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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 wear black, you ride a black horse.
You teach your horse to walk, you teach him to run,
you teach him what to do on land and at sea,
you teach him to withstand the tests of battle,
and you forget the slender maid you loved.
Translated by Michael Eleftheriou
Άρχοντες τρων και πίνουσι σε μαρμαρέ- σε μαρμαρένιαν τάβλα,
σε μαρμαρέ- σε μαρμαρένιαν κι αργυρήν
και σε μαλα- και σε μαλαματένιαν·
κι όλοι τρώσι και πίνουσι κι αθιολή δε φέρνου.1
Κι ο Κωσταντίνος ο μικρός άρ’σε2 λιανό τραγούδι,
τ’ ακράνη3 του τ’ Ανδρόνικου, του νιου του παινεμένου.
– Μαύρος είσαι, μαύρα φορείς, μαύρο καβαλικεύγεις.
Μαθαίνεις τον να πορπατεί, μαθαίνεις τον να δρέμει,4
μαθαίνεις τον και της στεριάς μαζί και του πελάου,
μαθαίνεις τον να ’έχεται τον όχλιον του πολέμου·5
ξεχάνεις και τη λυγερή τη γλυκοποθητή σου.
1αθιολή: ομιλία, κουβέντα· δεν κουβεντιάζουν
2άρ’σε: άρχισε
3ακράνης: σύντροφος, τουρκ. akran
4δρέμει: τρέχει
5να ’έχεται τον όχλιον τον πολέμου: να αντέχει τις δυσκολίες, το ζόρι του πολέμου
An important group of heroic songs centers on a protagonist named Andronikos, whom earlier generations of scholars identified with Andronikos Doukas, a general who served under Byzantine Emperor Leo VI (886-912). This Andronikos, renowned for his victories over the Arabs in Cilicia, was later disgraced through slander, sought refuge with his former enemies, and –in all likelihood– converted to Islam. Although these hypotheses lack solid evidence, the name itself lends an air of antiquity to the songs. As a result, every Andronikos character is imbued with the stereotypical traits of a mythic hero –such as premature physical development or exceptional intelligence– even when he is cast in a romantic role, as in the song Andronikos and the princess.
The song Feasting Lords Eating and Drinking vividly portrays the medieval setting of an aristocratic symposium, particularly highlighting the close bond between young warriors and their horses. In epic and heroic songs, horses symbolize nobility, and heroes devote as much effort to training their steeds as they do to mastering horsemanship. These horses, often endowed with human traits – such as speech, judgment, and the ability to give advice—become the young warrior’s closest companions in peacetime and formidable allies in war, complementing their rider’s courage with their own speed and strength.
The song has only been found on Karpathos. Follow this link to hear a live version performed at a saint’s day celebration.
Also, Nikos Sarantakos has devoted an entry in his blog to Domna Samiou’s performance of the song: https://sarantakos.wordpress.com/2013/04/09/akran/
Recorded at a concert in Saint Denis, Paris, in 1982.
Singers
