Arta’s Bridge

Σαράντα μαστορόπουλα - Της Άρτας το γεφύρι

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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.
The masons much lamented this, the prentices were weeping.
– Alas, we seem to toil in vain, our handiwork is fated.’

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.
No Turk, no Greek, no foreigner, nor any chance wayfarer –
only the master mason’s wife, his comely wife, will answer.

He left to tell the lissom one...

Translated by John Leatham

Σαράντα μαστορόπουλα

Της Άρτας το γεφύρι

Σαράντα μαστορόπουλα κι εξήντα μαθητάδες,
γιοφύριν εστεριώνανε στης Άρτας το ποτάμι.
Όλη μερίτσα χτίζανε, το βράδυ γκρεμιζόταν.
Μοιρολογούν οι μάστοροι και κλαίνε οι μαθητάδες.
– Αλίμονο στους κόπους μας, κρίμα στη δούλεψή μας.
Κι ένα πουλί, καλό πουλί, κελαηδεί και λέει.
– Δίχως για να στοιχειώσετε άνθρωπο στο γιοφύρι
γιοφύρι δε στεριώνεται στης Άρτας το ποτάμι.
Ούτε Τούρκο, ούτε Ρωμιό, νε1 ξένο, νε διαβάτη
μόνο του πρωτομάστορη την όμορφη γυναίκα.
Πιάνει μηνάει της λυγερής ...

1νε: ούτε

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Live recording from the concert The known and unknown Domna at the Megaron, the Athens Concert Hall, in 29/10/1998.

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

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