Ο σταυραετός κι η πέρδικα

Listen

An eagle swooping over and over the mastic bushes
singing sad songs to the partridge
scratching in the earth below,
sorrowfully called,
– Awaken, russet partridge, my sweet companion.
I’m on my way to the honey-flowers
so you can hear my voice.
– I’m awake. I can hear you singing for me,
I recognize your call and know you well.
But I’ll stay covered here on my branch,
for you are traitorous, an impostor bird.
All you want is to catch me.

Translated by Michael Eleftheriou

Ο σταυραετός κι η πέρδικα

Σταυραετός συχνοπερνά ’πού τα σκινομματούρια1
π’ αποσκαλίτζ’ η πέρδικα και χωματοκυλιέται
λυπητερά τής τραουεί και θλιερά σφυρίζει.
– Ξύπνησε, ρουσιοπέρδικα και γλυκοσυνογιά μου
κι απού τα σύναθά2 ’ρκομαι ν’ ακούσεις τη λαλιά μου.
– Ξυπνή ’μια γιω κι ακούω σου που κηλαείς για μένα
και τη λαλιά σ’ απογροικώ και σε γνωρίζω κιόλα
μα ’ε ξωσύρνω του κλαδιού γιατ’ είσαι τραϊτόρος3
γιατ’ είσαι κομποπίουλος4 και θε να με αρπάξεις.

1σκινοματούρια: είδος θάμνου
2σύναθα: άνθη μελιτοφόρα του βουνού από τα οποία παίρνουν νέκταρ οι μέλισσες
3τραϊτόρος: προδότης
4κομποπίουλος: κοντός

Information

Collaborators

Albums

Recording information

Studio recording, 2004.

Member Comments

0 Comments

Post a comment


up to 2000
Login to post a comment

See also

d24_badge
Song
The Apple Trees Complaint
In Konstantinos’ gardens a brook welled up, because of which I planted an orchard with apples and quinces, with laurels and...
d23_badge
Song
A Sailor-Lads A-Dying
I heard the shouting and the cries, they filled the Cyprus straits. I thought they must be slaughtering bulls or taming some...
d24_badge
Song
All the Birds, Two by Two
All the birds, amàn amàn, the birds nest two by two, all the birds two by two, the swallow with his mate. The lonesome ni...
d24_badge
Song
Forty Five Lemon Trees
Forty five lemon trees. Forty five lemon trees rooted in the sand, their leaves grow green, their lemons juicy. Only my le...
d24_badge
Song
In a Fine Orchard
In a fine orchard, laurel and myrtle quarrel. And myrtle, amàn-amàn, myrtle says to laurel… And myrtle says to laurel, -You...
d24_badge
Song
Little Lemon Tree
Hey little lemon tree, short little lemon tree from Vissàni, heavy with fruit, I didn’t see you last night and now I’m sick...
d24_badge
Song
Little White Bird A-Sitting
There sits my little white bird, my fair white bird, sitting on a green branch. A white bird sitting on a green branch gro...
d12_badge
Song
May
May's come, May's come and spring, summer’s come when the perfumed roses bloom. I've a white rose I want to dye and if I...
d26_36_badge
Song
May Is Come
May is come and bids me reap but for his sake I shall not go and darken in the sun. May, dear May with the flowers and s...
d24_badge
Song
Up Upon the Rose
The partridge built her nest amàn amàn, high up upon the rose-bush And the startled partridge started, and the roses to th...
d24_badge
Song
Whoever Saw a Tree of Green
Whoever saw a tree of green, with eyes of black and a blond sheen and royal blue leaves to boot, eyes black, eyebrows dark...