Listen

When the angels the City did found
with water from the Holy Mount
and clay from Chios and tiles from Adrianoúpolis.
And when the angels had built the City
they stopped to rest and behold and admire it.
‘But what shall we call this place,
what name shall we give it ?’
‘The City of Constantinople, Constantine’s City’.

Translated by Michael Eleftheriou

Photo: Building a city. Miniature from the Chronicle of Ioannis Skylitzis, 2nd half of the 13th c., National Library, Madrid / Miletus Publications, Athens.

Όντεν εθεμελιώνανε

Όντεν τη θεμελιώνανε -
ε, οι γιαγγέλοι την Πόλη
’πού τ’ Άγιον όρος το νερό,

’πού τ’ Άγιον όρος το νερό, κι από τη Χιο το χώμα
κι από την Αντριανούπολη παίρνουν τα κεραμίδια.
Κι απίς την αποχτίσασι οι γιαγγέλοι την Πόλη,
στέκουν και σοντηρούν τηνε κι αποθαμάζουνέ τη.
Και πώς θα τηνε βγάλουμε, και πώς θα τηνε λέμε;
Πόλη Κωνσταντινούπολη, του Κωνσταντίνου Πόλη.

Φωτ. Χτίσιμο πόλης. Μικρογραφία απο το Χρονικό του Ιωάννη Σκυλίτζη, β΄μισό 13ου αιώνα. Εθνική Βιβλιοθήκη Μαδρίτης/Εκδόσεις «Μίλητος», Αθήνα.

Information

Collaborators

Albums

Recording information

Studio recording, 2004.

Domna Samiou taped the song in Kabanós, Chania, sung by a group of men, in 1977.

Watch a different version of the song by Domna Samiou

Member Comments

0 Comments

Post a comment


up to 2000
Login to post a comment

See also

d25_badge
Song
Great Joy Across the Land
Great joy across the land, great joy in every village and all in the best, the best of spirits save Rhodes, poor ill-fated ...
d25_03_badge--2
Song
The Swallows of Vlachiá
The Sack of Adrianoúpolis The swallows of Vlachiá and the birds of the West weeping late and weeping early, weeping at noon, weeping for ravaged Adri...
d25_badge
Song
A Maid Decided
A maid decided to join the klephts and set fire, vr’ amán och amán, she set fire to her loom. She set fire to her loom, to...
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...
d25_15_badge
Song
Androútsos' Mother
Androutsos’ mother is glad, Androutsos’ mother is glad and Diakos’ proud For they have warriors and captains for sons who ...
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...
d25_badge
Song
Rock of Monemvasiá
Rock, vai, rock of Monemvasiá Rock of Monemvasiá and Athens’ citadel. Hey Palamedi of Náfplion, open up and let me in. So ...
d11_badge
Song
Samarina
Hey, you young klephts, you sons of Samarina, if you go up to the mountains, the Samarina way [don’t fire off shots, don’t...
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...