride?
You are my yellow bride,
You are my yellow bride.
 Along this valley,
Give the lamb back to me, shepherd ...
You are my yellow bride ...
 İçinde bir kız gezer,
ay! nenen ölsün,
sarı gelin aman! (×3)
suna yarim.
 A girl is walking around,
oh, may your grandma die!
my yellow bride, aman! (×3)
my tall beautiful dear.
 Dertlere derman yazar,
 / Katlime ferman yazar,
ay! nenen ölsün,
Sarı gelin aman! (×3)
suna yarim.
 She writes the prescription for my pains,
 / She writes the sentence to my assassination,
oh, may your grandma die!
my yellow bride aman, (×3)
my tall beautiful dear.
 Kanadında gümüş var,
ay! nenen ölsün,
sarı gelin aman! (×3)
suna yarim.
 It (She) has silver in its wings,
oh, may your grandma die!
my yellow bride, aman! (×3)
my tall beautiful dear.
 Altı mor sümbüllü bağ
ay nenen ölsün
sarı gelin aman! (×3)
suna yarim.
 Underneath has garden with purple hyacinth,
oh, may your grandma die!
my yellow bride aman! (×3)
my tall beautiful dear.
 Niceki bu halimse,
ay! nenen ölsün,
sarı gelin aman! (×3)
suna yarim.
 Till I am well (alive),
oh, may your grandma die!
my yellow bride, aman! (×2)
My tall beautiful dear.
 There are versions of this song in Sorani, the Kurdish language that is predominantly spoken in Iran and Iraqi Kurdistan. One of these versions was performed by Mohammad Mamle, a well-known Kurdish singer.
 Yar bo min bê wefa bû
Ser leser rranî, taku beyanî
Bûn be mîwanî nazenînim
 My boyfriend was not faithful for me
He put his head on her thigh until the morning
She was my lover's (new) guest
 Dostî namîhrebanî
Ser leser rranî, taku beyanî
Bûn be mîwanî nazenînim
 He is not a merciful lover
He put his head on her thigh until the morning
She was my lover's (new) guest
 Zorim hewll legel da
Ser leser rranî, taku beyanî
Bûn be mîwanî nazenînim
 I've tried so hard with him
He put his head on her thigh until the morning
She was my lover's (new) guest
 Bê xeber bûm nemzanî
Ser leser rranî, taku beyanî
Bûn be mîwanî nazenînim
 I didn't know about it
He put his head on her thigh until the morning
She was my lover's (new) guest
 The Persian version is entitled Dāman Kešān (دامن کشان) or Sāqi e Mey Xārān (ساقی می خواران).
 ،دامن کشان
،ساقی می خواران
،از کنار یاران
،مست و گیسو افشان
.می گریزد
 Dragging her skirt,
The cup-bearer of wine drinkers,
past her suitors/friends,
inebriated and with flowing hair,
flees.
 ،در جام می
،از شرنگ دوری
،وز غم مهجوری
،چون شرابی جوشان
.می بریزد
 In the goblet of wine,
from the sorrow of separation,
and from the grief of parting,
like boiling wine,
she pours.
 دارم قلبی لرزان ز غمش؛
.دیده شد نگران
،ساقی می خواران
،از کنار یاران
،مست و گیسو افشان
.می گریزد
 I have a heart trembling because of her sorrow;
my eyes have become distressed.
The cup-bearer of wine drinkers,
past her suitors/friends,
inebriated and with flowing hair,
flees.
 دارم چشمی گریان ز رهش؛
.روز و شب بشمارم تا بیاید
 I have an eye crying before her way;
I count days and nights until she comes.
 آزرده دل
،از جفای یاری
،بی وفا دلداری
،ماه افسونکاری
.شب نخفتم
 Heartbroken
from the anguish of a sweetheart,
a disloyal beloved,
a charming moonlike beauty,
I didn't sleep at night.
 با یادش تا
،دامن از کف دادم
،شد جهان از یادم
.راز عشقش در دل تا نهفتم
 With her memory,
as I lost control,
I forgot the world,
while I hid the secret of her love in my heart.
 ز چشمانش ریزد به دلم
.شور عشق و امید
،دامن از کف دادم
،شد جهان از یادم
.راز عشقش در دل تا نهفتم
 From her eyes she pours into my heart
the sensation of love and hope.
I lost control,
I forgot the world,
while I hid the secret of her love in my heart.
 دارم چشمی گریان ز رهش؛
.روز و شب بشمارم تا بیاید
 I have an eye crying before her way;
I count day and night until she comes.
 The composer of the music is anonymous. The Greek lyrics were written by Christos C. Papadopoulos.
 While the Persian version is completely different, there are notable similarities between Armenian, Azerbaijani and Turkish version:
 If the statements are taken as complementary rather than just similar, the Muslim Turk (language of both Azerbaijan and Turkey) boy has fallen in love with a Christian Armenian/Kipchak blond maiden from the mountains and valleys, probably close to Palandöken; But they are kept apart, and the unkind girl is taken away, causing the boy to lament and curse frequently.
 In Armenia
 In Azerbaijan
 In Iran
 In Turkey
 International
  Media related to Sari Gelin at Wikimedia Commons