Καημέ του κόσμου

[Geske 37]

This is one the translations I really don't want to post, because the original is lovely and the translation is UGLY, but I promised someone, so I've done my best, and here it is....

Corrected translation below - see 16 june 2008

ΚΑΗΜΕ ΤΟΥ ΚΟΣΜΟΥ_____||_____ OH, GRIEF OF THE WORLD

Μουσική: Κώστας Καλδάρας_____||_____ Music: Kostas Kaldaras

Στίχοι: Λίνα Νικολακοπούλου_____||_____ Lyrics: Lina Nikolanopoulou

Βραχιόλι από χρυσόχαρτο και κόκκινο φουστάνι_____||_____ A bracelet of golden tinsel and a red skirt

σε βρήκα Σαββατόβραδο _____||_____ I found you on a Saturday night

μα για ζωή δε φτάνει_____||_____ But for a lifetime that is not enough

παράτησα το σπίτι μου στην πρώτη κατηφόρα_____||_____ At the first difficulty I gave up my home

και πέταξα το δίχτυ μου εδώ που ζούμε τώρα_____||_____ and cast my net here, where we are living now

Καημέ του κόσμου στεναγμέ όλα τα ναι καήκανε_____||_____ Grief of the world, you sigh! Every 'yes' burned out

και τα μαχαίρια ουρανέ μες στην καρδιά με βρήκανε_____||_____ and heaven! the knives have hit me in the heart

καημέ του κόσμου στεναγμέ όλα τα ναι καήκανε_____||_____ Grief of the world, you sigh! Every 'yes' burned out

κι είπα να πέσεις ουρανέ πιο χαμηλά από μένανε_____||_____ but, heaven! I thought you ought to fall lower than me.

Εμένα που με βλέπετε τα χρόνια μου δεν έχω_____||_____ Me, as you see me, my years are not my own

κι η ερημιά με ντρέπεται που με χτυπάει κι αντέχω_____||_____ and desolation shies away, hitting me while I'm enduring

παράτησα τον ύπνο μου στην πρώτη νυχτερίδα_____||_____ At the first bat I gave up my sleep

στο Μυστικό το Δείπνο μου με φίλησες και είδα_____||_____ at my Last Supper when you kissed me and I saw

Καημέ του κόσμου στεναγμέ όλα τα ναι καήκανε_____||_____ Grief of the world, you sigh! Every 'yes' burned out

και τα μαχαίρια ουρανέ μες την καρδιά με βρήκανε_____||_____ and heaven! the knives have hit me in the heart

καημέ του κόσμου στεναγμέ όλα τα ναι καήκανε_____||_____ Grief of the world, you sigh! Every 'yes' burned out

κι είπα να πέσεις ουρανέ πιο χαμηλά από μένανε_____||_____ but, heaven! I thought you ought to fall lower than me.

[Michael 2]

Εμένα που με βλέπετε τα χρόνια μου δεν έχω_____||_____ Me, as you see me, my years are not my own

I think that "τα χρόνια μου δεν έχω" simply means that I am looking older than I really am.

κι η ερημιά με ντρέπεται που με χτυπάει κι αντέχω_____||_____ and desolation shies away, hitting me while I'm enduring

Difficult to explain why I think that the translation should be different (it has to do with the concrete meaning of the "που" in this context).

For more information see "my" trial to analyze the lyrics:

http://www.dalaras.com/forum/index.php?act...ec4035af04da9c4

[celeste 0]

[For more information see "my" trial to analyze the lyrics:

http://www.dalaras.com/forum/index.php?act...ec4035af04da9c4

Pity your "trial" is not in English. The lyrics are exquisite, I don't know the song but it certainly is original.

And by the way, thanks Geeske for the translation.

[Michael 2]

Celeste, as you are interested in it, I will try to make a translation into English of what I wrote, when I have time to do it. If it succeeds, I will post the result here in this topic.

[celeste 0]

cool.

[Michael 2]

O.k., it was quite difficult work (especially because the formatting [colours, bold letters etc.] is so complicated), but I already did it now.

I wrote down the English translation exactly as it was made by Geske (only a few times I had to change the first and the second part of a sentence so that it fits with the order of the Greek words and my comments).

As already mentioned, there are some details (only a few) where I think that Geske's translation should be corrected. I will refer to these details in the comments below.

