Αναστενάρια ⬥ Tunes for the “Anastenaria” fest recorded in 1965. Every year, on May 21st, the day dedicated to Saints Constantine and Helena, a strange and curious folk festival takes place in two Macedonian villages: Langada in Thessaloniki and Saint Helena (Agia Eleni) in Serres.
Στ’ς παπαδιάς τα παραθύρια ⬥ At the casement of the house, where the priest’s wife lives, at the casement of her home two black eyebrows sit. They gaze upon the sailing-ships that come from Egypt’s shores; cosmetics are their merchandise, the best cosmetic rouge for girls to paint their lips [...]
Έλα Χριστέ και Παναγιά (1) ⬥ Studio recording, 2008. Based on Simon Karas' recording which belongs to the Association for the Dissemination of Greek National Music.
Κάτω στην Αγια-Μαρίνη ⬥ Down at Agia Marini, at Virgin Mary’s monastery a twelve-year-old girl, joined the local nunnery. She doesn’t cross her fingers nor does she say her prayers giggling, she watches the lads go by, only for them she cares. She is standing near the cross-roads, selling wine. [...]
Down at Agia Marini, at Virgin Mary’s monastery a twelve-year-old girl, joined the local nunnery. She doesn’t cross her fingers nor does she say her prayers giggling, she watches the lads go by, only for them she cares. She is standing near the cross-roads, selling wine. A bonny lad approaches, [...]
Πέρασα καλημέρισα ⬥ I passed by and bid four black eyes good day, four lips, dear Daphne, four red lips. Four red lips and two lithe, slender frames, I passed them by, dear Daphne, and asked them the way. They didn’t say a word, and I set off anyways along [...]
Σε καινούργια βάρκα μπήκα ⬥ I went aboard a boat but newly built, aboard a boat but newly built, and landed at St George. I sought the seaman, strong and bold, who’d been out fishing for a catch. – Good fishers, have you any fish, some lobsters and some squid [...]
Πουλάκια της Ανατολής ⬥ English translation is not available. French translation follows: Oiselets du levant et rossignols du couchant, rassemblez-vous en ce lieu pour que je vous dise : ne chantez pas au mois de mai, qu'au mois de mai nul ne vous entende, car la guerre nous accable…
Μαντιλάτος ⬥ Níkos Philippídis, who plays this tune on the flute, learnt the piece from his fellow-musicians that came from Eastern Rumelia. Recorded in 1995.
Εγώ είμαι ορφανό παιδί ⬥ No father had I, my mother was a widow. My mother was a widow and sold me, sold me into service to a good master. My master was joyful, his son was to wed, and bade me serve his guests from a golden jug. With [...]
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 [...]
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.
Του νεκρού αδελφού ⬥ What a mother, vai aman aman, what a fine mother, what a mother, ela giareni mou ela, what a fine mother is she with, vai aman aman, with the nine sons and, ela giareni mou ela, the only daughter. Matchmakers came from Babylon to take Areti far away to foreign [...]
Ποιός είδε πράσινο δεντρί ⬥ Who ever saw a tree of green, with silver leaves to boot, my little black-eyed girl, eyes black, eyebrows dark as soot. In the tree tops all is golden with young girls all aghast, down at its roots who will sup first from the coolest [...]
Διώχνεις με μάνα, διώχνεις με ⬥ You drive me, mother, out from home, in truth though I’ll be going. I’ll migrate with the little birds and with the long-winged swallows. In time the birds will all return, but I’ll be ever absent. Good mother, you will go to church, to [...]
Ο Κωσταντίνος ο μικρός ⬥ Young Kostantinos, young Konstantinos, his mother had him young and betrothed him young and he was young when he was called up to war. He saddled his steed in the night, he shod him in the dark, [he gave him silver horseshoes with golden studs [...]
