The Evil Mother-In-Law

Ο Κωσταντάκης ο μικρός

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Young Kostantakis married young,
he married young and took a young wife,
and he was young, too, when he was called up to war.
- Mother, care for my wife, take care of my precious,
may she have rabbit for lunch and partridge for dinner.
He was barely two leagues out of port
when she herded up five sheep and four dogs
and sent his love to pasture them high on the mountain.
- Don't come down to the plains and the rich pasture,
if you don't turn them into a hundred.
If you don't turn them into a thousand,
don't go and water them to the Jordan river.
[In a year, she had a hundred,
in two her flock was a thousand strong,
and she led them down to the plains and the rich pasture,
and she took them to water in the river Jordan.
And Kostantis returned astride his steed.
- Good day, fair maid. - Welcome, brave lad.
- To whom do the sheep with the silver bells belong?
- The sheep with the silver bells belong to Kostantis.]         

Translated by Michael Eleftheriou

Ο Κωσταντάκης ο μικρός

Της κακής πεθεράς

Ο Κω- καλέ-ν ο Κωσταντάκης ο μικρός,
ο Κωσταντάκης ο μικρός, ο μικροπαντρεμένος,
μικρός, καλέ, μικρός μικρός παντρεύτηκε,
μικρός μικρός παντρεύτηκε, μικρή γυναίκα πήρε,

μικρός του 'ρθε το μήνυμα να πάει στρατιώτης.
- Μάνα μου τη γυναίκα μου, μάνα μου την καλή μου,
λαγός να 'ναι το γιόμα της, περδίκια το βραδί της.
Ακόμα δεν εμίσεψε δυο μίλια απ' το λιμάνι,
της παίρνει πέντε πρόβατα και τέσσερα σκυλάκια
και στο βουνό την έστειλε να πα να τα βοσκήσει.
- Σα δεν τα κάνεις εκατό, σα δεν τα κάνεις χίλια,
στον κάμπο να μην κατεβείς να τα καλοβοσκήσεις,
στον Εορδάνη ποταμό να πα να τα ποτίσεις.
[Στο χρόνο τα 'καν' εκατό, στα δύο χρόνια χίλια,
στον κάμπο τα κατέβασε και τα καλοβοσκούσε,
στον Εορδάνη ποταμό να πα να τα ποτίσει.
Κι ο Κωσταντής ξαγνάντισε στο άλογο καβάλα.
- Ώρα καλή σου λυγερή. - Καλώς το παλικάρι.
- Και τίνος είν' τα πρόβατα τ' αργυροκουδουνάτα;
- Του Κωσταντή 'ν' τα πρόβατα τ' αργυροκουδουνάτα.]

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Notes

An other version of the song ‘The evil mother-in-law’. The admirable Kostantinos, married and conscripted at a young age, leaves his young wife behind in the care of his mother, instructing her to take good care of his bride. However, for reasons that remain unclear, his mother transforms her into a man, banishes her from the family home and treats her cruelly. When Kostantinos returns, he kills his mother before returning his wife to her rightful place Miranda Terzopoulou (2017)

Recording information

Studio recording, 2004.

Domna Samiou taped the song in Skiathos sung by Eleni Athanasiou, aged 68, in 1975.

Young Kostantakis (1975)
Eleni Athanasiou. Recorded in Skiathos © Domna Samiou Archive

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