Song of fishermen

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Our boat is rigged, élessa-yialéssa,
and goes to cast nets, elessa-yialessa.

Élli, yiamóli, yiássa, íssa, hó!
Vré háide, vré hoúide, tsalapalatsíngo!

We cast our nets at Kerassia*, élessa-yialéssa,
and drew three thousand, élessa-yialéssa.

We took them to Marmara, élessa-yialéssa,
and we made money, élessa-yialéssa.

*village on the Thracian coast, opposite the island of Marmara

Translated by Mania Seferiades

Σελίμ

Αρμάτωσε η σαντάλα μας

Aρμάτωσ’ η σαντάλα1 μας, έλεσα για λέσα
και πάει να βολάξει,2 έλεσα για λέσα

έλι γιαμόλι γιάσα
ίσα χωωω
Bρε χάιντε, βρε χούϊντε, τσαλαπαλατσίνκο3
Bρε χάιντε, βρε χούϊντε, τσαλαπαλατσίνκο.

Στην Κερασιά4 βολάξαμε, έλεσα για λέσα
βγάλαμε κολιαρούδια, έλεσα για λέσα.

Στην Κερασιά βολάξαμε, έλεσα για λέσα
βγάλαμε τρεις χιλιάδες, έλεσα για λέσα.

Τα πήγαμε στο Mαρμαρά, έλεσα για λέσα
και πιάσαμε παράδες, έλεσα για λέσα.

1 σαντάλα: μεγάλο ψαράδικο σκαρί της Προποντίδας μ’ εφτά σειρές κουπιά
2 να βολάξει: να καλάρει, να ρίξει τα δίχτυα
3 τσαλαπαλατσίνκο: επιφώνημα
4 Κερασιά: χωριό της επαρχίας Γάνου και Χώρας, στη Θρακική ακτή, απέναντι από το νησί του Mαρμαρά

Information

Collaborators

  • Choir: Men's Group from Neos Marmaras (Chalkidiki)
  • Informant (source of the song): Antonis Marmarinos

Albums

Recording information

Studio recording, 1984.

Domna Samiou collected the song in Neos Marmaras, Chalkidiki, sung by a group, in 1983.

d14_24_selim
Neos Marmaras, 1983

Domna Samiou with children making a mockup of the sandala-boat

© Domna Samiou Archive

Domna Samiou collected the song in Neos Marmaras, Chalkidiki, sung by a group, in 1983.
There, Antonis Marmarinos (born in 1912) and Nikolaos S. Lampadaridis (born in 1912), refugees from Maramara, spoke about the sandala-boat, the characteristic fishing boat of Marmara region, about the songs of "the sandala" and gave their own interpretation for the title of the song "Selim".

Selim
Members of “Propontis” Cultural Association, Neos Marmaras, Chalkidiki, 1983 © Domna Samiou Archive

 

The exclamation 'íssa, hó!'

We find this exclamation 'íssa, hó' in another song recorded by Domna Samiou in Nea Palatia, Oropos in 1977, where refugees from the Marmara islands also settled.

Elessa-Yialessa
Marioritsa Kolimati, Efrosini Velitrati, Despina Mikropoulou, Eleni Prindizi, mrs Ioakim. Nea Palatia, Attica 1977 © Domna Samiou Archive

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