Τι ἁὡελὡισἱα μἑ ὡινει ὁταν θυμηθὡ
σἁν μοὑλεγες ὡὡς μ’ ἁγαὡἁς
μαλἑ ναξ ιἁριμο
καἱ τἁ τρελλἁ σου λογια
μ’ ἑμαμαν φὡς μον γ ιἁ χαθὡ
γιατἱ δἑν ἡξευρα ὁ δυστυχἡς
ὡὡς ἡσουνε ζουλἱἁριμο.
2.
Ti apelpissia mé piani otan thimitho
san mouleyes pos m’ agapas
kalé naz[i)]ariko
kè ta trela sou loy[i)]a
m’ ékaman fos mou y[i)]a na hatho
y[i)]ati den ixevra o distihis
pos issoune zoul[i)]ariko.
Some fourteen years ago an ill-advised, excited section of the Hellenes forced their King to declare war on the Porte, and brought no great credit on themselves nor honour to their country’s arms, for Greece was far from ready for such a struggle, and those in office knew it, but were powerless to stop the trouble. However, the war was well managed in this respect, that the leaders of the Army contrived to withdraw from it without any serious disaster; no guns were lost, and out of the 50,000 Greeks pitted against 150,000 Turks, only 400 were killed and 1800 wounded, which is quite good management considering the difficulties of the manœuvring in such very unusual circumstances.