• Increase font size
  • Decrease font size
  • Ελληνικά
  • English

Καλλιτεχνικός Σύλλογος Δημοτικής Μουσικής Δόμνα Σαμίου

Menu
  • Domna Samiou
    • Domna Samiou
    • Contents
      • Domna Samiou
      • Biography
      • A Tale of a Life
      • Others on Domna
    • richmenu_01
      A tale of a life
      Homeless During the Civil War
      richmenu
      richmenu_02
      A tale of a life
      Next to Her Mentor Simon Karas
      richmenu_03
      Socrates Sinopoulos
      A Teacher-Student Relationship
  • Her Work
    • Her Work
    • Contents
      • Her Work
      • Discography
      • List of Songs
      • Concerts
      • "Musical Travelogue"
      • Press Clippings and Interviews
      • Collaborators
      • Domna Samiou Archives
      • Selections
    • richmenu_kalanta
      Musical Selections
      Christmas, New Year & Epiphany Carols
      richmenu
      richmenu_ton_akriton--3
      New release
      Epic Songs of Warriors and Heroes
      richmenu
      richmenu_nikos_papavramidis
      Collaborators
      Nikos Papavramidis
      pa623_main_nikos_stefanidis--2
      Collaborators
      Nikos Stefanidis (1890-1983)
      richmenu
  • The Association
    • The Association
    • Contents
      • The Association
      • About Us
      • Activities
      • The Association's Releases
      • Events
      • Sponsors and Donors
      • Web Links
    • association_richmenu_en_v3
      Activities
      Domna Samiou Archives
      richmenu
      association_richmenu_en_v3
      The Association
      The Board and the Members
      richmenu
  • The Choir
    • The Choir
    • The Lessons
    • The Teachers
    • Contact the Choir
  • Translator's Notes
    • Translator's Notes
    • Musical Instruments
    • Pronunciation Notes
  • Contact
Sign in Show/Hide Search Form

You are at: Home page Her Work List of Songs A Nun With Child

d32_cover--3
Listen to Spotify Listen to YouTube Music Listen toiTunes Listen toAmazon
A Nun With Child
d32_cover--3
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Send with e-mail

The Song of Porphyris

Καλογριά γκαστρώθηκε

Listen

Lyrics

A nun swelled up with child and bore a manly boy.
Within a month he was carrying a sword, within a year a musket
and at three or four he set off to war.
His mother told him, she advised him thus:
- Kostantis, do as the other lads do
so the king never hears and sends for you.
- Mother, I can catch the king like I do a donkey.
When the king heard that, he was far from pleased,
he mustered his army, all the brave young lads,
had then line up in ranks and asked them one by one.
- Who is worthy and strong enough to capture Kostantis?
Not one of them spoke out, not one in the whole army
until a little shepherd boy stepped forward and said:
- I'm a match for Kostantis. I'm strong enough to best him.
But I'll need a thousand up ahead of me, a thousand more behind,
a thousand to the right of me, and a thousand to my left.
So they gave him a thousand up ahead of him, a thousand more behind,
a thousand to the right of him, and a thousand to his left.
As they marched along the way, they all praised God,
they all praised the Lord and crossed themselves.
- Lord, please let us find Kostantis sick in bed,
may he have sent his musket to be mended,
may his sword be dismantled in pieces
and his dog tied up on a chain.
[And they went and found him as they'd begged.
They found Kostantis on his sick bed,
with his sword dismantled in pieces
and his musket at the smith's for mending.
- A good day to you, Kostantis. - And to you, brave lads.
Mother, fetch me bread and food for the boys.
- We haven't come for food, to eat and to drink,
the king sent us to fetch you back in chains.
- By all means, boys, take me back in chains
and bind my arms with a cord of seven strands,
and sew my eyelids closed with silken thread,
but don't take me through the narrow places, don't take me to the city,
for I've enemies who would acclaim me, friends who would pity me.
- Kostis, we will take you to the city for your cheek.
There, as they led him through a narrow alleyway
the maid he loved came out and says:
- For pity's sake, Kostis so brave and manly,
I never thought I'd see them leading you in chains.
Kostantis grew angry and raised his arms, the cord snapped and fell to pieces,
opened his eyes and the silken thread dissolved.
He drew a golden sword from a silver scabbard,
swung it once and cut a thousand men,
swung it twice and thrice and cut three thousand more.
And he left the little shepherd boy to tell the tale,
to go tell the king the news.
- If he's any more lambs and goats, let him send them to me,
I've strength enough to slaughter them for him.]

