Κάτου στ’ς Μπαρμπαριάς τουν κάμπου ⬥ Down, more, down on the Barbary plane, the fish are getting married down on the Barbary plane. The ants, more, the ants are celebrating, the ants are celebrating, for the best man –me– they are a-waiting. But to spite them, I did not show, [...]
Γέρασα, μωρέ παιδιά ⬥ "I have grown old, goddammit, friends, I have grown old and cannot now; I have grown old and cannot now sing the songs I used to sing. I see young men and am green-eyed, an old man full of grievances. I’d rather suffer forty cuts than [...]
Ηπούλησα τη βάρκα μου ⬥ In Saloniki I sold my boat, but when I got home to Chios, I didn’t have a groat. Heave ho once — man the sails! Heave ho twice — to the village! Heave ho thrice — maid, come to see my face. Off Diachori our [...]
Αν θέλεις για να παντρευτείς ⬥ If you want to marry, to take a wife, come ask me do, I’ll tell you who’s good for you. Don’t take a white woman, no sack of flower; for a sack of flower will always be dour. Don’t take a black woman, no [...]
Κακλαμάνικο ⬥ The dance is danced by Kaklamans, a pumpkin serves as drum. In Trikeri’s old neighbourhood the Kaklamans were dancing. They sang a song: o Kaklaman, your wife has given birth. What did she have? A boy. When shall I see him? In the bow. When shall I see [...]
Μιαν ημέρα ένας γάτος ⬥ Studio recording, 1980. Domna Samiou taped the song in Agia Eleni, Serres in 1964, by Dimitris Vlaskos (vocals and lyra) accompanied by Yiorgos Haratsis and a group of locals.
Η τράτα μας η κουρελού ⬥ Our fishing-boat a battered hulk, we cobbled it together, we patched it up a thousand times, it stayed a ragged sight. Our fishing-boat, an ugly tub , had neither sails nor sweeps. Cast off, cast off and pull away! Take me along with you. [...]
Η τράτα μας η κουρελού ⬥ Our trata and its tattered old nets patched over and over and yet always torn. Our old boat needs sails, Our old boat needs oars If mum only knew that I worked on that boat, she’d send me my clothes and my old breeches, [...]
Είπαμε πολλά ψέματα ⬥ We’ve told so many lies, a truth now let us tell, we loaded forty pumpkins on a mouse’s tail. The pumpkins full of water, and the water full of frogs, when the frogs croaked, the mouse kicked up his clogs. He shed his load, ran off, [...]
Παντρεύουνε τον κάβουρα ⬥ Live recording from the concert Carnival Songs with Domna Samiou held at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, on March 4, 2003. Domna Samiou taped the song, sung by Kostas Marinis, 1960.
Το μλαρ, το μλαρ ⬥ Studio recording, 1975. Domna Samiou taped the song in Mandamados, Lesvos, sung by Stratís Chiropaídis, in 1968 in the office of the community of Mandamados.
Ήρθαν τρεις σπανοί απ’ την Πόλη ⬥ Three beardless gents down from the City, five hairs between them, what a pity. Then bré bré bré a fourth sailed in, from Tinos, five lonely hairs upon his chin. When bré bré bré when the baldies saw him they rushed out in welcome, looking [...]
Ήρθαν τρεις σπανοί ⬥ Three beardless gents down from the City, five hairs between them, what a pity. Then bré bré bré a fourth sailed in, from Tinos, five lonely hairs upon his chin. When bré bré bré when the baldies saw him they rushed out in welcome, looking trim. [...]
Ο μπαρμπα-Μαθιός ⬥ Studio recording, 1973. Domna Samiou taped the song in Karlovasi, Samos, sung by the santoúri (santur or dulcimer) player Ilias Diatsidis, in 1969.
Στης ακρίβειας τον καιρό ⬥ Live recording from the concert Carnival Songs With Domna Samiou held at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, on March 4, 2003. As a type, the bad woman (lazy, greedy, a drunkard, sexually insatiable, and adulteress) was an inexhaustible source of subject matter for Carnival songs.
Όταν πήγα κυρά μου στο χασάπη ⬥ When I went down, mistress mine, to the butcher’s to buy meat, he gave me, mistress mine, a bone and a donkey head to eat. Five full days I boiled them till on the seventh they were done, when a friend appeared then– [...]
Ξένε σα θες να παντρευτείς ⬥ Studio recording, 1986. Domna Samiou taped the song in Athens, sung by Minas Melas, Dimitris Kagiantas and a group from Volissos, Chios, in 1978.
Πού πας αφέντη μέρμηγκα ⬥ – Where to, master ant, where to? where go you burnt so black with that grub hoe ’pon your back? – I’m going across the water, to Wallachia blacky’s bound to plant myself a vineyard like a garden in the ground. I harvested and trod [...]
