Dance of Zálongo

Refrain: Farewell, springs, forests, mountains and hills.

Verses: Farewell, unfortunate world, farewell, sweet life,
And you, destitute homeland, farewell forever.
The women of Souli haven't learned only how to live,
They also know how to die, rather than consent to slavery.
As if to a fair, to see the lilac blossoms,
Into the abyss they go down, with songs, with joy.
Fish do not live on land, nor flowers on the sandy beach;
So the women of Souli do not live without freedom.

Transliteration for refrain and first two verses:

É-xe-te yá vri-sú-les, lón-gi, vu-ná, ra-xú-les.

É-xe yá ka-i-mé-ne kóz-me, é-xe yá yli-kiá zo-í.

Ke sí thí-sti-xi pa-trí,tha, é-xe yá pan-do-ti-ní.

a = as in "father"
e = as in "end"
i = as in "machine"
o = as In "corner"
u = as in "Ruth"
x = German ch (before e or i, forward; before a, o or u, back)
th = the rather than thick
g = as In ego

Translation and transliteration are by Perry Phillips and Soterios G. Stavrou.

This Greek folk song recalls an heroic action by the women of the village of Souli, who danced to the edge of the nearby Zalongo canyon and one by one leapt to their death rather than be captured by the enemy.

Carol Barnett

duration: c. 4:00

Click here to see a sample.