The Glass Well

Το γυάλινο πηγάδι

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Aidès ki amàn amàn, have you heard the news?
Have you heard what happened down at the well of glass?

A wild beast appeared, a man-eater,
set on devouring all that passed that way.
The beast donned women’s clothes and women’s slippers, too.
Transformed into a woman,
it went and sat down beside the well of glass
and sat there welling tears, untwining braided locks.
The king’s son passed her by and asked
– What ails you, maid, why do you weep and sigh?
– My engagement ring has fallen in the glass well,
and the man who dives in and fetches it
shall have me for his wife.

Translated by Michael Eleftheriou

Το γυάλινο πηγάδι

Άιντες κι αμάν αμάν, το μάθατε τι έγινε,
το μάθατε τι έγινε στο γυάλινο πηγάδι;

Θεριό εφανερώθηκε τον κόσμο για να φάει.
Γυναίκας ρούχα φόρεσε, γυναίκας πασουμάκι,
γυναίκα πάει και κάθεται στο γυάλινο πηγάδι.
Ξεπλέκει τα σγουρά μαλλιά και κάθεται και κλαίει
κι ο γιος του ρήγα πέρασε και τηνε χαιρετάει.
– Τι έχεις κόρη μου και κλαις και βαριαναστενάζεις;
– Η αρρεβώνα μου ’πεσε στο γυάλινο πηγάδι
κι όποιος θα πέσει να τη βρει γυναίκα θα με πάρει.

Region: Central Greece
Area: Hydra
Categories: Fable Song (Ballad)
Rhythm: 7 beats
Dance style: Syrtos
Duration: 03:08

Collaborators

Singer: Katerina Papadopoulou
Violin: Nikos Oikonomidis
Constantinopolitan lute: Socrates Sinopoulos
Lute: Kostas Philippidis

Albums

Folk Fables in Song

We have included another variation of this fable, this one from the Peloponnesian coast, opposite the island of Hydra. Its verses have evolved to better reveal the song’s mythic structure. The title may well be a corruption or mishearing of the Greek for ‘Saint John’s well’, which makes sense seeing as Saint John is closely related to both water and sacrificed men.

Have you heard what happened down at Saint John’s well?
A wild beast has appeared and is devouring all the brave men;
it’s eaten all the young men and all the men with courage.
Only the widow’s son remains, and him he’ll soon devour.
It’s donned women’s clothes and women’s slippers, too.
It goes to church in women’s clothes to pray there,
and as a woman takes the Sacrament from the priest’s hand
and as a woman came out and sat at Saint John’s well,
let down its long blond hair and sat there welling tears.
The young man was moved, stopped and asked:
– What ails you, maid, why do you weep and sigh?
– My engagement ring has fallen into Saint John’s well,
and whosoever dives in and fetches it shall have me for his wife.
– Maid, don’t be sad, don’t shed heavy tears,
I shall go find it and bring it back to you.
And going down to search for it the young man
found the snakes entwined and the adders knotted.
– Pull me up, maid, pull me up from Hades with that chain.
– I am no beauty, I am no maid, I am the spirit that devours brave men.
You have entered this well, but will not ever leave it.