Stella Voutoufianaki - Ο όρκος της Αρετούσας (a cappella)

this song is an excerpt of the literary work "Erotokritos" written by Vincenzos Cornaros, a poet who was born in Sitia during the era of Cretan Renaissance. Crete was then occupied by Venice.

Erotokritos the leading character of the poem was in love with Aretousa, the daughter of king of Athens Herakles. HIs father was one of Herakles advisors after finding out his son's love for the princess decides, after Erotokritos's urges, to ask her hand in marriage from her father in his son's behalf. Herakles furious by the audacity of his advisor, exiles Erotokritos. Here in this excerpt we have Aretousa's oath of love to him. The language of the poem is Cretan dialect.

Your words, Erotokritos,
are full of poison,
and I neither hoped, nor anticipated
what my ears perceived,

banish those thoughts,
and have no worries
don't inquire again about the thing
you already know

And how can I refuse you,
and if I want to
it does not permit me
this heart that you have put
in love's furnace

And if our fate does not allow it
for us to be entwined
your soul can come searching for me,
joyous in Hades

And how can I refuse you,
and if I want to
it does not permit me
this heart that you put
in love's furnace