Translated by Michael Eleftheriou

Original Lyrics

Καλογριά γκαστρώθηκε

Του Πορφύρη

Καλογριά γκαστρώθηκε, κάνει παιδί αντρειωμένο,
στο μήνα βγαίνει με σπαθί, στο χρόνο με ντουφέκι,
σε τρίω, τέσσερω μηνώ στον πόλεμο παγαίνει.
Η μάνα το συμβούλευε κι η μάνα του τού λέγει.
- Κάνε καλά, βρε Κωσταντή, σαν τ' άλλα παλικάρια,
να μην το μάθ' ο βασιλιάς και στείλει και σε πάρει.
- Μάνα μ', εγώ το βασιλιά σα γάιδαρο τον πιάνω.
Ο βασιλιάς σαν τ' άκουσε πολύ του κακοφάνη.
Το στράτευμά του σύναξε, όλα τα παλικάρια,
και στη γραμμή τους έβαλε όλους αράδα αράδα
κι απ' έναν έναν τα ρωτάει κι απ' ένανε τους λέγει.
- Ποιος είναι αξός1 και δυνατός τον Κωσταντή να πιάσει;
Κανένας δεν του μίλησε απ' όλο του τ' ασκέρι,
ένα μικρό Βλαχόπουλο βγήκεν ανταπαντάει.
- Εγώ είμαι αξός και δυνατός τον Κωσταντή να πιάσω,
μόν' θέλω χίλιους εμπροστά και χίλιους από πίσω,
χίλιους από τη μια μεριά, χίλιους από την άλλη.
Του δίνουν χίλιους εμπροστά και χίλιους από πίσω,
χίλιους από τη μια μεριά, χίλιους από την άλλη.
Στο δρόμο που παγαίνανε το Θεό δοξάζαν όλοι,
όλοι το Θεό δοξάζανε και το σταυρό τους κάνουν.
- Θε μου, να βρούμε τον Κωστή στο στρώμα ν' αρρωσταίνει,
να 'χει και το ντουφέκι του στο μάστορα παεμένο,
να 'χει και το σπαθάκι του κομμάτια καμωμένο,
να 'χει και το σκυλάκι του στον άλυσο δεμένο.
[Πήγανε και τον βρήκανε καθώς περικαλάνε
και βρίσκουνε τον Κωσταντή στο στρώμα ν' αρρωσταίνει,
είχε και το σπαθάκι του κομμάτια καμωμένο,
είχε και το ντουφέκι του στο μάστορα παεμένο.
- Ώρα καλή σου, Κωσταντή. - Καλώς τα παλικάρια.
Βάλε μάνα μ' ψωμί, φαΐ να φαν τα παλικάρια.
- Εμείς δεν ήρθαμ' για φαΐ να φάμε και να πιούμε,
ο βασιλιάς μας έστειλε δεμένο να σε πάμε.
- Μετά χαράς σας, βρε παιδιά, δεμένο να με πάτε,
και δέσετε τα χέρια μου μ' εφτάδιπλο σιτζίμι2,
να ράψετε τα μάτια μου με δυο λογιού μπιρσίμι3,
να μη με πάτε απ' τα στενά, απ' τη μεγάλη χώρα,
γιατ' έχω εχτρούς και με παινούν, φίλους και με λυπούνται.
- Για το πείσμα σου Κωστή στη χώρα θα σε πάμε.
Εκεί που τον περνούσανε σ' ένα στενό σοκάκι,
βγήκε και τον ανταπαντά η κόρη που αγάπα.
- Ρε μούντζες, στρούντζες, ρε Κωστή, με την παλικαριά σου
δεν το 'λπιζα, δεν το 'λεγα δεμένο να σε πάνε.
Ο Κωσταντής εθύμωσε και τράνταξε τα χέρια
και το σιτζίμι έσπασε και γίνηκε κομμάτια,
ετράνταξε τα μάτια του και λιώνει το μπιρσίμι.
Χρυσό σπαθάκι τράβηξε απ' αργυρό θηκάρι,
έρχεται βόλτα μια φορά και κόβει χίλιους άντρες,
έρχεται δυο και τρεις φορές και κόβει τρεις χιλιάδες.
Κι ένα μικρό Βλαχόπουλο τ' αφήνει για σημάδι
να πα να πει του βασιλιά, να δώσει το χαμπέρι.
- Αν έχει αρνιά και κάτσικα, εμένα να τα στείλει,
εγώ είμ' αξός και δυνατός να του τα πελεκήσω.]


