The best-woman who ended up a bride

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A maid from Vrontados sat weaving,
her loom in full song to the shuttle’s beat
when a bird flew down and perched on it.
Its song was like no other bird’s, not like the swallow’s,
for when it sang it sang in human voice.
– Christ, how I wish the spool would break and the yarn fray!
And the maid grew disheartened and went to the window
and saw the widow’s son astride his mount.
– I am to be married, fair maid, to another of their choosing,
and if you want and need it, my best woman you shall be.
And she adorned herself for three days and three nights
with the sun for a face and the moon at her breast
with a viper a colourful ribbon in her hair.
Beholding her, priests set aside their vows
and little choir-boys were struck quite dumb.
– Priest, if you’ve a heart, if you’re a Christian,
set the wedding crown upon the best woman’s head.
Her mother was standing outside at the crossroads.
– Welcome, daughter, deserving of the honour paid her,
whom I saw off a best-woman and welcome back a bride.

Translated by Michael Eleftheriou

Μια κόρη Βρονταδούσαινα

Η κουμπάρα νύφη

Μια κόρη Βρονταδούσαινα ύφαινε κι ξεφαίνε
κιλαηδισμός τ’ αργαστηριού,
κιλαηδισμός τ’ αργαστηριού κι ο χτύπος του χτενιού της,
πουλάκι πήγε κι ήκατσε,

πουλάκι πήγε κι ήκατσε πάνω στο ξυλοχτένι.
Δεν ηκιλάδγιε σαν πουλί ούτε σα χιλιδόνι,
μόνο κιλάδγιε κι ήλεγε ανθρωπινή μιλίτσα:
– Χριστέ, και να ’σπανε η οτρά1 να φθείρει το μασούρι.
Κι η κόρη ηραθύμισε, βγαίνει στο παραθύρι,
βλέπει τση χήρας τον υγιό στ’ άλογο καβαλάρη.
– Εμέ κόρη παντρεύουνε κι άλλη κόρη μου δίνουν
κι α θέλεις και χρειάζεσαι, κουμπάρα για να γίνεις.
Ήπιασε κι ηστολίζουνταν τρεις μέρες και τρεις νύχτες,
βάνει τον ήλιο πρόσωπο και το φεγγάρ’ αστήθι,
την όχεντρα την πλουμιστή κορδέλα στα μαλλιά της.
Παπάδες σαν την είδανε ήχασαν τα νερά ντους2
και τα μικρά ψαλτόπουλα χάσαν την ψαλμουδιά ντους.
– Παπά κι αν είσαι χριστιανός κι αν είσαι βαφτισμένος
παράγυρε τα στέφανα και βάλτα στην κουμπάρα.
Κι η μάνα ντης ηστέκουνταν όξω στο σταυροδρόμι.
– Καλώς τηνα την κόρη μου την αξιοτιμημένη,
κουμπάρα τήνε ’πόστειλα και νύφη κατεβαίνει.

1οτρά, τρα: χρυσή κλωστή
2τα νερά ντους: μάλλον, τα ιερά τους

Information

Collaborators

  • Singer: Maria Kouskousi
  • Informant (source of the song): Maria Kouskousi

Albums

Notes

One of the few Greek fables with a happy ending. Though one of a large group of songs in which girls are rejected bytheir beloved, it comes with the desired twist in the tail. The discarded maid turns her heart to stone and agrees to be best woman at the wedding of the man she loves. So near-magically adorned is she, however, that she captures the hearts not only of priests and congregation, but of the groom himself: overcome by his old love, he ‘switches’ the wedding crowns and marries her on the spot. The power of an old love to prevail over a new is a common theme in the folk songs of many European peoples. Miranda Terzopoulou (2008)

Recording information

Domna Samiou taped the song in Agios Dimitrios, Lemnos, in 1973.

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