Source

Transcribed Sharakan of Sacred Songs, Vagharsahpat, 1875.

The Second Side mode. Hymn “Benediction” from the canon of the Forth Sunday of Great Lent. Hymns or, sharakans in Armenian, are medieval sacred songs and have been performed at religious celebrations for centuries. They are arranged in canons proper to the several days of the church year. The word derives from the root sharg denoting order or sequence, and each canon is divided into rhythmical sections. The songs for the same holiday are united in song cycles consisted of eight series. Each unit of the series is called sharakan (literally “raw of pearls”) or hymnal and the whole series is called canon or karg. Each canon is composed from eight different sharakans, each of which has its name. The hymns are sung according to Medieval Armenian system of octoechos (classification of melody-types in eight modes) used in the Armenian Liturgical Chant. Each of these sharakans or sections of a complete canon is sung in one of the eight modes.