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Πιρπιρίτσα πιρπατεί
Pirpiritsa walking along imploring God:
“God, rain down a rain, a gentle rain,
for the wheat and for the barley,
and for all God’s seeds and crops.
Ponds, ponds full with water
furrows furrowed with a hoe.
Dear Lord, chuck it down in buckets”.
Translated by Michael Eleftheriou
Πιρπιρίτσα πιρπατεί,
το Θεό παρακαλεί:
«Θε μου, βρέξι μια βροχή,
μια βροχή μια σιγανή,
για τα στάρια, για τα κρ’θάρια,
για τ’ Θεού τα παρασπόρια.
Γούρνες, γούρνες το νερό,
’βλάκι,* ’βλάκ’ μι το τσαπί.
Με το καρδάρ’, Θε μ’, να ρίξ’ς».
*’βλάκι: αυλάκι
Pirpiritsa’s song is actually a magical incantation once intoned during a rite of the same name encountered across the entire Greek world. After a prolonged period of drought, villagers would drape a little girl in fresh green leaves and take her round the village, singing all the while and dousing her in water. It was hoped the rite would induce much-needed, life-giving rain through some magical, homeopathic, process.
Miranda Terzopoulou (2007)
See also Perperouna.
Studio recording (2005). Based on Domna Samiou’s 1978 field recording of the song in Athens, sung by a woman who originates from Marathea, Karditsa.
Marathea, Karditsa, 1978
© Domna Samiou Archive
