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Net casting a-plenty, rigging and rigging again
And Nikolis was shouting: ‘One more rope’.

The knot of the net is off to sea and who will draw it up?
And Nikolis shouting at us to come out of the hold!

Even our captain wants our harm.
Nets in the morning, nets at night, also at noon,
And midnight too, and also at the break of day...

The little fishing boat is coming, bringing the loaves.
If they be hot and soft we’ll laugh...

I have sailor boys, all useless, they only eat the bread.
I have a hunchback for a cook, a boatswain without a face...

Translated by Mania Seferiades

Γιω Μαργιώ

Εεεε γιω γιω, γιω Mαργιώ
ε γιω γιω, γιω Μαργιώ
ε γιω γιω γιω, γιω Μαργιώ
καλάδες1 ά-, γιω Μαργιώ
-γιος ο Θεός, γιω Μαργιώ
ντόνα2 και ξα- γιω Μαργιώ
-ναντόνα, γιω Μαργιώ
κι ο Nικολής εφώναζε, γιω Μαργιώ
ένα σκοινί ακόμα, γιω Μαργιώ.

H μάτσα3 πάει στο γιαλό και ποιος θα μας καλάρει4 
κι ο Nικολής μας φώναζε να βγούμ’ από τ’ αμπάρι.

Ως κι ο καραβοκύρης μας κι αυτός κακό μας θέλει,
θέλει πρωί, θέλει βραδί, θέλει και μεσημέρι,
θέλει και τα μεσάνυχτα, θέλει και χαρομέρι.5

Η ψαροπούλα έρχεται και φέρνει τα καρβέλια,
αν είν’ ζεστά και μαλακά, θα μπήξομε τα γέλια.

Βρε έχω μούτσοι δεν οφελούνε,
βρε μόνο τα ψωμιά χαλούνε,
βρε έχω χανατζή6 καμπούρη
και πλωριό7 με δίχως μούρη.

1καλάδα: ρίξιμο διχτυών
2ντόνα: ετοιμασία καϊκιού για ψάρεμα
3μάτσα: η άκρη του διχτυού που δένουν το σκοινί
4καλάρω: τραβώ τα δίχτυα
5χαρομέρι: χαράματα
6χανατζής: μάγειρας
7πλωριός: λοστρόμος

Information

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Notes

A song that helps fishermen pulling in their nets to keep time with one another.

See also Yio Mario.

Recording information

Studio recording, 1991.

Domna Samiou collected the song in Skiathos in 1976, sung by the 80 years old captain Nikolas Lambrinoudakis, a refugee from Cesme (Çeşme), Asia Minor, born in 1896.

Yio Mario
Discussion with captain Nikolas Lambrinoudakis. Skiathos 1976. © Domna Samiou Archive

Yio Mario
Captain Nikolas Lambrinoudakis. Skiathos 1976 © Domna Samiou Archive

In the same tape, there is also another version of the song sung by Paraschos Manikas (48 years old) and a group of men.

Yio Mario
Paraschos Manikas and a group of men. Skiathos 1976 © Domna Samiou Archive

Watch a different version of the song by Paraschos Manikas and a group of man

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