Thou Art a Vineyard ( ka, შენ ხარ ვენახი, tr) is a medieval Georgian hymn. The text is attributed to King

Demetrius I of Georgia Demetrius is the Latinized form of the Ancient Greek male given name ''Dēmḗtrios'' (), meaning "devoted to goddess Demeter". Alternate forms include Demetrios, Dimitrios, Dimitris, Dmytro, Dimitri, Dimitrie, Dimitar, Dumitru, Demitri, D ...

(1093–1156). The composer of the music is unknown. Supposedly Demetrius I wrote it during his confinement as a monk in the

David Gareja Monastery David Gareji ( ka, დავითგარეჯის სამონასტრო კომპლექსი) is a rock-hewn Georgian Orthodox monastery complex located in the Kakheti region of Eastern Georgia, on the half-desert slopes of ...

. The hymn is dedicated to Georgia and the patronage of the

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

; it is also a prayer of praise to Mary in the

Georgian Orthodox Church The Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს სამოციქულო ავტოკეფალური მართლმადიდებელი ეკლესია, tr), commonl ...

. As the lyrics did not mention any saints or gods, this was the only church-song that was permitted to be performed in the

anti-religious Antireligion is opposition to religion or traditional religious beliefs and practices. It involves opposition to organized religion, religious practices or religious institutions. The term ''antireligion'' has also been used to describe oppos ...

Soviet Union. There are East Georgian (Kartli-Kakhetian) and West Georgian (Gurian) versions of this chant with very different musical compositions. ''Thou Art a Vineyard'' is usually sung by a

choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

without instrumental accompaniment and is a classic example of Georgian choral music. The hymn is representative of the late Medieval traditions of the Georgian Renaissance.

Text

Popular culture

It was performed in a Georgian 1969 film,

Don't Grieve ''Don't Grieve'' (; ka, არ იდარდო!) is a 1969 Soviet comedy-drama film directed by Georgiy Daneliya. The film is loosely based on the novel "My uncle Benjamen" by French writer Claude Tillier. In the end of the 19th century, a yo ...

. Its rendition can be heard in 'The Poet in the Prince's Court' segment of the Soviet Armenian film

The Color of Pomegranates ''The Color of Pomegranates'',; originally known as ''Sayat-Nova'', is a 1969 Soviet Armenian art film written and directed by Sergei Parajanov. The film is a poetic treatment of the life of 18th-century Armenian poet and troubadour Sayat-Nova ...

. This hymn is used as one of Georgia's musical themes in the video-game expansion, '' Civilization VI: Rise and Fall''.{{cbignore

References

External links

The Recovering Choir Director"You Are the Vineyard, Newly Blossomed: Contemporary Performance Aesthetics in Georgian Orthodox Chant"
Middle Georgian literature Eastern Christian hymns Christian chants Georgian words and phrases Songs of Georgia (country) Marian hymns