Karavas through the popular muse

The following mantinades extol the beauty of Karavas on Kythira. Karavas, one of the most beautiful villages on Kythira, has always been renowned for its stunning landscape, its magnificent springs, its idyllic ravine, its almond trees, its fruit, and of course its beautiful young women, the “Karavito-girls,” who made many hearts flutter—or even ache. Thus, there are many mantinades that extol the beauty of the girls of Karava and some that express lament for unrequited love………
Oh, poor Karava, with your almond trees
And with your cold waters and your girls!
I'll cut into your oranges just to smell them
Let me keep them so I can smell them and never forget you.
The Admiral of Karava, who has plenty of water
It makes girls look like lemon trees and young men like cypress trees.
The Amiralite water has a key that locks it
He has pretty girls, but he doesn't show them off.
In Amirali, I drank some water and sat on the bench
And a girl named Karavitopoula stole my heart.
You have lent me your beauty, my lovely almond tree
In Karavitokoritsa, where I hang out.
Arbutus trees in Gerakari and heather in Brogi
And in beautiful Karava, there are violets and cypress trees
There's a fire burning in the ravine at Karava
Who has ever come here and left without a heavy heart?;
Everyone tells me to refuse Karavas the road
But how can I turn away from him when my heart is aching?;
I don't go to Karava anymore just to take short walks
Why did they lock my windows and doors?.
In Karava, I was wounded; I’ll never heal
I'm going to Amiralos to go and die.
You were born in Karava, my brown-haired Mariola
And you became the incurable wound in my soul.
In Karava, I'm going to marry a beautiful fairy
They're going to give me almonds and pears as a dowry.
(The lyrics were compiled by Dora Menti from the folklore projects of students at the Kythira Junior High School.)