Folklore from the Southern Sporades. 185
Such is the song which I heard a few months ago in a little coffee-house of Antimachia. There are several Greek poems which embody a similar tradition, the best-known being the Bridge of Arta (Passow, No. 511, 512) ; but none is so fine as this.^ Although in translation much of the dignity of the original has vanished along with its graceful rhythm, I think it is sufficiently clear that the piece has lost little by centuries of transmission from mouth to mouth. There is a strong dramatic force in it, and a severe self- restraint, which mark the composer as a true artist. In a few words the poet has shown us the struggle between affection and faith, for we must suppose that the master- workman regarded the sacrifice as a religious duty, as well as a thing due to his employers. Not less remarkable is the Master's interruption of his wife's lament; he seems, as it were, driven to drown her bitter words and get his duty done, or else he must yield. As a character-study it may be compared with the story of Iphigeneia.
" (Type /.(e, ■K^WTO^iaaropy] \_sic~\, kl eyw ^(i)^vul Seafieya. " ecrv ' aai ttou ra ^vfiwcres, ficiXXj] d (^) to. (povpriar]."
(pepre ^aX/^rta /cat -n-rjXoi' rr) Xvyepfj vb ^riaw. " avpe fX€, TrpioTOfxaaropa [.TzV], Ki ej^w Traii^ia(^) pa dpe^u). " eav 'aai ttov ra yei'vr)(Tes, fxaXXr] d ra yadpexLei."
(pepre -^^aXiKia /cat TrrjXo rr) Xvyeprj I'ci ')(ri(T(o. " a, (jraaov TrpwrOfJicKTropr], va Vw Va ('^) fJioipioXoyi^^
rpels dbepcpdbes eifxaado [_SlC^, Kal rpels KUKonoipabes.
7] livih €-)(riadrj aro Xovrpo, k ri &XXr] aro ye(pvpi,
Kt kyu) 7/ (iapvopt^iKq trra jSvdr) rrjs Kanapas.
- <pepre ^aXiKia Kul ttiXo rt) Xvyepij va ^riaio.
" ws rpefiei ro KopfiaKt /lov va rpifx 6 KOtrjxos oXos'"
ws rpifxovv ra fiaXXciKia fiov va rpejurj y Ka/xapa'
ws Tre^rovfTi ra buKpva jiov va ireiprovv ra j^aX/fcta
' Other parallels, kindly sent me by various correspondents, are : Gerard, The Land beyond the Forest (Transylvania), vol. i. p. 278 ; and as a Gypsy tale, hopelessly corrupt and nonsensical, F. H. Groome, Gypsy Folk Tales, 1899.
(■») Qk. (") -Kaihia. (<=) ha.
