Καλλιτεχνικός Σύλλογος Δημοτικής Μουσικής Δόμνα Σαμίου

My love has sent for me, she’s my heart’s desire,
to go to her and kiss her. Shine, dear moon, shine upon her,
so I may go and kiss her, o brightly shining moon.

But I’m a stranger, at a loss, I do not know the way there.
Yet I set out along the path – how lovely is that footpath.
The footpath brought me presently to my loved one’s doorway.
[I found the doors were locked and barred, the keys removed for safety.
I picked a stone up in the yard and threw it at the window.

‘Dear girl, if you’re asleep, awake, if wakeful, come, behold me;
and if you’re with your benedick¹, then health to you and gladness,
but if you’re with another lad, open up, let me up the stairs
and I shall knife the knavish man and he in turn shall knife me.
My blood with his and his with mine shall mingle thus together.’]

Translated by John Leatham

¹benedick: newly married husband