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Ξύπνα μαυροματούσα μου
Wake up, my black eyed one, I’ve come to your neighbourhood,
I have brought you a golden tress to plait your hair.
Your black eyes and your white neck
will make me lose my mind.
Black eyed one of the neighbourhood, bear this in mind;
I come here for you and not for your parents.
The grasses of the earth and its dandelions,
it is her black eyebrows I want to kiss.
I pass by and I don’t greet you, I lower my eyes;
I do this for the neighbours but I take pride in you.
You have stabbed me, no wound is apparent
and apart from you no doctor avails.
I say good evening to someone, I won’t mention the name,
because if I utter the name I will sit and weep.
You torment me, but what can I say?
I bear everything, because I love you.
Translated by Mania Seferiades
Ξύπνα, μαυροματούσα μου, κι ήρτα στη γειτονιά σου,
χρυσά μπλεξούδια σ’ έφερα να μπλέξεις τα μαλλιά σου.
Τα μάτια σου τα μαύρα κι ο άσπρος σου λαιμός,
αυτά ’νι που μι κάνουν κι γένουμου λουλός.
Μαυροματού της γειτονιάς, βάλ’ του καλά στο νου σου,
ιγώ για σένα έρχομου, όχι για τους γονιούς σου.
Της γης τα χορταράκια και τα ραδίκια της,
να τα φιλήσου θέλου τα μαύρα φρύδια της.
Πιρνώ κι δε σι χαιριτώ, τα μάτια χαμηλώνου,
του κάμου για τη γειτουνιά μα ’γω σι καμαρώνου.
Μαχαιρουμένου μ’ έχεις, πληγή δε φαίνιτι,
κι άλλους απού σένα γιατρός δε γένιτι.
Καλησπερίζου μια ψυχή κι τ’ όνομα δε λέου,
γιατί αν πω του όνομα, θα κάθουμου να κλαίου.
Ισύ μι βασανίζεις, μα τι μπουρώ να πω,
ούλα τα υποφέρνου, γιατί σι αγαπώ.
Nikos Karageorgiou recalls that the song was sung at weddings and festivities held between Christmas and Easter. After Easter, however, the towns of Makri and Livisi would become deserted, as the men —carpenters, builders, and tinsmiths— left to work in other regions.
Studio recording (1984). Domna Samiou’s music archive includes a 1982 recording of the song, performed by Nikos Karageorgiou in Nea Makri, Attica.
Nikos Karageorgiou. 1983
© Domna Samiou Archive
Choir
Violin
Goblet drum
Informant (source of the song)
