Translations

Erotokritos

And he took his laouto and silently walked,

and so he occasionally sang, sweetly, to the palace.

and his hand was sugar, his voice like a nightingale

every heart that heard cried and teared.

Did you hear, my Arethousa, the sad news,

your father exiled me to a foreign land.

Four days he gave me only, to stay

And then to emigrate, to go far away.

How can I bid you goodbye and move away from you? 

And how can I live without you after this separation?

Know this and your father wishes to marry you off fast

A prince, a noble, like yourself, he's looking for.

And you can't resist if your parents want to,

they trump your opinion and your will changes.

One favor, my mistress, I ask of you.

And after you agree, I shall end my life.

When you get engaged, sigh deeply.

And when you wear your bridal dress and get married,

with tears say: "Poor Rotokrite,

what I promised I neglected, what you wanted is no more."

And once a month, in your bedroom,

remember what happened to me for you, with pain in your heart.

And take the painting you found in the closet

and the songs I sang that you loved.

And star-crossed, I will promise that I never saw you

and you will hold a candle and then blow it out for me.

And I'll admit I held onto a woman's hair

and the hair broke and I lost all I had in the world.

Forget for eternity and banish all hope

and say you never met me and neither did I.
I'd rather have you in death than any other in life,

because my body was born into this world for you only.

~*~

Song: Erotokritos/ Ερωτόκριτος

Performer: Giannis Haroulis

Album:Hilia Kalos Esmixame

Lyrics: Vikentios (Vitsentzos, "Vincenzo", Vincent) Kornaros

Label: Minos EMI

Year: (Recorded by Haroulis) 2013

(Written) 17th century

This is a traditional Cretan poem by Vikentios Kornaros written in the 17th century. This modern rendition is performed by the Cretan singer Giannis Haroulis.

More info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erotokritos