Κόρη ξανθή τραγούδησε

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A fair maid sang up upon a rope bridge,
but the bridge collapsed, and the river stood still.
And the river spirit came to her and asked:
– Girl, if you are still a maid, may you never know a man,
and if you’ve children and a husband, may you be a widow.
– I have a husband, sick these past ten years,
asking for hare’s milk, for wild goat’s cheese,
and other medicines near impossible to find.
By the time I’d climbed those mountains, to their highest peaks,
by the time I’d climbed those mountains and those ridges
to pen the hare and milk the mountain goat,
my husband was well and had taken another in my place.
[She’s no more beautiful than I, nor any better off,
save her russet hair which surpasses mine a little.
Why have you done this to me, accursed woman?
Are there no men that you had to steal mine
and rip my home and household asunder?
You’ll suffer one day for this thing that you’re done,
and you’ll pay here, in this world and in no other.
She cursed her as she climbed down the steps.
– Let the fever take her, let her burn from top to toe
till not a single hair is left upon her head.
And sure enough she sickened, and when she died
not a single hair was left upon her head.]

Translated by Michael Eleftheriou

Κόρη ξανθή τραγούδησε

Της απαρνημένης

Κόρη, βάι, κόρη ξανθή τραγούδησε,
κόρη ξανθή τραγούδησε σε τρίχινο γεφύρι,
μα το, βάι, μα το γεφύρι εράισε,
μα το γεφύρι εράισε και το ποτάμι εστάθη

και το στοιχειό του ποταμιού βγαίνει την αρωτάει:
– Κόρη, σαν είσ’ ανύπαντρη, άντρα να μη γνωρίσεις
κι αν έχεις άντρα και παιδιά χήρα να καταντήσεις.
– ν-Εγώ έχω άντρα, είν’ άρρωστος τώρα και δέκα χρόνια,
γυρευιμό1 μου γύρεψε στον κόσμο δεν υπάρχει,
γυρεύει γάλα από λαγό, τυρί απ’ άγριο γίδι.
Ως ν’ ανεβώ ’γώ στα βουνά, ψηλά στα κορφοβούνια,
να πάρω δίπλα τα βουνά κι όλα τα ραχοβούνια,
να φκιάσω στρούγκα του λαγού, ν’ αρμέξω τ’ άγριο γίδι,
άντρας μου έγινε καλά κι άλλη γυναίκα πήρε.
[Δεν με περνάει στην εμορφιά ούτε και στα καλά μου
παρά στα ρούσικα μαλλιά να με περνάει κομμάτι.
Τι είν’ το ’κανες εμένανε εσύ παλιογυναίκα,
θαρρείς οι άντρες χάθηκαν και πήρες τον δικό μου
και ρήμαξες το σπίτι μου και το νοικοκυριό μου.
’Κειό πο’ ’καμες εμένανε μια μέρα θα ντο νιώσεις
σε τούτ’ τον κόσμο κι όχι αλλού, εδώ θα ντα πληρώσεις.
Στη σκάλα που κατέβαινε την κατάρα της δίνει.
Να τηνε πιάνει θερμασιά, βαριά να την ταράζει
και τα μαλλιά της κεφαλής τρίχα να μην ’πομείνει.
Αρρώστησε, ξαρρώστησε βαριά για να πεθάνει
και τα μαλλιά της κεφαλής τρίχα δεν απομένει.]

1γυρευιμό: λογοπαίγνιο γι' αυτό που πρέπει να το ψάξεις, να το γυρέψεις, πολύ

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Recording information

Studio recording, 2006.

Domna Samiou taped the song in Agios Dimitrios, Euboea, sung by Sotiris Krisiliás, in 1976.

Watch the song by old-Sotiris Krisilias from the TV Program Musical Travelogue with Domna Samiou - Euboea, Karystos (ERT 1977)

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