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A maid decided to join the klephts
and set fire, vr’ amán och amán,
she set fire to her loom.
She set fire to her loom, to her ivory comb,
armed herself and joined the klephts.
Twelve years she led them
and no man ever guessed she was a girl.
And one Easter, one Sunday, one feast-day
the klephts joined the dance to toss the stone
and the lads threw it forty paces at most.
When the girl’s turn came, she hurled it forty five,
and with all the straining and the lunging
she lost a silver button and
something saw the light of day.
And some may call it gold and some call it silver
but it was neither gold nor silver,
’twas just the maiden’s breast.

Translated by Michael Eleftheriou

Μια κόρη τ' απεφάσισε

Μια κόρη τ’ απεφάσισε να πάει με τους κλέφτες
βάνει φωτιά, βρ’ αμάν ωχ αμάν αμάν,
βάνει φωτιά στον αργαλειό.

Βάνει φωτιά στον αργαλειό, στο φιλντισένιο χτένι,
και τ’ άρματά της φόρεσε και πάει με τους κλέφτες.
Δώδεκα χρόνους έκανε στους κλέφτες καπετάνιος
κανείς δεν τηνε γνώρισε πως ήταν κορασίδα.
Και μια Λαμπρή, μια Κυριακή, μια ’πίσημην ημέρα
βγήκαν οι κλέφτες στο χορό να ρίξουν το λιθάρι.
Το ρίχνουν τα κλεφτόπουλα, το παν σαράντα χνάρια,1
το ρίχνει και η κορασιά, το πάει σαράντα πέντε.
Κι από το σείσμα το πολύ κι από το λύγισμά της
εκόπη τ’ αργυρό κουμπί και ’φάνη κάτι εφάνη.
Κι άλλοι το λένε μάλαμα κι άλλοι το λένε ασήμι·
κείνο δεν είναι μάλαμα, κείνο δεν είν’ ασήμι,
μόν’ είν’ της κόρης το βυζί.

1χνάρια: βήματα, πόδια (ίχνη ποδιού)

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Recording information

Studio recording, 2004.

Video from the presentation of the album Songs of History and Heroes on public television (2007).

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