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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.

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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.

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