Ένα μικρό φιντάνι ⬥ A little seedling a seedling, a little seedling sprouts forth and grows to give us fruit and flowers. A little water, just a drop to wash down the goodness so it won’t wane, so all will not be lost. So the leaves won’t wilt and the [...]
Κοράσιν ετραγούδαγε ⬥ A maid was singing in a high-walled palace. The wind swept her voice out to sea and every ship that heard it reefed its sails. Save one love-lorn ship that knows what friendship means that neither gathering its sheets nor lowering them trimmed its sails and set [...]
Κοράσιν ετραγούδαγε ⬥ A maid was singing longingly inside a high-walled palace, her voice was caught up on the breeze and carried off to seaward, and all the ships that heard that voice at once let go their halyards. [Save one that holds friendship most dear and knows a love-lorn [...]
Κουράσιν εβουλήθηκε ⬥ A maid would go would go a-strolling and then go back again. She called her neighbours together yes, by Saint George and the young girls, too. And she went down to the shore save me, Saint George, save me they went down to the sea. They saw [...]
Αρχοντογιός παντρεύεται ⬥ A prince is to be wed to a dark-eyed bride whose folk sought refuge here. His bride-to-be’s from uprooted stock, little refugee I weep for thee. When his mother heard the news she uprooted trees, dearest dark-eyed maid, she uprooted trees, uprooted maid I weep for thee. [...]
Όσο ’ναι μάκρος του γιαλού ⬥ As long as the shore, as long as the shore and as wide as the sea, that’s the span of the yarn a maid had laid out in her yard for weaving. The king’s son passed by and bade her good morning: – A [...]
Ξημέρωσε η ανατολή ⬥ The sun rose in the East and day broke in the West, the young man led his black mount to water. All along the way, he called on God, – Lord, if I could only find the girl, Lord, if I could only find the girl [...]
Ντίλι ντίλι ⬥ Dili, dili, dili, dili the lamp shone as the maid embroidered her kerchief. The rat went and nicked the wick from the lamp that shone dili, dili, dili as the maid embroidered her kerchief. The cat went and ate the rat that nicked the wick from the lamp [...]
Πέρσι το καλοκαιράκι ⬥ Early last summer I set my sights on a little bird But chase as I would, lust as I might, She’d always take flight. She spread her wings, prepared to fly up to heaven, Fetch back an angel and empty the seven… Empty the seven seas [...]
Γιαννούλα ⬥ Life is sweet, despite all its torments, And only a madman seeks death. Giannoula,1 Giannoula, there’s nothing you don’t know Giannoula, Giannoula, what you did it wasn’t right. Stars in the sky, why deny me your glimmer And mountain springs, you might as well simmer. Those widow's weeds [...]
Όλα μου τα παράτησα & Τι έχεις Θεονίτσα ⬥ I gave up all I had, all the joys life gave me, And now walk hand in hand with my humility. It’s you that torments me, but what can I say? I love you so much, and that’s how I pay. [...]
Όλους τους μήνες τους θέλω ⬥ I want to savour all the months, I want to know them all, but oh , not March, I can’t abide the dreadful month of March. The month of March I would forget, the month of sad good-byes. It crews and rings sponge-fishing boats [...]
Σε καινούργια βάρκα μπήκα ⬥ I went aboard a boat but newly built, aboard a boat but newly built, and landed at Michalitsi. 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 maybe? [...]
Όλους τους μήνες τους θέλω ⬥ I wish for all the months in turn, await them all with longing, but not, o not, the month of March when folks embark on travel. That month fits galleys out for sea and slips a vessel’s moorings. My husband also makes to go, [...]
Μαρμαρινός καρσιλαμάς ⬥ May this Bálos last, last until morning that the girls may dance with their mates! Ah, my barber boy, come, embrace my neck.1 Black eyes of mine and sweet, why are you angry? Did perhaps your mother scold you about me? I saw eyes and eyebrows and [...]
Τ’ Αϊ-Γιωργιού τη βραδινή ⬥ On Saint George’s eve, as Saint George’s day was ending, a princess was rigging a solid gold frigate with sails of pure silk and silken cords for tackle, a helm of gold, oars wrought in silver, and a hand-picked crew, each a chosen man. When [...]
Ρουμπαλιά, γαρουφαλιά ⬥ Who has seen a love-sick youth and a thief of love? Roumbalia,1 carnation, birds circle around you. He wakes up with sighs and lies down with moans. My Roumbalia from Chios, I saw you yesterday and languished. Although I make bed and lie, your eyes prevent my [...]
Σελίμ ⬥ Our boat is rigged, élessa-yialéssa, and goes to cast nets, elessa-yialessa. Élli, yiamóli, yiássa, íssa, hó! Vré háide, vré hoúide, tsalapalatsíngo! We cast our nets at Kerassia*, élessa-yialéssa, and drew three thousand, élessa-yialéssa. We took them to Marmara, élessa-yialéssa, and we made money, élessa-yialéssa. *village on the Thracian [...]
Άγιος Βασίλης έρχεται (Προποντίδας) ⬥ Studio recording, 2011. Domna Samiou collected the carol in Nea Karvali, Kavala sung by Georgios Papadopulos, in 1983.
Σηλυβριανό συρτό ⬥ A particularly popular and much-loved melody found from Constantinople to Cyprus, it can be heard across the whole of Greece today. Live recording from the concert ‘Songs of Asia Minor with Domna Samiou’ at the Megaron, the Athens Concert Hall, in 2005.
Το μοιρολόι της Παναγιάς (Μαρμαράς) ⬥ … A voice from heaven could be heard, a good archangel speaking. My lady, that’s enough of prayers, enough of doing penance, for they have roughly seized your son and hauled him to the blacksmith, and thence to Pontius Pilate’s courts, and there they [...]
Μάη μου με τα λούλουδα ⬥ The May month with its wealth of flowers and April with its dews, I’ve got you on my mind again and didn’t sleep last night. In April and in May and all the summer through, your love, my dearest one, is something very special. [...]
