Listen

A nun was frying fish and a voice,
a shrill high voice, kept telling her again and again:

'Stop cooking, old maid,
and Constantinople will turn Turkish
and Muhabbet will ride into the City astride his mount'.
'When the fish leap out and come back to life
then the Turk will enter in
and Constantinople will be Turkish'.
Well, the fish leapt out, the fish came back to life
and the Amir rode into the City astride his mount.

Translated by Michael Eleftheriou

Καλογριά μαγέρευε

Καλογριά μαγέ- μαγέρευε ψαράκια στο τηγάνι
και μια φωνή, ψιλή φωνή, απάνωθέ της λέγει.

- Πάψε, γριά, το μαγερειό κι η Πόλη θα τουρκέψει
κι ο Μουχαμπέτης1 θε’ να μπει στην Πόλη καβαλάρης.
- Όταν τα ψάρια πεταχτούν και βγουν και ζωντανέψουν,
τότε κι ο Τούρκος θε’ να μπει κι η Πόλη θα τουρκέψει.
Τα ψάρια πεταχτήκανε, τα ψάρια ζωντανέψαν
κι ο αμιράς2 εισέβηκεν στην Πόλη καβαλάρης.

1 Μουχαμπέτης ή Μουχαμέτης: ο Μωάμεθ
2 Αμιράς: Στρατηγός, ηγέτης (από το αραβικό amir ή τουρκοπερσικό emir)

Information

Collaborators

Albums

Recording information

Live recording from the concert t Songs of Asia Minor with Domna Samiou at the Megaron, the Athens Concert Hall, in 8/5/2005.

Based on Simon Karas' recording which belongs to the Association for the Dissemination of Greek National Music.

Member Comments

0 Comments

Post a comment


up to 2000
Login to post a comment

See also

d25_05_badge
Song
Old Nun A-Cooking
A nun was frying fish and a voice, a shrill high voice, kept telling her again and again : ‘Stop cooking, old maid, and Co...
d26_26_badge
Song
Twelve Little Evzones
Twelve young evzones decided, Holy Virgin, they decided to go to war. On their way, Holy Virgin, upon the black sea a blac...
d13_badge
Song
A Young and Gallant Soldier
A young and gallant soldier Sought a citadel, a citadel. He sought a citadel, a village to stop at. He found none, no citade...
d25_28_badge
Song
All the Castles I Have Seen
The Castle of the Beautiful Maid All the castles I have seen, not one have I not visited vr' amán amán, not one have I not visited, oh maid Frankish, maiden...
d27_badge
Song
At Trichas’ Bridge
At the bridge, at the bridge, at Trichas’ bridge. A thousand builders hard at work, and ten thousand apprentices. They’d ...
d25_20_badge
Song
I Passed by One Saturday
One Saturday I passed through Mesolonghi, – hail fine fellows, ’twas Palm Saturday I remember. Palm Saturday it was, Saint...
d20_badge
Song
It’s Eastertime
Easter Dance It’s Eastertime, my lithe and lissome one, my lithe and lissome one, the greatest of all feasts, you fair-haired ones, you ...
d04_badge
Song
Little Birds of the East
English translation is not available. French translation follows: Oiselets du levant et rossignols du couchant, rassemblez...
d25_badge
Song
Nine Villages They Razed
Nine villages of ours they razed amán amán, and fifteen castles. Amán, come see the body you torture. And they took Náouss...
d25_35_badge
Song
The Captains of Trípoli
The captains of Trípoli, mana mou, the captains of Trípoli and the brave men of Moriá. In Albania they lie, in Iván they r...
d25_32_badge
Song
Up Siátista Way
Up Siátista way, just up from Kastoriá, will you not weep mothers, mothers and children? They killed Pavlos, Pavlos Melás ...
815_badge__rmp45_095_2
Song
What Ails You, Poor Plane-Tree?
What ails you, poor plane-tree? Your roots draw water, amán, your roots draw well, yet you stand there limp, your roots dr...
d25_08_badge
Song
When You Dream of Brave Deeds
When you dream of brave deeds, my black-fated sons, when you dream of bravery, of taking to the hills, ask me first about...