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Arta’s Βridge
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Lyrics
A team of forty stonemasons and sixty prentice workers
were putting up a bridge across the river close by Arta.
The whole day long they built the bridge, at night it was dismantled.
A bird, a kindly bird, chirped up and counselled them as follows:
Why, you must place a human corpse beneath the bridge of Arta,
and then the bridge will be secure to span the river.
Original Lyrics
Της Άρτας το γεφύρι
Σαράντα πέντε μάστοροι
Σαράντα πέντε μάστοροι κι εξήντα μαθητάδες,
γιοφύρι εστεριώνανε στης Άρτας το ποτάμι,
ολημερίς εχτίζανε το βράδυ γκρεμιζόταν.
Πουλάκι πήγε κι έκατσε δεξιά από την καμάρα
δεν κελαηδούσε σαν πουλί, ανθρώπινα μιλούσε.
Αν δε στοιχειώσετ' άνθρωπο γιοφύρι δε στεριώνει.
Information
- Region: Sporades
- Area: Skiathos
- Categories: Ritual Song, Fable Song (Ballad)
- Rhythm: 4 beats
- Dance style: Local dance
- Duration: 02:52
Collaborators
- Singer: Yiorgos Bagiokis
- Choir: Children's Choir of the mixed High School 'Estia Neas Smyrnis'
- Violin: Stefanos Vartanis
- Daouli (davul): Mathios Balabanis
Albums
Recording information
Studio recording, 1980.
Watch a different version of the song by locals of Skiathos