Ένας κοντός κοντούτσικος (Mελί Eρυθραίας) ⬥ A little shorty, a short little man, aides pouli mou aides, had a beautiful wife and the whole neighbourhood, aman aman, was jealous, the whole country was jealous of him and none more than his own mother. A pasha, too, was jealous of his beautiful wife [...]
Μια κόρη από την Εύριπου ⬥ A maid from Evripo sought to set sail, she sought to make passage. She sought to make the passage to the far shore and paid a hundred Venetian sequins, a hundred gold pieces to be taken to her homeland and four hundred and four [...]
Μια κόρη Βρονταδούσαινα ⬥ A maid from Vrontados sat weaving, her loom in full song to the shuttle’s beat when a bird flew down and perched on it. Its song was like no other bird’s, not like the swallow’s, for when it sang it sang in human voice. – Christ, [...]
Πάλι ν-εβγήκαν στο χορό ⬥ Again they entered in the dance, four eyes as dark as olives, four eyes that weave like shuttle through the hearts they break in pieces. I’ll sing a song for you, my love, that you will hear with pleasure: You have an angel’s figure and [...]
Αραμπάς ⬥ A horse-cart's passing by, raising clouds of dust, pull up your little dress 'cause it will gather dust. A horse-cart's passing by, the driver has a limp so step, aside little girls 'cause he will run you over. A horse-cart's passing by, a horse-cart full of sweepings, so [...]
Δεν είν’ αυγή να σηκωθώ ⬥ At dawn not once did I get up without sighing arise, my sun, come, talk to me without bending again on the pillow and crying arise that I may see you and be comforted. At Alatsata there is a mountain called the Karadai come, [...]
Άταρης ⬥ I vowed to the Holy Virgin not to sing again. Ataris! But for your sake I will break the vow. Four! Once again four black eyes got up to dance. Ataris! Four eyebrows like silken cords, two cool, fresh bodies. Four! Translated by Mania Seferiades
Αλατσατιανός μπάλος ⬥ Start, sweet tongue of mine, and remember, my lips, And you poor heart, tell what you know. Of songs and commendations I also know a few But my modest tongue will not let me say them. The feet support the body, the head sagacity And the tongue [...]
Σμυρναίικος μπάλος ⬥ A tune from Smyrna (Asia Minor) based on the rhythm of a gay, lilting, couple dance in 2/4 meter, the well-known balos, which is particularly popular in the islands. Recorded in 1974.
Δημητρούλα ⬥ You dance, my spoilt one, but I don't know who are you, from your stature you seem, scampish perivolaria, to be of noble birth. Go on, yiála, yiála, Dimitroúla! You didn't do well to shame me again in this neighbourhood. You dance, my spoilt one, and your father [...]
Υποψία να μην έχεις ⬥ Oh, do not nurture any doubts about my love for you. I feel quite lost when you are gone one hour from me. You are a garden, I a tender shoot, I can’t deny my love for you. From battlements I throw myself, I wish [...]
Έχετε ψαράδες ψάρια ⬥ – Hey fishermen, have you any fish, any fish or squid or lobsters? – We’ve got sardines all golden, as golden as the maid is fair. – Mistress, I heard you have a boat and lay down nets, and have come to seek its use: for [...]
Εφτά βδομάδες έκανα ⬥ For a whole seven weeks, my love, I did not speak to you; because it was the time of Lent, I feared I’d make you sin. I can’t forget those eyes of yours, and all night long I cannot sleep. How gay it is at Easter [...]
Σαράντα μαστορόπουλα – Της Άρτας το γεφύρι ⬥ A team of forty stonemasons and sixty prentice workers were putting up a bridge across the river close by Arta. The whole day long they built the bridge, at night it was dismantled. The masons much lamented this, the prentices were [...]
Όμορφη που ‘ν’ η νύφη μας ⬥ Our bride is beautiful and I’ve no need of words Her sweet cheeks are red as roses. I’m telling you so hear my words Take joy and pride in them. Don’t pinch your pennies, groom, make a little cage And put our bride [...]
Έρχομαι κι εσύ κοιμάσαι ⬥ I come and you are asleep amid the white jasmine, wake up wherever you might live and be, my bushy lemon tree. My partridge from Livíssi, I am entangled in your nets. The keys of my heart take them and open, there are rose gardens [...]
