Lyrics

1. Deljo the Haiduk – Bulgarian (4:13)

Bulgarian name = “Izlel e Deljo Haidutin”

From the Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria, a well-known song recorded first by Valya Balkanska.

This song is traditionally accompanied by a gaida (Bulgarian, goat-skin, bagpipe). In our arrangement of this song, we laid a motown groove as a bed for the soulful wailing melody. This was one of the first songs that really brought us together as a band for this project.

• Излел е Дельо хайдутин,
  хайдутин енкесаджие,
  с Думбовци и с Караджовци.
• Зарочал Дельо, пурочал
  даридерскимнем айене,
  айене кабадайлие.
• -В селоно имам две лели,
  да ми ги не потурчите,
  да ми ги ни почорните.

Transliteration:

• Izlel e delyo haidutin
  Haidutin en kesadjies
  Dumbovtsi I s’karadjovtsi
• Zarochal delyo purochal
  Darider skimnem aene
  Aene kabadaylie
• F’selono imam dve leli
  // Da mi gin e poturchite //

Translation:

• Delyo, the bandit/freedom fighter, took, the bandit, the balls-cutter, with the Doumbovs and the Karasjovs.
• Delyo commanded, ordered to the Turkish notables from Val-de-millet, to the Turkish notables, to the braggarts.
• In the village, I have two aunts, do not Turkishize them, do not darken them!

2. Water – composed by Lucia Comnes (6:01)

When I was in Bolivia in 2000, the people were charged a tax on rainwater they collected from the sky. I composed this song to bring people’s attention to water. It is important to know where our water comes from. It is vital that we take great care with our water sources and supply for the coming generations depend on this. If we do not protect our water as a public resource there is a great chance that water rights will fall into the hands of private corporations which in turn may be the cause of future wars, as oil is today. We still have time to weave a different story for water and I hope we do.

• Dew
  Left by the night
  Vanishes
  Dawn breaks to day
• Sweat
  On your brow
  Under the sun
  Only salt remains
• Chorus:
  // Wa-a-te-er //
  // A yia yia yia yia yia //
• Tear falls
  From one who cannot cry
  No way to buy
  Rain from the sky
• A spring
  From deep within
  That which fills our wells
  Who can own, who can sell?
• Chorus
• Private are the rights
  To land, to oil
  Who is next
  To fall?

3. Gigile – Albanian (3:15)

Albanian name = “Xhyxhyle e Malit”

This is a song from Berat, South/Central Albania, that celebrates the joyous side of love. I learned this song from my friend and teacher, Merita Halili

• // O Xhyxhyle, Xhyxhyle,
  Xhyxhyle e malit-e. //
• // O kam sevda, kam sevda,
  kam sevdan’ e djalit-e. //
• // O Xhyxhyle, Xhyxhyle,
  Xhyxhyle e fushës-e. //
• // O kam sevda, kam sevda,
  kam sevdan’ e çupës-e. //

Translation:

• O Xhyxhyle,
  Xhyxhyle of the mountain.
  I have the love of a young man.
• O Xhyxhyle,
  Xhyxhyle of the field.
  I have the love of a young woman.

4. The Anatolian Butterfly – Irish/Armenian/Turkish (5:21)

This arrangement is a combination of 2 songs. The first is a well known Irish slip jig called “The Butterfly” and the second is a song from Eastern Turkey called “Iğdır’ın Al Elması” or “Anadolu Kelebeği” which is an Armenian melody with Turkish lyrics, a love song.

“Anatolia” is an ancient term that refers to the geographic region bounded by the Black Sea to the north, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean Sea to the west, and the bulk of the Asian mainland to the east. To further bring these songs together, we adjusted the rhythm of “The Butterfly” to match the rhythm of “Iğdır’ın Al Elması” which is in a meter of 10. But we kept a bit of the original flavor, and you will hear the rhythm jump back and forth during the beginning of the tune.

