No sooner do Ionian Islanders mark the anniversary of the (peaceful) Union of the Seven Islands with Greece (May 21st, 1864), than Greeks around the world remember the violent fall of Constantinople on May 29th, 1453.
“Πήραν την Πόλη, πήραν την, πήραν τη Σαλονίκη…” (C. Fauriel, Chants populaires de la Grece moderne, Paris 1825, p. 340;
https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k113943j/f1.image.texteImage)
The following lines are from
The Last Weekend in May, by Nicholas Samaras, a poem which, I assume, refers to the annual patriotic parade which was, and perhaps still is, held by the Greeks of New York. It happens to be about a march to honour the dead, which the poet recalls from his school and scouting days in the 1950's.
I had another look at Sir Steven Runciman's book, The Fall of Constantinople:
Theofilos
I listened to the traditional Greek lamentation-
-and I made note of the last three lines of Nicholas Samaras' poem:
"In silence, burn
every flag that separates
one soul from one soul".
Nicholas Samaras was born in England in 1954. From there he went to Woburn, Massachusetts
and to New York. His father was a Greek Orthodox priest.
Some patriotic Greek websites/blogs on the Fall of Constantinople
Πήραν την Πόλη, πήρανε, μωρέ πήραν τη Σαλονίκη
πήραν κι την- πήραν κι την Αγια-Σοφιά.
Πήραν κι την Αγια-Σοφιά, το μέγα μαναστήρι,
μι τιτρακόσια σήμαντρα, μ’ ιξήντα δυο καμπάνις
πάσα καμπάνα κι παπάς, πάσα παπάς κι διάκος.
Να κι η κυρά η Παναγιά, στην πόρτα πάει και στάθη
και στους μαστόρους έλεγε και στους μαστόρους λέει.
Μαστόροι μη δουλεύετε, μη χάνετε τον κόπο
κι εδώ ’κκλησιά δε γίνεται κι μέγα μαναστήρι,
θα γίνει τούρκικο τζαμί να προσκυνούν οι κλέφτις
