Sakvarlis saflavs vedzebdi,
Ver vnakhe dakarguliko,
Gulamoskvnili vtirodi:
"Sada khar, chemo Suliko"!
Ekalshi vardi shevnishne,
Oblad rom amosuliko;
Gulis fanckalit vkitkhavdi:
"Shen khom ara khar, Suliko"
Sulganabuli bulbuli
Fotlebshi mimaluliko.
Mivekhmatkbile chitunas:
"Shen khom ara khar Suliko"
Sheifrtkiala mgosanma,
Kvavils niskarti sheakho,
Chaikvnes-chaichikchika,
Titkos stkva: "diakh, diakh"!

Suliko

In vain I sought my loved one’s grave;
Despair plunged me in deepest woe.
Scarce holding back the sobs I cried:
"O where art thou, my Suliko?"
In solitude upon a bush
A dew-decked rose swayed to and fro.
With downcast eyes I softly asked:
"Perchance ’tis thou, O Suliko?"
The flower trembled in assent
As low it bent its lovely head;
Upon its blushing cheek there shone
Dew that the morning skies had shed.
Midst rustling leaves a nightingale
Was singing to the rose below;
I hailed the bird and gently asked:
"Perchance, ’tis thou, O Suliko?"
The songster fluttered nearer to
The rose, and on it pressed a kiss,
Disburdening its soul in song
That breathed of ecstasy and bliss.
A twinkling star shed shimm’ring light
Upon me in a silver glow;
I turned to it and whispered low:
"Prechance ’tis thou, O Suliko?"
As I gazed on the star that shone
In light that glimmered bright and clear,
A passing breeze came blowing by
And stopped to whisper in my ear.
"What thou seekest is found at last;
Henceforth thy heart but calm will know;
The night will bring thee sweet repose,
And day will chase away thy woe.
"Thy Suliko was changed into
A nightingale, a star and rose;
Your souls that true love bound as one
To realms divine in heavens rose."
I seek no more my loved one’s grave,
No more do I in sorrow weep;
The world no longer hears me sigh
Nor sees me drowned in anguish deep.
None can express the joy I feel
To hear the nightingale from far,
To breathe fragrance of the rose
And gaze upon the shining star.
O happy am I once again;
No more am I oppressed by woe
I seek no tomb, for now I see
Thy dwellings three, my Suliko!"