I learned the lyrics of this song from Brenna MacCrimmon in 2006.

• Iğdır’ın Al Elması
• // Iğdır’ın al elması, ay balam
  Yemeye bal eması //
  Yar gelenden sonar
  Yaramın sağalması, ölürem…
• Chorus:// Ölürem yar, garibem yar, sevirem yar… //
• // Iğdır’dan elma aldım, ay balam
  Yarimi yola saldım //
  Yar gidenden sonar
  Ayva gibi sarardım, ölürem…
• Chorus
• // Derya’da deryalıklar, ay balam
  Suda oynar balıklar //
  Ne bu sevda olaydı
  Ne de bu ayrılıklar, ölürem…
• Chorus

Translation:

• Iğdır’s (a place in Turkey) red apple, my belovedSweet like honey to eatAfter my beloved comes, my wound is healed, I’m dying…
• Chorus:
  I’m dying my love, I’m alone/foreign/lost, I love you my beloved
• I got an apple from Iğdır, my beloved
  I sent my beloved away (on the road)
  After my beloved has gone, I am as pale as a quince, I’m dying…
• Derya (could be a man or woman’s name), or Ocean/sea, the bubbliness of her, my beloved
  Fish are playing in the water
  Oh that I didn’t feel this unrequited love/separation/loneliness/longing, I’m dying…

5. Dawn Breaks – Greek (4:21)

Greek name – “Mera Merose”

This is one of my favorite of all Greek songs. I learned this song from my dear friend and teacher, Lily Storm.

• Mera merose
  Tora i avgi karazi
  Tora ta poulia
• Tora ta poulia
  Tora ta helidonia
  Tora kelaidoun
• Tora kelaidoun
  Tora laloun ke lene
  Ksipna ‘fendi mou

Translation:

• Dawn breaks,
  the birds rejoice,
  now the little birds.
• The little birds,
  now the swallows,
  now they sing.
• Now they sing,
  they sing and say,
  awake, my friend.

6. The Lemon Seller – Turkish Rom (4:28)

Turkish name = “Limoncu” or “Limon Satıcısı”

“Rom” or “Roma” is the politically correct reference to what the people all over the world more commonly called “Gypsy”.

This is a well-known song throughout Turkey and one of my personal favorites. Playful and very funny, the song is set over a thick 9-meter groove, which is the preferred way the Turkish Rom get down…

• Oynamaya geldim, oynamaya
  Düğünlerade, göbek atmaya
• Limoncu deraler adima, adima
  Kimse de gelemez yanma
• // Aylana gazoz, Baylana limon //
• Bas örtüyü belime, bağladm
  Herkesi kendime, bakrdm

Translation:

• I’ve come to dance (throw the belly) at weddings
  They call me the lemon seller/maker, nobody will come near me
• If you want to sober/wake someone – give them a gazoz
  If they faint, give them a lemon
• I’ve tied my headscarf around my waist
  I’m making everyone look at me

7. Calling Home the Calves – Irish (5:00)

Irish Gaelic name = Aililiú Na Gamhna

A gorgeous song in Irish Gaelic that is sung in the old-style or sean-nos tradition. I learned this song from Éilís Ní Shúilleabháin in Cork, 2005.

• ‘S iníon d’aoire mé féinig gan amhras
  A bhíodh ‘na chónaí cois taobh na Leamhna
  Bhí bothán agam féin ann is fuinneog i gceann de
  ‘S fhaid bhíodh an bainne (a) té(amh) agam
  Sea ghlaoinn ar na gamhna
• Curfa (chorus):
  Aililiú na gamhna, na gamhna bána
  Aililiú na gamhna, na gamhna b’iad a bfhearr liom
  Aililiú na gamhna, na gamhna geala bána
  Na gamhna maidin shamhraidh a’ damhsa ar na bánta
• Faightear dom canna is faightear dom buarach
  Is faightear dom soitheach ‘na gcuiread mo chuid uachtair
  Ceolta sí na cruinne bheith dá síor-chur im chluasa
  Ba bhinne liomsa géimneach na mbó a teacht chun buaile
• Raghaimíd ar an aonach is ceannóimíd gamhna
  Is cuirfimid ar féar iad amach ins na gleannta
  Íosfaidh siad an féar agus barr an aitinn ghallda
  Is tiocfaidh said abhaile chun an bhainne i gcóir a’ tsamhraidh

