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Whoever Saw a Tree of Green

Ποιος είδε πράσινο δεντρί
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Lyrics
Whoever saw a tree of green,
with eyes of black and a blond sheen
and royal blue leaves to boot,
eyes black, eyebrows dark as soot?
In the treetops all is golden,
young girls yonder eyes all swollen
down at its roots the coolest spring,
who will drink or clay pot bring?
And when I knelt to drink my fill,
I saw the eyes I love quite still.
And now I’ve come to drink ‘tis bliss,
on those black eyes to plant a kiss.
My kerchief to the ground did fall,
my lip did tremble, quite appalled.
The gold-embroidered one so pretty,
good as new, oh what a pity!
The one three maids embroidered me,
fresh as cherries straight off the tree,
singing as they worked, fine refrains;
the one from Galatà had lots of brains,
from Nichόri came the second girl,
Hadjiyannakis’ eldest pearl.
The third of the maids and youngest,
was also by far the fairest;
from Pàros she hailed and fine,
by the Virgin, I’ll make her mine!
Translated by Michael Eleftheriou
Original Lyrics
Ποιος είδε πράσινο δεντρί
Ποιος είδε πράσινο δεντρί, μαυροματούσα και ξανθή
να ’χει και- να ’χει και γεράνια φύλλα1
μαύρα μά- μαύρα μάτια, μαύρα φρύδια.
Και στην κορφή μαλάματα, κορίτσια με τα κλάματα
και στη ρίζα κρύα βρύση, ποιος να πιει και να γεμίσει.
Κει πόσκυψα να πιω νερό, βλέπω τα μάτια π’ αγαπώ
να πιω και να γεμίσω, μαύρα μάτια να φιλήσω.
Μου ’πεσε το μαντίλι μου, καημό πόχει τ’ αχείλι μου
το χρυσοκεντησμένο, μια χαρά ήταν το καημένο.
Όπου μου το κεντούσανε και μου το τραγουδούσανε
τρία πάρθενα κοράσια, σαν του Μάη τα κεράσια.
Η μια ήταν απ’ το Γαλατά, βαστάει το νου της δυνατά
και η άλλη απ’ το Νιχώρι, του Χατζηγιαννάκη η κόρη.
Η τρίτη, η μικρότερη, απ’ όλες εμορφότερη
ήτανε από την Πάρο, Παναγιά μου, να την πάρω.
1γεράνια φύλλα: φύλλα σε χρώμα βαθυγάλαζο
Information
- Region: Sporades
- Area: Skiathos
- Categories: Love Song
- Rhythm: 2 beats
- Dance style: Local dance
- Duration: 03:47
Collaborators
- Singer: Domna Samiou
- Choir: Domna Samiou Greek Folk Music Association Choir
- Violin: Nikos Oikonomidis
- Small tambouras: Evgenios Voulgaris
- Lute: Kostas Papaprokopiou
- Informant (source of the song): Yannis Parisis
Albums
Notes
Local dance, danced during the Carnival period called “apokriatikos”.
Recording information
Studio recording, 2005.
Domna Samiou taped the song in Skiathos, sung by Yannis and Syraino Parisis, in 1975.
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