Μια κόρη συναπόβγανε ⬥ A maid was seeing her husband off to foreign parts holding a candle out for him to see, tankards of wine for him to drink. And as the wine poured forth, the words did too: – You’re leaving, Konstantinos my love, what would you have me [...]
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 [...]
Ο σκλάβος αναστέναξε ⬥ Studio recording, 2001. This Byzantine ballad was sung in Sinasós, but probably originated in Constantinople. In this version the hero, a slave in a galley dreams that his wife is being married to another man and sighs in distress. Thereupon the galley comes to a hault. [...]
Όλες οι καπετάνισσες ⬥ All the captains’ women went and bowed down before Ali Pasha, before the vezir, but Leni, Botsaris’ Leni, will not bow her head. – I will not bow down, Ali Pasha, not before you, vezir, I am Leni, I am Botsaris’ wife. Translated by Michael Eleftheriou [...]
Άρκοντες τρων και πίνουσι ⬥ The nobles sit to eat and drink around a marble table, a marble and a silver table, around a golden table, and all do only drink and eat, no word by them is spoken. Oh, let young Constantine just hum a melody that pleases to [...]
Ο Χάροντας και οι αντρειωμένοι ⬥ My friends, what happened to all the brave men in the world? They’re not on the mountains and they’re not in the passes. They’re down at the edge of the sky, at the end of the world, building a castle to hide from Charon. [...]
Αφήνω γεια στις έμορφες ⬥ Studio recording, 1968. Released in 1968, in the LP Songs of Central Greece and Peloponnese (Fidelity 4012 PY, 1968) supervised by Domna Samiou. Later, in 2008, Yiorgos Tsambras included the track in the CD collection Mousiko Odiporiko 1959-1969.
Άρκοντες τρων και πίνουσι ⬥ Some lords are eating and drinking at a marble table, a table of marble, silver and gold, they are all eating and drinking without saying a word. And young Kostantinos started singing quietly about his comrade Andronikos, a much-praised young man. - You're black, you [...]
Συμπάθησέ με γειτονιά ⬥ Studio recording, 1968. Released in 1968, in the LP Songs of Central Greece and Peloponnese (Fidelity 4012 PY, 1968) supervised by Domna Samiou.
Σαράντα παλληκάρια ⬥ Forty brave lads and an old man took up arms and dressed for war. Slinging their muskets, the mountains light up, buckling on their swords, oceans shine. They set off on their way, along the coast to their mother, her blessing to receive: ‘May Fate smile on [...]
Εσείς βουνά, ψηλά βουνά ⬥An instrumental tune with “gaida”. Gaida is a three-tube bagpipe, not very different from the Scottish or Italian variety. The first tube (chanter or fingering tube) has seven openings in the front and one in the back for the thumb. The second tube is for the [...]
Βάγιες μου, Βαγίτσες μου ⬥ Come, Holy Virgin, come along and see these women bearing palms, good women bearing palms, good souls, bend down a little way [so I may cut a sprig or two, to give to Christ our Lord]. Come, Holy Virgin, come along and see these women [...]
Ούλες οι χώρες χαίρουνται ⬥ Great joy across the land, great joy in every village and all in the best, the best of spirits save Rhodes, poor ill-fated Rhodes. Great joy across the land, great joy in every breast save ill-fated Rhodes that stands defenceless. Three years bombarded now from [...]
Θρήνος μεγάλος έγινε ⬥ Great sorrow was expressed in Mesolonghi town; for they are taking Markos to the church, my lads. They’re taking Markos to the church for burial; sixty priests walk on ahead. A wind disturbs the branches of the broad-leaved trees. Good Lord preserve from harm Greek children [...]
Όνειρο το ’δα η λυγερή ⬥ English translation is not available. The lyrics in French follows: – Ce que j'ai vu en rêve, mon roseau, explique-le moi: ce soir-là je commandais des pays et je ramassais des poireaux et je cassais des noisettes, mon petit, dans ton tablier. – Ne [...]
Μαύρο καπνό είδα κι έβγαινε ⬥ I saw some black smoke rise up out of the reeds; The reeds are numberless and a monster hides in them. Three huntsmen have decided to go and kill it. On the way they talk about it: When we have killed the monster in [...]
Βλέπω καράβια πο ’ρχοντι ⬥ I see ships a-coming from Constantine’s City with four hundred maids and sixty brave lads, and mine in there amidst them singing of love, singing of our love. [– I curse the day I came here to these folk who, lying, said a girl they [...]
Ξένος ήμαν κι ήρθα τώρα ⬥ I was far away, but now I'm back from foreign lands with diamonds and fresh-struck gold and silver coins for you. – What use is gold to me, what good is silver, when my heart is locked tight shut two and forty times. Money [...]