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You are at: Home page Her Work List of Songs The Widow's Son

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The Widow's Son
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The Song of Porfyris

Χήρα παιδίν εγέννησεν

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Lyrics

A widow gives birth to a son, he is called Porphylis.
In prison she bore him, in prison she raises him.
At one year of age he wields she sword, at two the lance,
At three and four he mounts on horseback,
He mounts on horseback and travels the roads.
On hearing of it the king takes offence:
– Let all my kinsmen, near and far, assemble.
Whoever lives off my bounty must march against Porphylis.
On hearing this Porphylis, become a shepherd, leaves
To graze his flock which he leads along the road.
On arriving at Arateri his animals are like the stars,
                                          like the leaves on the trees.
But if one can count the stars and number the leaves,
These animals cannot be counted, they are innumerable.
– Holla! Shepherd, have you seen Porphylis hereabouts?
– There are many Porphylis here. Which one do you seek?
– The son of that widow, the son of the desert.
– I am the son of the widow, the son of the desert.

Translated by Derek Yeld

Original Lyrics

Χήρα-ν παιδίν εγέννησε

Του Πορφύρη

Xήραν παιδίν εγέννησε και λεν τονε Πορφύλη.
Στα σίδερα το γέννησεν, στη φυλακή το θρέβει,
χρονιάρης πιάνει το σπαθί στα δύο το κοντάρι,
στα τρία και στα τέσσερα, πηνεύ’1 καβαλικεύει.
Πήνευσε, καβαλίκευσε, ’κατό δρόμους πηγαίνει
κι ως τ’ άκουσε κι ο βασιλιός πολύ τον εβαριώθη.
– Ας σωρευτεί τ' αλλάγι2 μου κι όλο προαλλαγιά μου
όποιος τρώει το (γ)έμα μου3 στον Πορφυλή να πάει.
Ως τ’ άκουσε κι ο Πορφυλής αρνιοβοσκός και βγήκε.
Bόσκει τα παραβόσκει τα, ’κατό δρόμους τα βγάζει.
Φανήκανε Σαρακηνοί σαν τ’ άστρα, σαν τα φύλλα.
Τ’ άστρα έχουνε μέτρωση, τα φύλλα έχουν ψήφους4
ετούτα μέτρος δεν έχουν και ψήφους κι εν ψηφιένται.
– Nα μη σε πούμε αρνιοβοσκός, εδώ Πορφύλην είδετ';
– Eδώ Πορφύλ' πολλά είναι, το ποιό Πορφύλ' γυρεύετ’;
– Eκειό της χήρας τον υγιό, της ερημιάς το ’γγόνι.
– Xήρας υγιός εγώ είμαι, της ερημιάς το ’γγόνι.


1πηνεύ': πηδάει
2αλλάγι: σωματοφυλακή
3όποιος τρώει το (γ)έμα μου: όποιος μοιράζεται το τραπέζι μου
4ψήφους: μέτρημα

Information

  • Region: Cappadocia / Konya
  • Area: Anakou
  • Categories: Acritic Song
  • Rhythm: 4 beats
  • Duration: 05:22

Collaborators

  • Singer: Dimitris Theophanidis

Albums

  • Akritic Songs

Notes

The story of the widow's son probably refers to that of Constantine Doukas, a superior officer in the Imperial army who was killed in 913 after having taken part in the palace intrigues to overthrow the Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus. The melodic line of this song which is undoubtedly one of the oldest in the Acritic cycle, bears the stamp of the region of its origin, Cappadocia, whose traditional songs recall Byzantine sacred music. The impression of listening to a sacred song is accentuated by the fact that the singer, Dimitris Theophanidis, who comes from Cappadocia, uses a vocal technique similar to that of the precentors. Aris Fakinos (1982)

Recording information

Studio recording,1982.

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See also

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A Nun With Child
The Song of Porphyris A nun swelled up with child and bore a manly boy. Within a month he was carrying a sword, within a year a musket and at thr...
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A Widow Bore a Child
The Song of Porfyris
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A Widow Bore a Child
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By Command of the King
The Song of Porphyris The king commanded every fair maid and every brave lad in every vilayet to gather before him. And when the fair maids and ...
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