Κατσαντώνης ⬥ Hail, high mountains and you, low hills, hail dear Katsantónis and you, low-lying hills, my captain hail. And you Tzoumérka and Ágrafa, brave warriors' lairs. Ne'er say they captured me, for 'twas by treachery and guile they found me, laid out sick and unarmed upon my bed. Translated [...]
Κατσαντώνης ⬥ Hail, high mountains and you, low hills, hail dear Katsantonis and you, low-lying hills, my captain hail. And you Tzoumerka and Ágrafa, brave warriors’ lairs. Ne’er say they captured me, for ’twas by treachery and guile they found me, laid out sick and unarmed upon my bed. Translated [...]
Είδ' απόψε στ' όνειρό μου ⬥ Studio recording, 1968. Released in 1968, in the LP Songs of Central Greece and Peloponnese (Fidelity 4012 PY, 1968) supervised by Domna Samiou.
Κοντούλα λεμονιά ⬥ Hey little lemon tree, short little lemon tree from Vissàni, heavy with fruit, I didn’t see you last night and now I’m sick, and I didn’t even call a doctor. When did you grow up, little one, and spread your branches so? ’Twas you that made me [...]
Μάνα με κακοπάντρεψες ⬥ Studio recording, 1968. Released in 1968, in the LP Songs of Central Greece and Peloponnese (Fidelity 4012 PY, 1968) supervised by Domna Samiou.
Ξενιτεμένο μου πουλί (Η ξενιτιά) ⬥ My love-bird far away from home, my love who's broken-hearted, - o, absent love of mine, those foreign lands greet you with joy, while I am pining for you. What should I send you, absent love, to you so far [...]
Μου ’λεγε η μάνα μου ⬥ Studio recording, 1984. Accompanied homophonic song. The tune is simple and repetitive, borne along by a rhythm whose linear character makes one think that this 'table song' must be one of the oldest in the repertory. Translated by Derek Yeld
Γιε μου γιατί δε λούζεσαι ⬥ – My son, why don’t you go and wash, why don’t you change your clothing? Today, my child, is Easter Day, you’ll go and take communion. – No, mother, you must know I sinned while I was in the fighting. The other men all [...]
Απρίλ’ Aπρίλη μ’ δροσερέ ⬥ O April, April cool and fresh, dear George, a worthy scholar, May month so finely decked with flowers, dear George, so finely schooled. You’ve taken all the world by storm, my dear Georgoula, angelic lassie, you dazzling creature, flowers and dainties, here’s to you my [...]
Νεραντζούλα φουντωμένη ⬥ Oh, bitter orange in full leaf, oh leafy bitter orange, Where is your blossom, bitter orange, where are your blooms? Where is the beauty you once wore, where are your comely looks? The north wind blew a gale and scattered all before it. I beg of you, [...]
Στα Τρίκορφα μες στην κορφή ⬥ On Tríkorfa, up on its highest peak Kolokotronis yells his orders, on Tríkorfa, high up on the ridge, the blood flows in rivers. Kolokotronis yelled and the whole world trembled, Thodorís yells, and his troops obey. Where are you Nikitarás, with the wings upon [...]
Στα Τρίκορφα μες στην κορφή ⬥ ’Tis on Tríkorfa, up on the peak that Kolokotronis is fighting, and ’tis on Tríkorfa, high on the ridge that the blood flows in rivers. Kolokotronis yelled and the whole world trembled, he shouts to Nikitarás and strikes fear in Turkish hearts. Translated by [...]
Χορευτικό πομπικό τραγούδι ⬥ Transcription of the original 78 rpm recording of 1930 by Melpo Merlier. This song from Fárassa is related to the local celebration of St. Basil and was sung and danced on New Year’s Eve, while the pilgrims walked on the path leading to the so-called caves [...]
Πιρπιρίτσα πιρπατεί ⬥ Pirpiritsa walking along imploring God, – God, rain down a rain, a gentle rain for the wheat and for the barley and for all God’s seeds and crops. Ponds, ponds full with water furrows furrowed with a hoe. Dear Lord, chuck it down in buckets. Translated by [...]
Περιβόλι μ’ οργωμένο ⬥ Orchard, my orchard, orchard ploughed all pruned and daisy-strewed. You’ve flower beds all around, and marjoram in the ground, an apple tree dead centre, its trunk fit to splinter. A youth some apples filched, and its leaves they did wilt and the apple tree sighed, at [...]
Έλα Παναγιά μου σώσε ⬥ Studio recording, 2008. Based on Simon Karas' recording which belongs to the Association for the Dissemination of Greek National Music.
Κάτω σην Άσπρην Θάλασσαν ⬥ Somewhere in the Aegean Sea, oh, my heart, my heart, so distant, so far away, my heart is fit to burst. A vessel richly fitted out, set out for ports in Frankish lands. It was manned by Pontic Greeks, by Greeks from ancient lands, They bent their [...]
Μια πέρτικα καυχήστηκε ⬥ A partridge fair bragged to all she met that there was no hunter in the land, no hunter in the land could bag her. When the hunter heard of her boast it piqued him not a little. He set his snares up on the mountain, and [...]
Τέσσερα τζιαι τέσσερα ⬥ Four and four make eight, Four Palikari go to the wars. On their way they are hungry And they sit down to eat, but they are thirsty too. They look for a spring high up on the mountain, and they find a ravine a hundred fathoms [...]
Το μοιρολόι της Παναγιάς (Φούρνοι Ικαρίας) ⬥ ... – Be off with you, you gypsy scum, and may your hearth grow cold, and may you lack a second shirt to clothe your wretched back. They took the path, they took the path, the path that is a footpath, and so [...]
