A nun swelled up with child and bore a manly boy.
Within a month he was carrying a sword, within a year a musket
and at three or four he set off to war.
His mother told him, she advised him thus:
– Constantis, do as the other lads do
so the king never hears and sends for you.
– Mother, I can catch the king like I do a donkey.
When the king heard that, he was far from pleased,
he mustered his army, all the brave young lads,
had then line up in ranks and asked them one by one
– Who is worthy and strong enough to capture Constantis?
Not one of them spoke out, not one in the whole army
until a little shepherd boy stepped forward and said:
– I’m a match for Constantis. I’m strong enough to best him.
But I’ll need a thousand up ahead of me, a thousand more behind,
A nun swelled up with child and bore a manly boy.
Within a month he was carrying a sword, within a year a musket
and at three or four he set off to war.
His mother told him, she advised him thus:
– Kostantis, do as the other lads do
so the king never hears and sends for you.
– Mother, I can catch the king like I do a donkey.
When the king heard that, he was far from pleased,
he mustered his army, all the brave young lads,
had then line up in ranks and asked them one by one
– Who is worthy and strong enough to capture Kostantis?
Not one of them spoke out, not one in the whole army
until a little shepherd boy stepped forward and said:
– I’m a match for Kostantis. I’m strong enough to best him.
But I’ll need a thousand up ahead of me, a thousand more behind,
a thousand to the right of me, and a thousand to my left.
So they gave him a thousand up ahead of him, a thousand more behind,
a thousand to the right of him, and a thousand to his left.
As they marched along the way, they all praised God,
they all praised the Lord and crossed themselves.
– Lord, please let us find Kostantis sick in bed,
may he have sent his musket to be mended,
may his sword be dismantled in pieces
and his dog tied up on a chain.
[And they went and found him as they’d begged.
They found Kostantis on his sick bed,
with his sword dismantled in pieces
and his musket at the smith’s for mending.
– A good day to you, Kostantis. – And to you, brave lads.
Mother, fetch me bread and food for the boys.
– We haven’t come for food, to eat and to drink,
the king sent us to fetch you back in chains.
– By all means, boys, take me back in chains
and bind my arms with a cord of seven strands,
and sew my eyelids closed with silken thread,
but don’t take me through the narrow places, don’t take me to the city,
for I’ve enemies who would acclaim me, friends who would pity me.
– Kostis, we will take you to the city for your cheek.
There, as they led him through a narrow alleyway
the maid he loved came out and says:
– For pity’s sake, Kostis so brave and manly,
I never thought I’d see them leading you in chains.
Kostantis grew angry and raised his arms, the cord snapped and fell to pieces,
opened his eyes and the silken thread dissolved.
He drew a golden sword from a silver scabbard,
swung it once and cut a thousand men,
swung it twice and thrice and cut three thousand more.
And he left the little shepherd boy to tell the tale,
to go tell the king the news.
– If he’s any more lambs and goats, let him send them to me,
I’ve strength enough to slaughter them for him.]
Translated by Michael Eleftheriou
