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On a high mountain, on a sharp, steep rock,
an eagle was standing and he was gazing,
an eagle soaked and freezing.
He yearns to fly again -the sun to rise he is pleading.
‘Oh Sun, please rise, please shine and give me warmth
and melt the snow from my wings
and melt the ice from my claws’ the proud eagle sings.

An eagle never pity flying amidst the thunderstorm,
pity a bird that has no wings a helpless prey of every storm.

Translated by Olia Petidou

Ο αϊτός

Σε ψηλό βουνό, σε ριζιμιό χαράκι 
κάθεται αϊτός βρεμένος ο καημένος
και παρακαλεί τον ήλιο ν’ ανατείλει.
- Ήλιε, ανάτειλε, ήλιε, λάμψε και δώσε
για να λειώσουνε χιόνια ’πού τα φτερά μου 
και τα κρούσταλα απού τ’ ακρανυχά μου.

Μη τονε κλαις τον αετό όντε βροντά και βρέχει
μόνο να κλαις ένα πουλί οπού φτερό δεν έχει.

Information

Collaborators

  • Singer: Nikos Geroulakis

Albums

Notes

This is a Cretan Rizitiko song for the recording of which, Antonis Peristeris played the lyre and Nikos Gheroulakis sang the lyrics. Nikos was also from Crete and was recommended to me by Antonis. The rizitiko songs constituted one of the first kinds of traditional music I got to know back in 1941, when I first joined my teacher Simon Karras who was involved both in the thorough study of traditional music and the collection of the necessary material for the music accompaniment of his radio transmissions.

Recording information

Studio recording, 1972.

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