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Βλέπω καράβια κι έρχονται
I see some ships approaching port; how beautiful they seem to me —
ships that sail across the waters,
rending my faint heart asunder.
The one sails on a south wind, help, o Christ and Holy Mary!
Another on a north wind, white sails filled and fully stretched.
The third, the smallest of them all, is by far the loveliest;
my beloved’s aboard that vessel and he’s shouting: “Slack away there”
“I’ve slacked away, my love, slacked away;
you were young and I seduced you.
I’ve slacked away and changed my tack; love is fickle, fancy free”.
Translated by John Leatham
Βλέπω καράβια κι έρχονται, ωραία που μου φαίνονται —
καραβάκια π’ αρμενίζουν,
την καρδούλα μου ραγίζουν.
Τo ’να αρμενίζει με νοτιά, βόηθα Χριστέ και Παναγιά!
Τ’ άλλο με τραμουντάνα, άσπρη μου παχιά σουλτάνα.
Το τρίτο, το μικρότερο, απ’ όλα εμορφότερο·
έχει το πουλί μου μέσα και φωνάζει «εγιαλέσα».
«Έλεσα, μάτια μ’, έλεσα, μικρή ’σουν και σε γέλασα·
έλεσα και τιραμόλα, η αγάπη ’ναι μαργιόλα».
Local dance, called apokriatikos, danced during the Carnival period.
See also I See Some Ships Approaching Port.
Live recording from the concert The known and unknown Domna, held on 29 October 1998 at the Megaron — the Athens Concert Hall. Based on Domna Samiou’s 1975 field recording of the song in Skiathos, sung by Yannis Parisis and Diamantis Myrodis.
Watch a different version of the song by a group of men in Skiathos
Singers
Clarinet
Violin
Lute
Informant (source of the song)
