Ένας κοντός κοντούτσικος (Σκιάθος) ⬥ A short little man had a beautiful wife. The whole neighbourhood was jealous, and all the land and a pasha, a pasha envied him, too. He taxed him hard, imposed a load too heavy to bear. He sold vineyards heavy with grapes and fields swaying [...]
Της Άρτας το γεφύρι ⬥ Down on the shore where land meets sea, where the world ends, they set to building a bridge, but the bridge would not stand firm. They’d build it through till evening and find it fallen every morn. In the dead of night, they’d quake as [...]
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. A bird, a kindly bird, chirped up and counselled them as follows: [...]
Βλέπω καράβια κι έρχονται ⬥ I see some ships approaching port, how beautiful they seem to me, ships that sail across the waters, rending my faint heart asunder. The one sails on a south wind, help, o Christ and Holy Mary, another on a north wind, white sails filled and [...]
Βλέπω καράβια κι έρχονται ⬥ I see some ships approaching port, how beautiful they seem to me, ships that sail across the waters, rending my faint heart asunder. The one sails on a south wind, help, o Christ and Holy Mary, another on a north wind, white sails filled and [...]
Το Μάη λαλούν οι πέρδικες ⬥ It’s in May the partridge sings, in May the nightingale bursts into song, ’tis in May the turtledove takes to the wing and to the brook flies down. Dearest May with your flowers, with your gaiety and your songs. I was born in May [...]
Βιολέτα του Γιονάρη ⬥ January violet, January violet, my winter violet in bloom. Who will drift off and sleep in your shade trialalalalala, who will sleep? Blooming violet with leaves of green, abandoning me to suffering. Translated by Michael Eleftheriou
Δεν ξημερώνεις μαύρη αυγή ⬥ Won’t you break, black dawn so I can find peace, my jewel, so I can find peace? My eyes are close to dim… My eyes are close to dimming from the wakefulness, my jewel, my eyes are close to gone. Come up, come out so [...]
Το τραγούδι του Aϊ-Γιώργη ⬥ O sainted George and honoured master, rider of the grey horse, accoutred with a trusty sword and with a golden lance, it is my wish to compliment your glory and the prowess with which you slayed the monstrous beast, the huge and fearsome lion; at [...]
Ο κυρ Βοριάς εφύσηξε ⬥ The Great North Wind blew throughout the land and all those, kalé, all those ships that heard him made it safely into shore. But one, kalé, one fine ship didn’t make it into harbor. – I fear you not, Great North Wind, you can blow and [...]
Η νύχτα ώρες δεκατρείς ⬥ The night endures for thirteen hours, I sleep for merely three. Throughout the hours that then remain I think of only you. It is night but day is breaking, dawn allows of no concealment. Night, what sorrow bows you down that you have put on [...]
Η θάλασσα με δέρνει ⬥ The sea pounds me, the sea pounds me, the waves lash me. And a great fish… And a great fish is feasting on me. Alas, curly-headed basil I’ve lost my heart to you. There’s no counting the fish in the sea, and no believing the [...]
Νύχτα ήταν που φιλιόμαστε ⬥ We kissed each other in the night, and who could see us then? I’ll tell you, dear, the star saw us, and dawn saw us as well. The star saw us and dawn did too, the star and the moon, the star it was that [...]
Ποιος είδε πράσινο δεντρί ⬥ Whoever saw a tree of green, with eyes of black and a blond sheen and royal blue leaves to boot, eyes black, eyebrows dark as soot? In the treetops all is golden, young girls yonder eyes all swollen down at its roots the coolest spring, [...]
Ο Κωσταντάκης ο μικρός ⬥ Young Kostantakis married young, he married young and took a young wife, and he was young, too, when he was called up to war. – Mother, care for my wife, take care of my precious, may she have rabbit for lunch and partridge for dinner. [...]