Translation:

• I am the daughter of a shepherd
  who used to live on the banks of the Laune River, Kerry
  I had a little hut with a window on the side of the house/gable end
  And while the milk was being warmed (for the youngest calves)
  I would call the calves
• Chorus:
  Behold the calves, the white calves
  Behold the calves, the calves were my favorite
  Behold the calves, the bright white calves
  The calves on a summer’s morning, dancing in the fields
• Get for me a can, a spancel
  Get me a vessel in which to put my cream
  If I were always listening to sweet music/If the fairy music of the world were always in my ears
  I would prefer to hear the lowing of the calves, coming home to be milked
• We will go to the market, we will buy calves
  We will put them out to eat grass in the glenns
  They will eat the grass and the top of the (English) gorse bush
  They will come home for their milk during the summer

8. Çayeli – Turkish (4:28)

“Çayeli” is the name of a town in the Eastern Black Sea near Rize, Turkey. I learned this song from Brenna MacCrimmon.

• Çayelinden öteye
  // Gidelum yali yali //
  Srtndaki sepetun
  // Ben olayim hamali//
• Sepetunun ipleri
  // Keseyi omuzuni //
  Aç beyaz pestemali
  // Bi’ göreyum yüzuni //
• Karl dereden beri
  // Yesl çay bahçeleri //
  Çay filizi toplayi
  // Pestemali kzlari //

Translation:

• From beyond Chayele, let us go to the summer places
  Let me be the porter to carry the basket on your back
• The straps dig into my shoulders
  From the weight of harvested tea leaves
• Open up your white head cloth
  So that I may see your face
• Beside the stream running through the green tea fields
  Where girls with white head scarves gather young green buds

9. Castletown Medley – Irish (5:06)

• Irish tune names = Castletown Connors (jig) / Banish Misfortune (jig) / The Morning Dew (reel)
• A medley of traditional Irish tunes, we added the Indian Tabla to the mix…

10. I Dreamt You Returned – Bulgarian Rom (4:30)

Romanes name = “Sono Dikhljum”

I learned this song when I was working with the Turkish music and dance ensemble, Bizim Mahalle in 2005. As sung by Katja Safedimova, with accompaniment by Anzelo Malikov, on BHM 3423. Text and translation by Carol Silverman and Victor Friedman.

• Sono dikhljum iringjan
  Angali man tu dinjan
  Džangaliljum kali rat
  Me vogeste pharo bar
• Chorus:
  Do čavensa korkori
  Me sem devla čorori
  Ah, me sem devla čorori
• Do čavensa terni daj
  Sar nanaj tut mange žal
  Tu devlestar nanaj dar
  Toro vogi šudro bar
• Chorus

Translation:

• I dreamt a dream that you returned
  You held me (You gave me a hug)
  I woke up in the dark night
  On my heart was a heavy stone
• Chorus:
  Alone with two children
  I’m poor, God
• A young mother with two children
  How can you not pity me
  You have no fear of God
  Your heart is a cold stone

11. Çiftetelli – Turkish (6:18)

Turkish name = Nehavent Çiftetelli

“Çiftetelli” is a traditional rhythm for bellydancing in Greece and in Turkey. This melody belongs to the Nehavent maqam (like a scale or mode) and is a Classical Turkish composition. You will hear the instruments solo in the middle of the piece, which is called “taxim” in Turkish music. The Indian Tabla drums add a new flavor to a traditional piece.