Βραχιόλι από χρυσόχαρτο / A bracelet of golden tinsel

---> the bracelet is made of cheap, worthless material, of something that has only the colour of gold; a bracelet as it is worn by a poor girl

και κόκκινο φουστάνι, / and a red skirt,

---> a striking skirt, a skirt that attracts attention

σε βρήκα Σαββατόβραδο / I found you on a Saturday night

- I found you = I met you

- on Saturday night = at the time when people go out (well dressed)

μα για ζωή δε φτάνει. / But for a lifetime that is not enough.

this can be

a) a wish ("I want to spend more time with you - one evening is not enough")

or

b )

the conclusion after the Last Supper (see below)

or

c) a conclusion in the sense of: "No matter how good the relationship is, this is not enough to live a good life."

Παράτησα το σπίτι μου / I gave up my home

= I gave up the life I lived until know, I gave up what was my existence until know

στην πρώτη κατηφόρα / at the first difficulty

και πέταξα το δίχτυ μου/ and cast my net

= I settled down

εδώ που ζούμε τώρα. / here, where we are living now.

---> I stayed with you.

Καημέ του κόσμου, στεναγμέ! / Grief of the world, you sigh!

- grief / sigh: expressions of my sorrow

- It is an invocation of the grief (which hits the world = the people [the Greek word "κόσμος / kosmos" has both meanings: "world" and "people").

Όλα τα "ναι" καήκανε / Every 'yes' burned out

that means: All the plans, all positive things have been destroyed (they have not been realized, they have not come true).

και τα μαχαίρια, ουρανέ, / and heaven! the knives

- heaven! ---> I speak to the place where the fate (destiny) comes from

- the knives = misfortune, distress, pain ...

μες στην καρδιά με βρήκανε./ have hit me in the heart.

Καημέ του κόσμου, στεναγμέ / Grief of the world, you sigh!

όλα τα "ναι" καήκανε / Every 'yes' burned out

κι είπα να πέσεις ουρανέ / but*, heaven! I thought you ought to fall

- It is a wish or even a curse ("and, heaven, I wished you fall ...").

- *) Concerning Geske's "but": It is not written in this way in the Greek original where there is simply an "and". ( ---> The wish/curse is something like the consequence of the fact that every "yes" is burnt.)

πιο χαμηλά από μένανε. / lower than me.

---> I curse the heaven (= the fate / the destiny) which is so cruel: Because of my misfortune I have sunk so low that I curse the heaven to sink lower than me.

Εμένα που με βλέπετε / Me, as you see me,

τα χρόνια μου δεν έχω, / my years are not my own *

*) The Greek words literally mean: "Me, as you see me [that's an expression used in the Greek language], I do not have my years [an expression too]".

So the meaning is simply: "I look older than I am" (because the situation made me getting old)".

κι η ερημιά με ντρέπεται / and desolation shies away,

που με χτυπάει κι αντέχω. / hitting me while I'm enduring.*

- The meaning is: Desolation (isolation, loneliness, solitude ...) is shy of me (= is ashamed) because it hits me in such a cruel way and I am (nevertheless) enduring.

- *) So perhaps this "because" should be expressed more explicitly in the English translation.

Παράτησα τον ύπνο μου / I gave up my sleep

= I stopped to sleep

στην πρώτη νυχτερίδα, / at the first bat,

The bat seems to be here a symbol for nightmares, sadness, unpleasant thoughts, sad memories etc.

στο Μυστικό το Δείπνο μου / at my Last Supper

The Last Supper is the symbol for a decisive point from which on everything changes (like the Last Supper for Jesus Christ).

με φίλησες και είδα. / when* you kissed me and I saw.

- you kissed me: a reference to Judas' kiss in the Bible

- I saw = I understood (that the love is not true)

- *) Concerning Geske's "when": It is not in the original. The sentence is simply: "At my Last Supper you kissed me and I saw." (Perhaps after the words "at the first bat" should be placed a full stop so that this is more clear.)

Καημέ του κόσμου, στεναγμέ / Grief of the world, you sigh!

όλα τα "ναι" καήκανε / Every 'yes' burned out

.....

[Michael 2]

I don't know the song

So you miss the best part: the music and Dalaras' voice which is really phantastic in this song. To my mind the song belongs to his best ones.

(This was also the reason why I dealt with the lyrics in a more detailed way although in many cases I do not appreciate Lina Nikolakopoulou's way of writing lyrics.)

