Listen

Yannos and Marigo went to the same school.
Yannos could read and write, Marigo could sing.
They loved each other, no one knew it.
Yannos came to a decision and told his mother,
- Mother, I love Marigo and want to marry her.
- What are you saying, my crazy son! What snake has bitten you!
Marigo is your cousin, your first cousin.
Rather speak to me of your winding sheet to bury you in
than of this alliance, of his marriage.
Marigo was betrothed and Yannos died.
The wedding and the funeral processions intermingled along the way.
Of those at the wedding nobody asked a question.
Only Marigo dared to step forward and ask.
- Who is the deceased in this coffin?
- It is Yannos, the deceased, in this gilded coffin.
The fair one fainted away and soon died.
They were buried at the crossing of the wats.
The youth put forth a reed, the maid a cypress.
The reed bent over to one side and embraced the cypress.

Ο Γιάννος και η Μαριγώ

Ο Γιάννος και η Μαριγώ σ’ ένα σχολειό πηγαίναν
ο Γιάννος ξέρει γράμματα κι η Μαριγώ τραγούδια.
Τα δυο τους αγαπήθκανε κανένας δεν το ξέρει.
Ο Γιάννος τ’ αποφάσισε της μάνας του το λέει.
- Μάνα μ’ τη Μάρω αγαπώ και θέλω να την πάρω.
- Τι λες μωρέ παλιόπαιδο και φιδοφαγωμένο
η Μάρω είν’ αξαδέλφη σου πρώτη αξαδέρφισσα σου
κάλλιο να κόψω σάβανο για να σε σαβανώσω
παρά ν'ακούσω στέφανα για να'σε στεφανώσω.
Η Μάρω αρραβωνίζεται κι ο Γιάννος ξεψυχάει.
Συμπεθεριό και λείψανο στο δρόμο γίναν ένα.
Κανένας δεν ερώτησε από τους συμπεθέρους,
η Μάρω ξαντροπιάστηκε, στέκει και τους ρωτάει.
- Τίνος είναι το λείψανο με τη χρυσή την κάσα.
- Του Γιάννου είναι το λείψανο με τη χρυσή την κάσα.
Λιγοθυμάει η λυγερή και του θανάτου πέφτει.
Τα πήραν και τα θάψανε σε ένα σταυροδρόμι
Γιάννος φυτρώνει κάλαμος κι η κόρη κυπαρίσσι,
στριφογυρίζ' ο κάλαμος φιλάει το κυπαρίσσι.
- Για 'δέστε τούτ 'αντρόγενο, το πολυαγαπημένο,
που δεν φιλήθικε ζωντανό, φιλιέτ' απεθαμένο.

Information

Collaborators

Albums

Notes

A homophonic song of Northern Epirus, among the most famous in the repertory because of the unusual beauty of the words. In general only the first two or three verses are performed, but here the singers of Ktismata give us the complete version.

The love of Yannos and Marigo is one of the most beautiful examples of Epirotic folk poetry. The explanation and analysis of its nineteen verses would require several pages, so charged is every word with meaning, poetry and history. A worthy descendant of his Dorian ancestors, sobre and concise in his language, the poet narrates the story without betraying his own emotion.

Aris Fakinos (1984)

French text

Chant homophonique de l'Epire du Nord, parmi les plus célèbres de tout le répertoire, à cause de la beauté particulière de son texte. D'habitude, les musiciens n'interprètent que les deux ou trois premiers vers, mais les chanteurs de Ktismata nous donnent ici la version complète.

L' amour de Yannos et de Marigo est un bel exemple de poésie populaire épirote. Dix-neuf vers dont l' explication et l' analyse demanderaient plusieurs pages, tant chaque mot est chargé de sens, de poésie et d'histoire. En digne descendant de ses ancêtres doriens, sobres et concis dans leur langage, le poète raconte sans trahir son émotion.

Aris Fakinos (1984)

Characteristic dance from the Pogoni province of Epirus.

 

Recording information

Studio recording, 1984.

Member Comments

0 Comments

Post a comment


up to 2000
Login to post a comment

See also

d27_badge
Song
Giannos and Vangelio
Giannos and Vangelio went to the same school, Giannos to learn to read and write, Vangelio to sing. Giannos fell in love an...
d27_badge
Song
I Passed by and Bade Good Day
I passed by and bid four black eyes good day, four lips, dear Daphne, four red lips. Four red lips and two lithe, slender f...
d20_badge
Song
My Son, Why Dont You Go and Wash?
Necrolatric Dance of Easter – My son, why don’t you go and wash, why don’t you change your clothing? Today, my child, is Easter Day, you’ll go and take ...
d27_badge
Song
The Dead Brother
What a mother, vai aman aman, what a fine mother, what a mother, ela giareni mou ela, what a fine mother is she with, vai a...
d27_badge
Song
A Trader Made His Way
A trader made his way from Bulgar lands. He led his trains of twelve and fifteen mules and sang and spoke the while he trek...
d27_badge
Song
Dawn Glowed in the East
The sun rose in the East and day broke in the West, the young man led his black mount to water. All along the way, he calle...
d32_badge--3
Song
Kostantis and Kostantas
The Death of Digenis Oh, Kostantis, oh, Kostantas, oh, young Kostantinos, for three long years wandered looking for a good wife to wed, [to find...
d36_badge
Song
My Emigrated Bird
My love-bird far away from home, my love who's broken-hearted,                                                              ...
d05_badge
Song
The Lady Turtle-Dove
There in the sky that you fly, my lady turtle-dove, when from these hights you're looking down, did you by chance see my lo...
d27_badge
Song
The Song of Saint George
A monster plagues our land curled up in a deep well. We feed it poor townsfolk every morn and every night, but when a day g...
d24_badge
Song
You, My Little Roses
You, my little roses you my little roses and you my herbs, my tormentors… ’Twas you lulled me to sleep when my love upped...