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You are at: Home page Her Work List of Songs A Maid Would Have Her Way

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A Maid Would Have Her Way
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Κουράσιν εβουλήθηκε

Listen

Lyrics

A maid would go
would go a-strolling
and then go back again.

She called her neighbours together
yes, by Saint George
and the young girls, too.

And she went down to the shore
save me, Saint George, save me
they went down to the sea.

They saw ships a-coming
ships under sail
and fear darkened their thoughts.

They’re lowering their boats,
yes, by Saint George
their boats are heading for the shore.

They’re loaded with barrels
barrels to fill with water
and then take back again.

They’ve set their barrels aside
and fallen on the girls
as tempting as cherries in May.

And one fair maid
is heading for Saint George
– Save me, Saint George, save me!

– Hide me, Saint George,
hide me amidst your marble
hide me in your home.

– I’ll gild you all in gold
and make you gifts of silver,
save me, Saint George, save me!

– I’ll light you candles and
make you lamps as bright as stars
Saint George, save me!

And the marble opened up
and the girl did hide
who was like a cherry in May.

Translated by Michael Eleftheriou

Original Lyrics

Κουράσιν εβουλήθηκε

Κουράσιν ε- κουράσιν εβουλήθηκε
να πα, να πα να σεργιανίσει
κι οξωπί- κι οξωπίσω να γυρίσει.

Μαζεύει τις, μαζεύει τις γειτόνισσες,
ναι μα, ναι μα τον Άι-Γιώργη,
βάι και τις, βάι και τις γειτονοπούλες

και στο γιαλό, και στο γιαλό κατέβηκε,
σώσ’ Άι, σώσ’ Άι μι Γιώργη μ’ σώσε,
βάι κάτου, βάι κάτου στο περιγιάλι.

Βλέπουν καρά- βλέπουν καράβια κι έρχονται
βάι καρά- βάι καράβια κι αρμενίζουν
και το νου, και το νου τους δαιμονίζουν.

Ρίχνουν τις βά- ρίχνουν τις βάρκες στο γιαλό,
ναι μα, ναι μα τον Άι-Γιώργη,
βάρκες, βάρκες στο περιγιάλι,

βάλαν τα, βάλαν τα βαρελάκια τους
νερό, νερό να τα γεμίσουν
κι οξωπί- κι οξωπίσω να γυρίσουν.

Αφήσαν τα, αφήσαν τα βαρέλια τους,
βάι και πέ- βάι και πέσαν στα κοράσια,
σαν του Μάη, σαν του Μάη τα κεράσια.

Κι ένα κορά- κι ένα κοράσι όμορφο
στον α- στον Άι-Γιώργη τρέχει.
– Σώσ’ Άι, σώσ’ Άι μι Γιώργη μ’ σώσε.

Άι μι Γιώ- Άι μι Γιώργη μ’ κρύψε με,
βάι μέσα, βάι μέσα στα μάρμαρά σου
και στα σπί- και στα σπίτια τα δικά σου,

να σε πατώ- να σε πατώσω μάλαμα,
βάι να σ’ α- βάι να σ’ ασημώσω ασήμι,
σώσ’ Άι, σώσ’ Άι μι Γιώργη μ’ σώσε,

να φκιάξω τα, να φκιάξω τα καντήλια σου
όλα, όλα με το γιλντίζι1,
σώσ’ Άι, σώσ’ Άι μι Γιώργη μ’ σώσε.

Κι ανοίξανε, κι ανοίξανε τα μάρμαρα,
βάι κι εκρύ- βάι κι εκρύβη το κοράσι
σαν του Μά- σαν του Μάη το κεράσι.


1με το γιλντίζι: αστραφτερά (από το τουρκικό yildiz, άστρο)

Information

  • Region: Propontis
  • Area: Peramos
  • Categories: Fable Song (Ballad)
  • Rhythm: 4 beats
  • Duration: 06:56

Collaborators

  • Singer: Domna Samiou
  • Flute: Alexandros Arkadopoulos
  • Constantinopolitan lyra: Socrates Sinopoulos
  • Kanun: Panos Dimitrakopoulos
  • Oud: Kyriakos Tapakis
  • Goblet drum: Vangelis Karipis
  • Spoons: Vangelis Karipis
  • Informant (source of the song): Eleni Tsakiri

Albums

  • Folk Fables in Song

Notes

This song from the coast of Asia Minor is an amalgam of motifs from two songs whose plots usually differ. The first part is from the sung legend of the girls who go down to the shore to play, to launder or to stroll, running the risk of being taken by pirates. The motif in the second part, when one maid runs away, is borrowed from the song of the brave girl who fights alongside the men and who, when her true gender is revealed and her companions at arms set off in her pursuit, seeks refuge in the church of Saint George, vowing offerings to him in exchange for her safety. The artful joining of the two underscores the flexibility, imagination and mental nimbleness of the folk singers who never ceased to combine the enormous folk repertoire anew to create new songs. Miranda Terzopoulou (2008)

Recording information

Studio recording, 2006.

Eleni Tsakiri taped the song in Nea Peramos, Kavala, in 1983.

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