Listen
True, exile is the greatest hardship, the parting so upsetting,
but oh, that greeting 'Welcome home', oh that, Marouli, is bliss.
The diver's air-pump is my mother, the winding winch my sister,
and on my mate upon the deck my very life depends.
For you, I wear the diving-suit and drag the tube along,
for you, they helped my feet into the boots with iron soles.
Translated by John Leatham
Το Μαρούλι
O μισεμός είναι καημός, το κατεβόδιο ζάλη
και το καλωσορίσατε, αχ Μαρούλι, είναι χαρά μεγάλη.
H μηχανή ’ναι η μάνα μου, η ρόδα η αδερφή μου
και στον κολαουζέρη1 μου, αχ Μαρούλι, κρέμεται η ζωή μου.
Για σένα βάζω φόρεμα2, για σε τραβώ μαρκούτσα3
για σένα μου φορέσανε, αχ Μαρούλι, τα σιδερέ4 παπούτσια.
1κολαουζέρης: ο σύντροφος ναύτης που μένει πάνω στο καϊκι και τραβά το σφουγγάρι
2φόρεμα: στολή δύτη
3μαρκούτσα: σωλήνας που αναπνέει
4σιδερέ: για βάρος
The song is about the seasonal departure from their home island of sponge fishermen sailing to sponge-fishing grounds. Because of the hazardous nature of their work, which required them to dive with primitive gear to great depths ay the bottom of the sea, their send-off on a journey from which there might be no return took on the character of a dirge. Miranda Terzopoulou
Translated by John Leatham
Recorded in a studio, during '60s. First published in 45 rpm disc (Fidelity 7259, 1963) supervised by Domna Samiou (Recordings in 45 RPM). Later, in 2008, Yiorgos Tsambras included the track in the CD collection Mousiko Odiporiko 1959-1969 (Universal Music, 2008).
