100th Anniversary of Union of Marash Armenians, Watertown Chapter

Who could ever imagine that almost 100 years after my father, Peter Bilezikian, left Marash, the land of mountains and valleys, the land of the water that never stopped flowing, the land of vineyards and olive orchards, the land of joy and sorrow . . . who could imagine that soon after my father died, my father who was  born in this city of Armenians, Turks, Jews and Kurds, in this city of water and blood – who could imagine that I, the daughter born in Newton, Massachusetts, who grew up listening at nights to stories of the old country in Armenian, Turkish, and English, that I would be attending in Watertown, Massachusetts, the 100th anniversary of the gathering of the descendants of the survivors of the Marash aksoroutioun, that I would join in the  celebration of our survival, our ability to live and love and laugh again, our ability to help our compatriots around the world again, to conquer death with life, sorrow with joy, ignorance with learning.
But so it was that on October 23, 2010, the Union of Marash Armenians, Watertown (Massachusetts) Chapter celebrated their Centennial with laughter and song (the Marash anthem – yes, there is one), feasting on traditional Marash fare (home made by men and women who consider themselves to be  Marashtsis, of course) –  ichli kufte and gurabeh, (to name a few) blessed by the Lord’s Prayer in Marash Armenian ('parpar') (Any corrections to the transliteration gratefully accepted!):

Mir bobu ki irginkn is kinid adounit sourp to'nno
Kinid Tekeviuroutant togh ko.
Kinid Gomkit To'nno,
Choth ki irginki inden e gidenan ivren.
Mir amenaviour hotu ehoseor miz dour.
...Chem mir bordkdeku mez baghusechoth ki mink e mir bardagondotsu gu baghushink.
Chem miz portsutan mu'dana,
habo choren miz prge.
Inch ouki kinid e tekeviouroutanu, zoioutanu, por ku,
havidyans havidenits. Amen

Միր պոպը քի իրկինքն իս,քինիտ ատունիդ սուրբ թօ'ննօ.
քինիտ թէգէվիւրիւթանդ թող գօ.
քինիտ կոմքիդ թօ'ննօ,
չոց քի իրկինքի ինտէն է կիտենան իվրէն:
Միր ամէնավիւր հոցը էօսէօր միզ տուր:
...Հէմ միր պորտքտէքը միզ պաղըշէ,չոց քի մինք է միր պարտակոնտոցը կը պաղըշինք:
Հէմ միզ փորձըթան մը'տանա,
հապո չորէն միզ փրկէ:
Ինչուքի քինիտ է թէգէվիւրիւթանը,զօրիւթանը,փոռ քը,
յաւիտեանս յաւիտենից.
Ամէն: