Τώρα που θα φύγεις

[Geske 37]

I was bored to death with the translation I'm being paid to do, so I thought I'd post this for relaxation. It's one of those modest songs you can miss so easily - and yet, and yet...

Btw, does anybody know who or what Frangoyannos is?

ΤΣΡΑ ΠΟΥ ΘΑ ΦΥΓΕΙΣ

Τώρα που θα φύγεις

πάρε μάζι σου υια φυλαχτό

μυρτιά και πικροδάφνη

και της Φραγογιαννούς τα πάθη

Και στρώσε τη ζωή σου

μ'αγρύπνια και μαράζι

για του καιρού τ'αγιάζι

και για την αμοιβή σου

νερό τοθ παραδείσου θα γινώ

Τώρα πυ θα φέγεις

πάρε μάζι σου και το Χριστό

NOW YOU'RE GOING AWAY

Now you're going away

Take with you, as your lucky charm,

Some myrtle and some oleander

And Frangoyannou's suffering

And live your life

Sleepless and pining

For the coldness of the weather

And for your reward

I'll become holy water

Now that you are going away

Take Christ with you, too.

Music by Stavros Kougioumtsis, lyrics by Manos Elefteriou.

[gazakas 0]

To Geeske:

 I believe Fragkogiannou is the heroine of Al.Papadiamantis' book,"Η Φόνισσα"(The Murderer).The book(1903)is about an old woman that ,when she realizes the life of a woman is a life of slavery, starts a series of murders of little girls,in order to free them of such a future.The writer reflects on poor woman's thoughts in a very deep manner,succeeding to give us lively her passions(πάθη).

   That the only Fragkogiannou I have in mind and I think she is the right one...

(Sorry for my English....)  

[Geske 37]

WOW! What a story. One more book to look for.

Thank you very much Gazaka, and believe me, if my Greek were only one hundreth as good as your English, I'd be jumping for joy!

[Geske 37]

I've just realized I might have misunderstood one line of this song. It might be:

Για του καιρού τ' αγιάζι ___||___ To cool the weather,

meaning "for refreshement during the hot weather".

[Michael 2]

I've just realized I might have misunderstood one line of this song. It might be:

Για του καιρού τ' αγιάζι  ___||___  To cool the weather,

meaning "for refreshement during the hot weather".

Neither the one nor the other really fits, is my spontaneous impression (), but I will have to think about it.

[Michael 2]

Well, it is difficult to say something substantial when you do not have the slightest idea how to interprete the (original greek) lyrics - and this is what happens to me in case of this song. ( )

So I will only mention it as general remarks:

1. "Kαιρός" is not only "weather". It could have the meaning "time" too.

2. "Αγιάζι" is not only the "(sharp) cold / the chill". It has also the meaning "hoarfrost" ("πάχνη") = the frozen wetness you can see on windows, leaves, grass etc. when it is very cold.

So before knowing an convincing interpretation about the meaning of the song, I will be sceptical about every translation of the verse "για του καιρού τ αγιάζι".

[Geske 37]

Michael, I definitely recommend the book. When I think of it, I can still smell the smoke, feel the sun in my neck and the cold wind and the sharp stones under my feet - and hear the sea coming to engulf me.

But I can't think of anything in it that will help with this bothersome line. Good excuse to re-read it (translation - the original is still beyond my Greek)...

If I take αγιάζι as in "cooling down", like the poor guy in the Akis Panou song who want to go to hell to cool down; and καιρός as weather; then I conclude hot summer weather, when one is in need of cooling water (of paradise).

If I take αγιαζι as frost, hoarfrost, chill... and καιρός as "weather", I get wintry weather; but I can't find what the water of paradise has to do with it, or can do about it.

If I take αγιάζι as frost and καιρος as time, I get "the coldness of time" (compare to του κόσμου η παγονιά), the coldness that time, passing, leaves in its wake (in physics they call it Entropy).

And since I'm being systematic:

If I take αγιάζι as "cooling down", and καιρός as "time", I conclude Purgatory (Frangogiannou dies at the end of the story, unshriven though repentant - therefore she ought to be in Purgatory, unless the Orthodox have different rules about that than other kinds of Christians). Holy water would definitely be a good comforter in Purgatory.

I hadn't thought of this one before, but it's as good as any other. You know what... I don't know!!! :blink:

[Michael 2]

Michael, I definitely recommend the book.

I know that I should have read it since a long time. (It even exists in a German translation.)

I hadn't thought of this one before, but it's as good as any other. You know what... I don't know!!!  :blink:

:lol:

[Antometrios 0]

Geske, Orthodox Christians do not believe in Purgatory. They maintain a less legalistic view of judgement than Western Christians do--sin as sickness more than a punishable offense--and thus the idea of needing to be "purged" never developed in the East.

But I think the idea is a widely known one, even there. I don't know why I think this, actually. Maybe I'm wrong. I have a feeling they (Greeks in Greece) know what Purgatory supposedly is, though, and perhaps even reference it in music. It's certainly makes for a poetic concept.

[Christo 9]

The odd thing is though Antometrios

is that Orthodox Christians still pray for the lost souls of friends & family members when they've departed from us

especially during the time of Memorial service after the Divine Liturgy in Church.

Perhaps in some ironic way Orthodox Christians without them realizing it, are indded praying for their lost loved ones just in case they are in purgatory or in hades and want them to find there way to heaven if at all possible.

[panosb 0]

Perhaps in some ironic way Orthodox Christians without them realizing it, are indded praying for their lost loved ones just in case they are in purgatory or in hades and want them to find there way to heaven if at all possible.

Just for the record:

As Antometrios mentioned, for Orthodox Christians there is no purgatory.

There is only Heaven (Pradise) or Hell.

The purgatory was "invented" by the Catholic Church.

Plus, in general, the soul does not travel and keep searching for its way. Thus the prayers are not like those in the Book of the Dead - like in ancient Egypt.

The prayers are made in order to ask for mercy, hoping that God will forgive the sins made by our lost loved ones.

[Geske 37]

Αγιάζη...

αγιάση, ίσος; δηλαδή (ευχαριστούμε κύριε Μπαμπινιότη) «αγιασμός, άγιασμα: η τελέτη καθαγιασμού...

αυτό τουλάχιστον θα πει κάτι για το «νερό του παραδείσου».

προτείνω λοιπόν:

Για του καιρού τ' αγιάζι ___||___ For the consecration of time