00:00
Με μήνυσε η αγάπη μου
My love has sent for me, she’s my heart’s desire,
to go to her and kiss her. Shine, dear moon, shine upon her,
so I may go and kiss her, o brightly shining moon.
But I’m a stranger, at a loss, I do not know the way there.
Yet I set out along the path — how lovely is that footpath.
The footpath brought me presently to my loved one’s doorway.
[I found the doors were locked and barred, the keys removed for safety.
I picked a stone up in the yard and threw it at the window.
“Dear girl, if you’re asleep, awake, if wakeful, come, behold me;
and if you’re with your benedick,* then health to you and gladness,
but if you’re with another lad, open up, let me up the stairs
and I shall knife the knavish man and he in turn shall knife me.
My blood with his and his with mine shall mingle thus together”.]
Translated by John Leatham
*benedick: newly married husband
Με μήνυσε-νε η γ-αγάπη μου, ζηλεμένο μου,
να πα’ να τη φιλήσω, φέγγεις, φιγγάρι μ’, φέγγεις,
να πα’ να τη φιλήσω, λαμπρό μου φιγγαρά(κι).
Μα ’γώ ’μαν ξένος κι ατζαμής, τη στράτα δεν την ξέρω.
Μα παίρνω το στρατί-στρατί, τ’ ωρηό το μονοπάτι,
το μονοπάτι μ’ έβγαλε στης αγαπώς την πόρτα.
[Βρίσκω τις πόρτες σφαλιχτές και τα κλειδιά παρμένα,
μια παίρνω πέτρα απ’ την αυλή, κρούγω το παραθύρι.
Κόρ’, αν κοιμάσι ξύπνησι κι αν κάθησι έβγα δγιες μι.
Κι αν είσαι με τον άντρα σου, με γεια σου με χαρά σου,
κι αν είσαι μ’ άλλον νιον καλόν, άνοιξε να ’ρθω απάνω,
να δώσω εκείνον μαχαιριά και κείνος πάλι εμένα,
να πλέξω ’γώ στο αίμα του και κείνος στο δικό μου.]
According to the informant Yannis Tsirigotis, they used to sing it during the bean harvest.
Live recording from the concert The Known and the Unknown Domna, held on 29 October 1998 at the Megaron —
the Athens Concert Hall. Based on Domna Samiou’s 1972 field recording of the song in Ierissos, Chalkidiki, sung by Yannis Tsirigotis, Eleni Tsirigoti, Alexandra Roumelianaki, Yiorgos Tzitzos and Yannis Migdis.
Yannis Tsirigotis, Eleni Tsirigoti, Alexandra Roumelianaki, Yiorgos Tzitzos and Yannis Migdis. Ierissos, Chalkidiki, 1972.
© Domna Samiou Archive
Singers
Clarinet
Constantinopolitan lute
Daouli (davul)
Goblet drum
Informant (source of the song)
