The Assyrian people are intimately familiar with the void in heart and mind left by lack of a permanent, recognized homeland. In a modern society that does little to nourish the artistic soul, strong personalities are needed to embrace and bolster the rich culture that fills that void.

In this natural state of emptiness, our culture's longing for symbolic representations have been long repressed. But, in our new state of embracing the fruits of democratic expression, Assyrian artists emerged as first class warriors, gracefully defending our identity through form, shape and color.

The seeds cultivated by Assyrian artists manifest into shapes that symbolically represent our emotional response to a state of emptiness, thirst, drive; aesthetically seeping through our eyes, interpreted through our minds, digested by our hearts.

Sharokin Betgevargiz, a MFA candidate at the School of Visual Arts, produces graphic design elements representing the Assyrian State. Visually exploring emotional, political, phonetic, spiritual, religious, nationalistic elements manifested throughout our existence, interpreted by a defender of our culture. In her words, "My native language is the basis for all of my expression, yet as a person of a culture without a country, I am free to go beyond borders and artificial constructs."

My primary focus is to lift, praise, and sustain our primary defenders of culture; our romantic poets frantically expressing symbols of our culture, defining our legitimacy. We are free to go beyond borders.

A particular form of cultural expression is found through song. Perhaps best explained by Robert Oshana, "Assyrian music...the raiser of consciousness, and the instigator of national pride." Through song we become consciously stimulated, enraged. Mr. Evin Agassi, a cultural defender at the front-line veraciously communicating our spiritual, physical and emotional restlessness.

KHAZAD'E QOOMOON[2(plural)]
stand cultivators
KHAZDAN KHAZDAKHL'E
we shall cultivate our cultivation
DAANAAN M'TEET'E LA
-our time- has arrived
NEERAN SHAMTAKH LE
-to break- our yoke(the bar that connects 2 animals, usually oxen, by the neck)

AH OOPRRAA RVEEKHA
this vast soil
AN'E EELAAN'E
these trees (our people/nation)
AN'E QAATLEELOON
they will kill them
MIN DEN'E (MEN'E) CHERMAN'E
from those fields

IT MANEE LA CHAAT
whose is the tough/durable
LENAA IT DEEYAN
they are not ours
ECH'E LE SAMAN
where is -our share-
CHEL'E MINDEEYAAN
where are -our things- (assets/personal property)
BEE KHIT'E AKHCHEE REKH'E BIDAAYOOKH
we know the wheat by the smell (it was stolen from us
BEKHDAAR'E KHEEN'E AKHNAN BIZAYOOKH

BIDRAAYEKH QAL'E
we are pouring our voices
POOMAAN SEEY'E LE
-our mouths- in thirst(we have no water)
MIN JARJIRYATAN QAALAAN SHEEY'E LE
from our suffering, our voices are silent
NATYAT'E D NAASH'E MILY'E NECHTAANAA
the ears of the people are filled with cotton
TAARAAN'E DWEER'E
their doors shut closed
LIB'E DERBAANAA
their hearts scarred

MIN DIPN'E WARRET
were entering from the side
LENAA BIDAAYAA
they are not knowing
AKHTEN PEDYEVAKH
we pass by
LENAA BIKHZAAYAA
they are not looking
AKHTEN BIJAAYAA
we are getting weary (tired)
ANEE BIKHAAYAA
they are the one living (the good life)
AKHNAAN BLAAYAA
we are wearing thin (shrinking)
ANEE BIKHDAAYAA
they are in happiness

HEL EEMAAN DAVEE O BABAN SAWA
-until when- shall our father grow old
BIKHZAAD'E KHIT'E BOOLAA'LE DAVA
cultivating wheat boolaala (ethnic headdress w/beads)
HEL EEMAAN DAV'E ALAAN BISPARRA
until when shall he be waiting for us
EEDAATOO PIQY'E
his hands burst/callaused/cut
ARRA B KHPAARRA
from digging the soil

HEL EEMAAN DOYAA
until when shall it be
MIN CHEEP'E SHVEETAAN
that -our bed/matress- be made of rocks
EEMAN BET SHAARYAA SHISHILTAAN MIN EEDAAN
when shall we unravel -our chains- from our hands

BET MAQVIKH'KHEKH LA
we shall present to other people
NAAPAAS KHAARRETA
our last breath
QAAT NAPLAKH MIDR'E
so that we shall fall again
RRAKHTAAKH SHAARETAA
we shall run to the front

KHAZDAN'E QOOMOON
stand cultivators
KHIZNAAN KHAZDAKH LE
we shall cultivate our cultivation

DAANAAN M'TEET'E LA
our time as arrived
NEERAAN SHAAMTAKH LE
to break our yoke
AACHAAR'E QOOMOON
stand farmers
MEJLAAN SHAQLAKH LE
and we shall take our sickle(to cut the wheat)
DAANAAN MTEET'E LA
our time has arrived
QAALAAN MARRMAKH LE.
to raise our voices high

Evin Aghassi
KHAAZD'E (cultivate)
Translation accredited to Robert Oshana

Written by Ninos Oshana