Αλέξαντρος κι βασιλιάς ⬥ Alexander, bre aman aman, Alexander and the king, Alexander brave and strong and little Constantine. They ate together, bre aman aman, they ate and drank together, Alexander brave and strong, and feasted and revelled together. And as they ate and as they drank and as they revelled they [...]
Καλογριά μαγέρευε ⬥ A nun was frying fish and a voice, A squeaky little voice, kept telling her over and over: - Stop cooking, old maid, And Constantinople will turn Turkish, And Muhabbet1 will enter the City astride his mount. - When the fish leap out of the pan And [...]
Καλογριά μαγέρευε ⬥ A nun was frying fish and a voice, a shrill high voice, kept telling her again and again : ‘Stop cooking, old maid, and Constantinople will turn Turkish and Muhabbet will ride into the City astride his mount’. ‘When the fish leap out and come back to [...]
Στα Τρίκορφα μες στην κορφή ⬥ ’Tis on Tríkorfa, up on the peak that Kolokotronis is fighting, and ’tis on Tríkorfa, high on the ridge that the blood flows in rivers. Kolokotronis yelled and the whole world trembled, he shouts to Nikitarás and strikes fear in Turkish hearts. Translated by [...]
Στα Τρίκορφα μες στην κορφή ⬥ On Tríkorfa, up on its highest peak Kolokotronis yells his orders, on Tríkorfa, high up on the ridge, the blood flows in rivers. Kolokotronis yelled and the whole world trembled, Thodorís yells, and his troops obey. Where are you Nikitarás, with the wings upon [...]
Λαλούδι της Μονομπασιάς ⬥ Rock, vai, rock of Monemvasiá Rock of Monemvasiá and Athens’ citadel. Hey Palamedi of Náfplion, open up and let me in. So I can lay eyes on Náfplions’ women, on Náfplions’ maids, how they wash and whiten and lather sweet. Washing with one hand, lathering with [...]
Σούρνει ο Τάταρης ⬥ The Tartar’s hauling nine brothers bound, nine brothers bound with a chain, girl with the mischievous eyes, I weep for you. All nine bound by a single chain. Their mother approaches, beseeching. ‘Lord Tartar, master of my children, grant me, poor woman, just one child my [...]
Τα χελιδόνια τση Βλαχιάς ⬥ The swallows of Vlachiá and the birds of the West weeping late and weeping early, weeping at noon, weeping for ravaged Adrianoúpolis sacked on all the year’s great feasts at Christmas for candles, on Palm Sunday for laurel and on Easter Day for the ‘Christ [...]
Πήραν την Πόλη, πήρανε ⬥ They took the City, they took Salonika and they took Agia Sophia along with it. And they took Agia Sophia, the Great Monastery with four hundred semantra, with sixty two bells and a priest for every bell, and a deacon for every priest. And there’s [...]
Τριάντα καράβια αρμένιζαν ⬥ Thirty ships were sailing towards Cape Malea and Hydra, ten of them belonged to France and ten of them to England, the others all belonged to Moscow, to the Russian king. But they came and anchored in the port of Pylos. They set about composing letters [...]
Τρεις καλογέροι Κρητικοί ⬥ Three Cretan monks and three from Mount Athos prepared a ship to sail, prepared a ship to sail. They prepared a ship to sail and made it all shipshape. Up in the bow they put the cross and in the stern the Gospels, they fixed the [...]
Στης Στάτιστας τα μέρη ⬥ Up Siátista way, just up from Kastoriá, will you not weep mothers, mothers and children? They killed Pavlos, Pavlos Melás will you not weep, trees and branches? They shot him thrice, three times in his side will you not weep, cities and villages? Three days [...]
Όντεν εδικονίζετο ο Κωσταντής ⬥ When Kostantis was begging in foreign lands, he walked the streets and crossed the narrows wearing his monk’s habit short, his sword appeared, his silver sword [in its golden scabbard. A princess spied it from high up in the palace. - That’s no monk and [...]
