The Sinner

Μια Πασχαλιά, μια Κυριακή

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One Easter Day, one Sunday,
on a holy day, my little bird,
a mother was adorning her son
one Saturday from dawn to dusk,
readying him for church on Sunday morn.
Everybody went, hands reverently crossed,
and I went, too, eyes tight shut.
The congregation were startled at the sight of me,
and the Bible spoke up from within the Sanctuary:
– Get back, you Jewish bitch, get back you sinner.
– My son, what is my sin that I be called a sinner?
– The sin is your son’s, but it has tainted you as well.
– What is your sin, my son, whose taint I bear?
– I was just eighteen and serving in the army,
they all tethered their mounts to an apple bough,
I tethered mine to a young maid’s grave.
And as he kicked and stamped, the maid he did uncover,
bringing curly hair and silver braids back into the light.
That is the sin, mother, whose taint your bear.

Translated by Michael Eleftheriou

Μια Πασχαλιά, μια Κυριακή

Του κριματισμένου

Μια Πασχαλιά, μια Πασχαλιά, μια Πασχαλιά, μια Κυριακή
κι μια ’πίσημη ημέρα, πουλάκι μου,
κι μια ’πίσημη ημέρα, πουλάκι μ’ ιμάν,

μάνα ν-υγιό ν-ιστόλιζι Σαββάτο ν-όλη μέρα
την Κυριακίτσα του προυί στην ικκλησιά να πάει.
Ούλοι πααίν’ στην ικκλησιά, χιράκια σταυρουμένα,
πήγα κι ’γώ στην ικκλησιά, ματάκια σφαλισμένα.
Όντας μι δγίκι1 η ικκλησιά, στέκει κι μι τρουμάζει,
του ιβαγγέλιου λάλησι ’πού μες στου Αϊ-Δήμου2.
– Πίσω σκύλα, πίσω ν-Οβριά, πίσω κριματισμένη.
– Υγιέ μ’ τι κρίμα έκαμα, είμι κριματισμένη;
– Ι γιος σου κρίμα έκαμι, κριμάτισι κι σένα.
– Γιε μου τι κρίμα έκαμις, κριμάτισις κι μένα;
– Άντα ’μαν δεκαοχτώ χρουνώ, άντα ’μαν στο σεφέρι3
όλ’ έδεσαν τ’ αγλήγορο4 ν-απ’ της μηλιάς κλουνάρι,
δέσου κι ’γώ τ’ αγλήγορο μ’ ’πού της κόρης κιβούρι.
Κι παίζουντας κι ρίχνουντας, ξισκέπασι την κόρη,
φάν’καν τα σγουρά μαλλιά κι τ’ αργυρά πλιξίδια.
Αυτό το κρίμα έκαμα, κριμάτισα κι σένα.

1με δγίκι: με είδε
2Αϊ-Δήμου: το άγιο Βήμα
3το σεφέρι: εκστρατεία, εκστρατευτικό στρατιωτικό σώμα
4αγλήγορο: άλογο

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Recording information

Domna Samiou taped the song in Karoti, Didymoteicho, Evros, in 1976.

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