Translation:Robbery song

by Władysław Tarnowski

(To music.)

          I will give you rice! I will give you wine,
Rock! my son for me,
Rock to sleep to robbery song,
Give him dagger as the earliest!..
Tell him about Turks meanness
And tell about Greek’s freedom,
But don’t tell him on Holy Trinity,
That he had father the assassin!..
Don’t tell him by Spyridon ^[1]
That with Klephts, father will die!..

          I will give you rice! I will give you wine,
Rock! my son for me,
And take care me about my horse
Don’t give the bones to whiten on the grasslands …
When they kidnap me and will hang
Let thugs will console you!..
Do not cry, do not cry, tawny-cheek,
Not for thug dove,
The men, thugs of my country,
And I myself, thug from custom…

          I will give you rice! I will give you wine,
Rock! my son for me,
And my ghost will come in night
Carried on the wings of lightnings
Blowing in thundering power of the Hells
With arms on the frights …
I will kidnap you as in youth
I will burn through trembling your mouth,
I will crush the breast as a honeycomb –
I will give ambers, I will give beads -
And I will bring rice, wine,
Rock! my son for me.

      (In journey from Athens to Marathon, 1869.)

1. Saint Spyridon of Trimythous (c. 270-315).