Posted July 26, 2003 · Report post The lyrics are not the essence of this song, but since I wanted - or rather, needed - to learn them anyway, I thought I'd post them. I did a translation of this a while ago with the help of Antonis, my faithful friend and teacher, but I left that file where I can't get at it, so I did this from memory and a dictionary. The lack will be most obvious in the footnotes, where I have to leave a lot of blanks - I remember some of what Antonis filled in for me, but not all and not well enough... Take me back to the stars in the sky. Take the Irodeion back up to heaven and all of us with it. Go on - sing... Χίλια μύρια κύματα || A hundred thousand waves Στίχοι: Κ.Χ Μυρής || Lyrics: K. Myris Μουσική: Γιάννης Μαρκόπουλος || Music: Giannis Markopoulos Χίλια μύρια κύματα || A hundred thousand waves μακριά τ' Αϊβαλί || Aïvali far away Μέρες της αρμύρας || Days salt as the sea κι ο ήλιος πάντα εκεί || and the sun always there πάντα εκεί || always there με τα Μακεδονίτικα πουλιά || with the Makedonian birds και τ' αρμενάκια || and the little ships που ελοξοδρόμησαν || that lost their course και χάσανε || and missed την Μπαρμπαριά || the coast of Barbary Πότε || Ever παραμονεύοντας τον πόρφυρα || lurking in ambush, the shark, το μαύρο ψάρι || the black fish έρχεται φεύγει || coming and going μικραίνουν οι κύκλοι του || his circles tightening Χίλια μύρια κύματα || A hundred thousand waves μακριά τ' Αϊβαλί || Aïvali far away Μεγάλωσαν τα γένια μας || Our beards grew long η ψυχή μας αλλιώτεψε || our soul changed αγριεμένο το σκυλί || the dog, mad with anger, γαβγίζει τη φωνή του || tears his voice barking βοήθα καλέ μου || help, my dear, μη φαγωθούμε || don't let us devour μεταξύ μας || each other Χίλια μύρια κύματα || A hundred thousand waves μακριά τ' Αϊβαλί || Aïvali far away Ώρες ώρες 'μερεύουμε || Hours after hour we brought him under the spell με τη χορδή της λύρας || with the strings of the lyre δεμένος πισθάγκωνα || tied up with his hands behind his back στο μεσιανό κατάρτι || to the main mast ο Χιώτης || the man from Chios ο τυφλός τραγουδιστής || the blind singer βραχνός προφήτης || the hoarse profet μασώντας τη μαστίχα του || chewing his mastika παινεύει την Ελένη || he is singing the praise of Helen κι άλλοτε τη Τζαβέλαινα || and elsewhere Tzavelaina τραβάει στο χορό, || is leading the dance στο χορό || the dance Χίλια μύρια κύματα || A hundred thousand waves μακριά τ' Αϊβαλί || Aïvali far away Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 26, 2003 · Report post I'll have a go at some explanations, as far as I can. Ώρες ώρες 'μερεύουμε με τη χορδή της λύρας δεμένος πισθάγκωνα στο μεσιανό κατάρτι Hours after hour we brought him under the spell with the strings of the lyre tied up with his hands behind his back to the main mast *This is from the Odyssey of course. Odysseas tied to the mast with his hands behind his back to listen to the music, while his companions with their ears stopped with was rowed past the sirens. It sounds like something out of a computer game adventure... The Odyssey. "The first novel and the first book worth reading for its story" (T.E.Lawrence dixit). Go and get it! Go on! ο Χιώτης ο τυφλός τραγουδιστής βραχνός προφήτης the man from Chios the blind singer the hoarse profet * That means Homer, who according to Greek tradition was supposed to be from Chios, and blind. (According to German scholarship he was supposed to have never existed, but it's not a good idea to believe everything the scholars say; or everything the Germans says; or anything anyone says, maybe...). μασώντας τη μαστίχα του chewing his mastika * This is funny. They have a special kind of pine tree on Chios from which they take small lumps of resin, to chew in the way we use chewing gum. I'd love to try that... Pine resin is massively useful stuff anyway, used for anything from caulking ships to stopping wine jars (incidentally creating retsina in the process). παινεύει την Ελένη he is singing the praise of Helen * That's still Homer, the Iliad this time. κι άλλοτε τη Τζαβέλαινα τραβάει στο χορό, στο χορό and elsewhere Tzavelaina is leading the dance * Here I've forgotten most of the details, but it's a poetic anachronism since it's an episode from the insurection of the Greeks against the Turkish rule. Tzavelaina led the women of her village to fight their way through the Turkish ranks up to the brim of a ravine, and then singing and dancing to jump into it to their deaths, rather than stay and be raped. Sensible woman, Tzavelaina. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 26, 2003 · Report post μασώντας τη μαστίχα του chewing his mastika * This is funny. They have a special kind of pine tree on Chios from which they take small lumps of resin, to chew in the way we use chewing gum. I'd love to try that... Pine resin is massively useful stuff anyway, used for anything from caulking ships to stopping wine jars (incidentally creating retsina in the process).QUOTE] Geeske, since I know you like to have precise information, here it is [...] Pistacia lentiscus L. Anacardiaceæ Lentisk, Mastic Tree native to the Mediterranean Basin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A resinous exudation (Mastic) from this tree, only cultivated in twenty-one villages on the island of Chios (Grecian Archipelago), is harvested as follows: Incisions are made in the trunk and large branches, from which the sap, on exuding, either hardens on the bark in tears, or drops to the ground, where it is caught in cloths. It is of light yellow color and is nearly odorless. It is often used in the manufacture of high grade varnishes of pale color for the protection of oil paintings. It is soluble in both alcohol and turpentine. (Similar to, but softer, more able to be masticated than the resin Sandarac, from Tetraclinis articulata, which is brittle, breaking into a powder) [...] Mastic chewing is said to have been very popular among ladies of the sultan's harems..... According to G. Skifas the Greek name of the tree is ο σχίνος. The pine tree is το πεύκο. The song is beautiful. Up to the 21rst of June I knew only Xilouris' version - very moving too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites