Blessed are the mountains

Καλότυχα είναι τα βουνά

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How Fortunate the Mountains

Lyrics

Blessed are the mountains, blessed are the plains,
that do not await death, nor bear the weight of Charon,
but only wait for spring, for May, for summer’s grace,
for the mountains to bloom, for the snows to melt,
for the Vlachs to climb the heights, and Vlach maidens too,
for the young Vlach lads to emerge, their flutes resounding,
and the jet-black sheep to roam, with their gleaming bells.

Photo credits: Ch. Lemos (2022)

Original Lyrics

Καλότυχα είναι τα βουνά

Καλότυχα είναι τα ι-βουνά, καλότυχοι είν’ οι κάμποι
που θάνατο δεν καϊρτερούν και Χάρο δεν παντέχουν
μόν’ καϊρτερούν την άνοιξη, το Μάη, το καλοκαίρι
να λουλουδίσουν τα βουνά, να λιώσουνε τα χιόνια
να βγουν οι βλάχοι στα βουνά, να βγουν κι οι βλαχοπούλες
να βγουν και τα βλαχόπουλα, λαλώντας τις φλογέρες
να βγουν τα λάγια πρόβατα με τα λαμπρά κουδούνια.

Φωτ. Χρ. Λαιμός (2022)

Region: Epirus
Duration: 03:48

Recording information

Studio recording (1983), in Paris, France.

See also

The members of the “Polyphonic Group of Pogoni” were: Anthoula Kotsou Penelope Matsia Sofia Matsia Dimitris Matsias Lazarus Tsiavos Socrates Tsiavos All were residents of the village Ktismata, Pogoni, near Greek-Albania borders.
This LP published by Ocora, as well as the concert which preceded it, can be seen as a ‘universal premiere’ for the polyphonic songs of Epirus. Aris Fakinos’ initiatives brought for the first time into French public polyphonic music from Epirus, which was anyway rarely performed locally and almost unknown […]