[celeste 0]

Thank you VERY much Michael.

However I still find these lyrics very strange, they don't seem to make much sense.

Anyway, I really feel like listening to this song.

[Michael 2]

However I still find these lyrics very strange, they don't seem to make much sense.

This happens often in the case of Lina Nikolakopoulou's lyrics ...

Anyway, in comparison with other of her songs these lyrics seem to me relatively clear, concerning the sense (in comparison with other of her songs).

Nevertheless, I am not enthusiastic about them too ....

[Geske 37]

After Michael's explanation (whether this or the German original) I'd find them obscure too...

The only pointer I have to give is that it's a song where the translation is of very limited usefulness, because the sounds of the words (not just their meaning, but also the sound they make when you say them) are important. It's more than mere rhyming and more than playing around with words.

Celeste, I think when you hear Dalaras sing it, you'll get it. I know I got it, long before I knew the translation of a single word.

[celeste 0]

I'm sure it will happen to me too...

[Michael 2]

After Michael's explanation (whether this or the German original) [...]

Only to avoid misunderstandings: there is no German original. The attempt of explaining the lyrics was made originally in Greek, exactly as I posted it in the other topic.

After Michael's explanation (...) I'd find them obscure too...

To me they were definitely more obscure before the explanations.

[Geske 37]

Joke on me! Once again i forgot in what language I read something.

It really IS funny: I can count on the fingers of one hand the times I've inadvertently spoken to someone in the "wrong" language, but I daily have trouble remembering in what language I've read this that or the other...

[Geske 37]

I haven't re-read all we wrote years ago about this song.

But since, for no particular reason, I've just corrected my translation of it, I thought I might as well post it.

ΚΑΗΜΕ ΤΟΥ ΚΟΣΜΟΥ .........||........ OH, GRIEF OF THE WORLD

Μουσική: Κώστας Καλδάρας .........||........ Music: Kostas Kaldaras

Στίχοι: Λίνα Νικολακοπούλου .........||........ Lyrics: Lina Nikolanopoulou

Βραχιόλι από χρυσόχαρτο και κόκκινο φουστάνι .........||........ A bracelet of golden tinsel and a red skirt

σε βρήκα Σαββατόβραδο .........||........ I found you on a Saturday night

μα για ζωή δε φτάνει .........||........ But for a lifetime that is not enough

παράτησα το σπίτι μου στην πρώτη κατηφόρα .........||........ At the first climb, I abandoned my home,

και πέταξα το δίχτυ μου εδώ που ζούμε τώρα .........||........ and cast my net here, where we are living now

Καημέ του κόσμου στεναγμέ όλα τα ναι καήκανε .........||........ Oh grief of the world, oh sigh! Every 'yes' burned out,

και τα μαχαίρια ουρανέ μες στην καρδιά με βρήκανε .........||........ and the knives, o heaven! have hit me in the heart.

καημέ του κόσμου στεναγμέ όλα τα ναι καήκανε .........||........ Oh grief of the world, oh sigh! Every 'yes' burned out,

κι είπα να πέσεις ουρανέ πιο χαμηλά από μένανε .........||........ but I thought, oh heaven! that you should fall even lower than me.

Εμένα που με βλέπετε τα χρόνια μου δεν έχω .........||........ Me, as you see me, I haven't lived the years I seem

κι η ερημιά με ντρέπεται που με χτυπάει κι αντέχω .........||........ And desolation, in shame, is beating at me, and I am enduring.

παράτησα τον ύπνο μου στην πρώτη νυχτερίδα .........||........ At the first bat, I gave up my sleep,

στο Μυστικό το Δείπνο μου με φίλησες και είδα .........||........ At my Last Supper, you kissed me and I saw.

Καημέ του κόσμου στεναγμέ όλα τα ναι καήκανε .........||........ Oh grief of the world, oh sigh! Every 'yes' burned out,

και τα μαχαίρια ουρανέ μες την καρδιά με βρήκανε .........||........ and the knives, o heaven! have hit me in the heart.

καημέ του κόσμου στεναγμέ όλα τα ναι καήκανε .........||........ Oh grief of the world, oh sigh! Every 'yes' burned out,

κι είπα να πέσεις ουρανέ πιο χαμηλά από μένανε .........||........ but I thought, oh heaven! that you should fall even lower than me.