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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.
A bonny lad approaches, a lad manly and fine:
– Lady, could you tell me how much is the wine?
– Five francs for the old men, free for boys so fine.
Κάτω στην Αγια-Μαρίνη και στην Παναγιά,
δώδικα χρονώ κορίτσι έγινε καλογριά.
Μήδε τον σταυρό του κάνει, μήδε προσκυνά,
μόνο βλέπ’ τα παλληκάρια και κρυφά γελά,
και στα σταυροδρόμια κάθ’ται και κρασί πουλά.
Πέρασε κι ένας λεβέντης και την ερωτά:
– Πόσο το κρασί, κυρά μου, πόσο η οκά;
– Πέντε φράγκα στους γερόντους, τζάμπα στα παιδιά.
Refugees from Eastern Rumelia used to sing the song and dance on August 15th, during the banquet celebrating the Feast of the Assumption.
Studio recording (2006). Domna Samiou wrote the following comments when the album was first published (LP, Travelling in Greece with Domna Samiou):
I first recorded the song in 1964, in Agia Eleni in Serres (Macedonia), where every year, on May 21st, the Anastenaria festivities take place. I had gone there to attend the feast, during which –by tradition– the lyra and the daouli are played continuously. The lyra player, Dimitris Vlaskos, performed a number of songs from Eastern Roumelia for me, among them this particular Karsilamas. I recorded these songs on tape. Of course, at the time, I could not bring local musicians to the studio, so I had musicians I found in Athens perform the tunes while I did the singing.
Listen to the original field recording version of the song by 39-year-old Dimitris Vlaskos
Dimitrios Vlaskos, Aghia Heleni, Serres (Macedonia) 1964
© Domna Samiou Archive
Singers
Constantinopolitan lyra
Constantinopolitan lute
Goblet drum
Informant (source of the song)
