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A teacher seated himself down upon a block of marble
and started writing with his pen, and knocked his ink-well over,
the ink could not but stain his clothes, which were gold-thread embroidered.
The waters of nine rivers failed to wash away the blotches.
Why, open up, let in the light, that Lazarenes1 should come here
for Easter Sunday and the feast, with cries of ‘Christ is Risen!’.
Translated by John Leatham
1Lazarenes: The women who the previous day, the feast of Lazarus, made ready for the ceremonies of Palm Sunday
Γραμματικός ηκάθουνταν
Γραμματικό-νο-ς ηκάθουνταν
γραμματικός ηκάθουνταν πάνω στην άσπρη πέτρα
πάνω στην άσπρη πέτρα
κι έγραφιν κι κοντύλιαζιν κι χύθηκ’ η μιλάνη
κι βάψαν τα ρουχίτσια του τα χρυσοκιντημένα.
Σ’ ιννιά πουτάμια τά ’πλυνι κι πάλι δεν ξιβάφουν.
Ν’ ανοίξιτι, να λάμψιτι να ’ρθούν οι Λαζαρίνις
με τη λαμπρή την Πασκαλιά, μι το Χριστός Ανέστη.
Domna Samiou taped the carol in Aiani, Kozani, in 1996.
