Cretan Singers

This Cretan earth of ours, wherever you dig it
You will find blood of heroes, you will turn up their bones.
(Cretan rizitiko - traditional)


They favour black for mourning and for feasts,
high boots as the heritage of rebels;
when they sing, the eyes of klephts and priests
burn deep as branding irons
in faces that seem chiselled out of basalt.

In their songs, the droning of the planes,
the mountains darkening; the sea
convulsed with conflict and with rage;
a muttering of thunder like a curse
upon their homeland; the eagles' wings,
the parachutes in flames...

In their songs, the droning of crazed bees
whose hives are burning; the death-dance
before firing squads, the women
drunk with pain. A wild note of resistance
like a torrent roaring through a gorge -
the spirit that snatched freedom from its grave
cries out again...


Klepht (Greek): brigand

The Battle of Crete took place in May, 1941.