Τρι άρχοντες καθόντανε

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Three lords were enjoying a fine dinner
one boasting of his money, another of his wardrobe
and Mavrozis boasting of his wife’s beauty
then boasting some more:
– My beloved’s lips are precious,
her eyes alone are worth two thousand,
and with her slender frame I could buy Constantinople itself.
– One moment, master Mavrozis, pray reign in your boasting:
your beloved is loving to your face, but less so behind your back.
And they imposed on him an unjust tax to steal his wife away.
He sold his fine homes and marble-paved courtyards,
he sold his orchards, the trees bowed down with fruit.
He sold and sold some more,
but half the fine remained unpaid.
– Now I have nothing but my beautiful wife,
and he took her by the hand and led her to market.
Along the way a young janissary appeared, and shouted out
– Hey, you who’s not yet sold, what is your price?
He handed his purse over, uncounted, without a second thought.
Her husband clutched it tight, weeping, rooted to the spot,
turned for one last look at the beauty that had once been his.
[– Janissary, leave her be, be warned on all these counts:
Don’t kiss her for she’s shy. Don’t pinch her for she’s timid.
Don’t squeeze her fingers, they’re slender and could break.
When they kissed, the sun hid its face,
when she was pinched, the stars bled.
– Come here, blond maid, let’s talk a while.
Tell me, what blood have you flowing in your veins?
– My mother had red hair, my father was a builder,
I had a brother, too, Loukas the ship-master.
He questioned her more, and who should she be but his sister.
– If I kissed you, ’twas just a brother and a sister playing.
If I pinched you, ’twas a sin but so be it.]

Translated by Michael Eleftheriou

Τρι άρχοντες καθόντανε

Τρι άρχοντες καθόντανε σ’ ένα καλό τραπέζι,
ο εις καυχιούνταν τ’ άσπρα του κι άλλος τη φορεσιά του
κι ο Μαυροζής καυχιούντανε, καυχιούνταν την καλήν του.
– Καλή μ’ τα χείλια τ’ς ξάζιεστα1, τα μάτια τ’ς δυο χιλιάδες,
και το λιγνό της το κορμί την Πόλη αγοράζει.
– Στάσου, στάσου κυρ Μαυροζή, στάσου και μην καυχιέσαι,
καλή σου εμπροστά εν2 καλή και πίσω σε χαλάει.
Έν’ άδικο τον έριξαν να πάρουν την καλή του.
Πουλεί τα σπίτια τα ’μορφα, τ’ς αυλές μαρμαρωμένες,
πουλεί και τα περβόλια του, τα μήλα φορτωμένα.
Επούλησεν, επούλησεν και τα μισά δε σώσαν.
– Άλλο τίποτα δεν έχω, μόν’ έχω την καλή μου.
Απ’ το χέρι την έπιασε και στο παζάρ’ τη βγάζει.
Φάνηκ’ ένας γενίτσαρος, μικρός γενιτσαράκος,
λάλει, λάλει – Απούλητε3 και τι ’ναι η τιμή της;
Αμέτρητα τα έβγαλε κι αψήφητα τα ’δώκεν.
Τα γιόμισε στον κόρφο του, κλαίει και παραμένει4,
γυρνά τρανάει πίσω του για να δει την καλή του.
[– Άφ’ς τα, άφ’ς τα γενίτσαρε, ’ς τα να σε παραγγείλω,
μην τη φιλάς, εντρέπεται, μην την τσιμπάς, φοβάται,
μη σφίγγεις τα δαχτύλια της, λυγάντε και διπλούντε5.
Εκείνοι όταν φιλιούντανε, ο ήλιος εκρυβούνταν,
εκείνη όταν την τσίμπουντε, τα άστρα αματώνουν.
– Έλα και ’σύ ξανθή κόρη, έλα να ρωτηθούμε.
Πες μου εσύ ακορασιά, από τι γένος είσαι;
– Ήταν η μάνα μ’ χλέπαρη6 κι ο κύρης μου τουλγγέρης7
είχα και έναν αδερφό, Λουκάς καραβοκύρης.
Κάθισε και τη ρώτησε και βγήκεν αδερφή του.
– Εγώ αν σε εφίλησα, πάντα τ’ αδέρφια παίζουν,
και ’γώ αν σε ετσίμπησα, ας είναι η αμαρτία.]

1ξάζιεστα: από το ξάξει: αξίζει
2εν: είναι
3απούλητε: εσύ που δεν έχεις ακόμα ξεπουλήσει
4παραμένει: κοντοστέκεται
5λυγνάντε και διπλούντε: λυγίζουν και διπλώνουν
6χλέπαρη: ροδοκόκκινη, από το ομώνυμο δέντρο
7τουλγγέρης:  ξυλουργός (από το τουρκικό dülger)

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Notes

A Cappadocian variation of the so-called Short Man song (see songs A little shorty (Meli, Erythrae, Asia Minor) and A little shorty (Skiathos)). The first lines (Mavroudis boasting about his beautiful wife, a drinking companion revealing her infidelity – though this ends with the husband rushing home, seeing it is true and killing her) are from the song of the Unfaithful wife. However, it would seem to have been a customary combination (see Songs of Cappadocia, a CD issued by the Centre for Asia Minor Studies). Miranda Terzopoulou (2008)

Recording information

Studio recording, 2004.

Domna Samiou taped the song in Haidari, Attiki, sung by Eleni Stratoudakis and Vasiliki Pepe, in 1982.

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