Listen
You drive me, mother, out from home, in truth though I’ll be going.
I’ll migrate with the little birds and with the long-winged swallows.
In time the birds will all return, but I’ll be ever absent.
Good mother, you will go to church, to church and be at services.
You’ll see the lads and lasses there, you’ll see the handsome young men,
you’ll see my wonted place is free, my wonted stall is empty.
Good mother, you will sore complain, and then you’ll turn back homewards.
You’ll seat yourself at the crossroads and ask for news of me there.
You’ll see a Turk and question him, a Greek and you will quiz him:
- Perchanse you’ve seen or gotten word of my good son, Yannakis?
- I’ve seen him and I’ve listed1 him in a broad grassy valley.
Black birds were feeding on his flesh, above him white birds circled...
Translated by John Leatham
1listed: listened to
Διώχνεις με μάνα, διώχνεις με
Διώχνεις με μάνα, διώχνεις με, στ’ αλήθεια θα πααίνω,
μι τα πουλάκια θα διαβώ, κι μι τα χιλιδόνια
κι τα πουλιά θα έρχουντι κι γω πάντα θα λείπω.
Θα πας μάνα μ’ στην εκκλησιά, στην εκκλησιά ’κκλησία,
θα δγεις τις νιές, θα δγεις τους νιους, θα δγεις τα παλικάρια,
θα δγεις τουν τόπου μ’ εύκιρου κι του στασίδι μ’ άδειου,
θα σ’ έρθ’ μάνα μ’ παράπουνου κι πίσου θα γυρίσεις,
σι σταυρουδρόμ’ θα κάθισι για μένα θα ρωτάεις,
θα δγεις Τούρκου θα τουν ρουτάς, Ρουμιό θα τουν ξητάζεις.
- Μην είδγητι, μην άκσιατι του γιο μου, του Γιαννάκη;
- Τον είδιαμι, τον άκσιαμι σι πράσινου λιβάδι,
μαύρα πουλιά τουν τρώγανι κι άσπρα τουν τριγυρίζαν...
Studio recording, 1989.
It was collected in the 1970s by Yiorgos Amarantidis from Traiani and Theodor Pitsanis, a married couple, during their stay in Athens in order to make some appearances at the Dora Stratou Theatre. Traiani and Theodor Pitsanis, residents of the village of Kitros in Pieria, were refugees from Bana, Eastern Rumelia. Yiorgos Amarantidis handed the tape with the collected songs to Domna Samiou for inclusion in her archive.
