Vazha Pshavela

Vazha Pshavela

Vazha Psavela ('the Pshavi lad') was the pen name of Luka Razikashvili (1861-1915), the author of the next poem. Forced to abandon his studies prematurely he returned to his native highlands to work as a schoolteacher and to write poetry, much of which was influenced by the folklore and life of the mountaineers. This poem dates from 1898, a time when Georgian nationalism was moving from the cultural arena in a direction that was to lead to independence within twenty years.