1αξός: Πολλές λέξεις παρουσιάζονται στο κείμενο παρατονισμένες. Αυτό συμβαίνει όταν η μελωδία, ακολουθώντας το ισχυρό του ρυθμού, τονίζει τη λέξη σε άλλη συλλαβή από την κανονική της ομιλίας, προσαρμόζοντάς τη στα μέτρα του μέλους.
2σιτζίμι: γερός σπάγγος από κανναβι, τουρκ. sicim
3μπιρσίμι: μεταξωτό νήμα, τουρκ. ibrişim

Information

  • Region: Central Greece
  • Area: Euboea, Agios Dimitrios
  • Categories: Acritic Song
  • Duration: 02:22

Collaborators

  • Singer: Sotiris Krissilias

Albums

  • Epic Songs of Warriors and Heroes

Recording information

Domna Samiou taped the song in Agios Dimitrios, Euboea, in 1976, sung by Sotiris Krisilias, aged 87. The lyrics in square brackets, which are not heard on the CD, are recited by him.

Member Comments

0 Comments

Post a comment


up to 2000
Login to post a comment

See also

d32_badge--3
Song
By Command of the King
The Song of Porphyris The king commanded every fair maid and every brave lad in every vilayet to gather before him. And when the fair maids and ...
d27_badge
Song
A Fair Maid Did Sing
A fair maid sang up upon a rope bridge, but the bridge collapsed, and the river stood still. And the river spirit came to h...
d32_badge--3
Song
Andronikos and the Princess
Famed Andronikos, who was born and raised in riches, started school on the 6th of the month and could read by the 7th. By t...
d21_badge
Song
Andrónikos and His Black Steed
The nobles sit to eat and drink around a marble table, a marble and a silver table, around a golden table, and all do only ...
d32_badge--3
Song
Feasting Lords Eating and Drinking
Andronikos and His Steed Some lords are eating and drinking at a marble table, a table of marble, silver and gold, they are all eating and drinking ...
d13_badge
Song
I Saw Some Black Smoke
I saw some black smoke rise up out of the reeds; The reeds are numberless and a monster hides in them. Three huntsmen have ...
d32_badge--3
Song
Kalomoiris and the Saracen
The Song of Armouris Kalomoiris' youngest boy was born at night, in the night before the cock crowed. On the very same night that he was born, h...
x004_badge
Song
One Dark Starless Night
d11_badge
Song
Our Tráta All Tattered
Our battered old boat and its tattered old nets patched over and over and yet always torn. Our old boat needs sails, Our ...
d23_badge
Song
Should You See a Vessel Pass
An’ should you see a vessel pass, passing the cape of Ochtoniá oh take your little kerchief out and wave in signal to me. S...
d32_badge--3
Song
The Castle of the Beauty
I've never seen a castle as fair as the Castle of the Beauty. It has silver gates and silver keys, I've never seen another ...
d13_badge
Song
The Four Palikari
Four and four make eight,  Four Palikari go to the wars. On their way they are hungry And they sit down to eat, but they ...
d32_badge--3
Song
Young Kostantakis
The Evil Mother-In-Law Young Kostantakis married young, he married young and took a young wife, and he was young, too, when he was called up to wa...
d32_badge--3
Song
Young Kostantinos
The Evil Mother-In-Law Young Kostantinos, young Konstantinos, his mother had him young and betrothed him young and he was young when he was called...
  • Home page
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact
  • Sitemap
Follow us
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
Subscribe to Newsletter
To Top
© 2010-2014 Domna Samiou Greek Folk Music Association
Stavros Niarchos Foundation
Powered by TOOLIP Web Content Management Designed & developed by EWORX S.A.