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Home / Her Work / Song Catalogue / I Went Aboard a Boat
I went aboard a boat but newly built,
aboard a boat but newly built, and landed at St George.
I sought the seaman, strong and bold, who’d been out fishing for a catch.
“Good fishers, have you any fish, some lobsters and some squid maybe?”
“Why, yes, we’ve got some fat sardines, just what a pretty lass likes best;
and we’ve some tasty sea-bass too, a fish young girls will gladly eat.
What’s more, we do have squid as well, which dashing youngsters find a treat”.
“Thread golden rushes through their gills, and weigh them in the balance there”.
Translated by John Leatham
Σε, μωρ’ σε, σε καινούργια βάρκα μπήκα,
σε καινούργια βάρκα μπήκα και στον Αϊ-Γιώργη βγήκα.
Βρίσκω ναύτες παλληκάρια που ψαρεύανε για ψάρια.
«Έχετε ψαράδες ψάρια, αστακούς και καλαμάρια;»
«Έχουμε γλυκιά σαρδέλα για την όμορφη κοπέλα·
έχουμε και τα λαβράκια, που τα τρών’ τα κοριτσάκια·
έχουμε και καλαμάρια, που τα τρών’ τα παλληκάρια».
«Βούρλωσέ* τα, πέρασέ τα, στην παλάντζα ζύγισέ τα».
*βούρλωσέ τα: πέρασέ τα σε βούρλο για τη μεταφορά
See also I Went Aboard a Boat (Cyclades).
Studio recording (2000). Based on Domna Samiou’s 1964 field recording of the song in Agia Eleni, Serres, performed by the lyra player Dimitris Vlaskos.
Watch another version of the song from Propontis sung by Domna Samiou
Singers
Thracian lyra
Daouli (davul)
Informant (source of the song)