Alkinoos!

Anyone up for some translations?? Alkinoos Iwannidhs is not my dream to translate myself you see...

Πρώτη Μαϊου

Πρώτη Μαΐου κι απ' τη Βαστίλη
ξεκινάνε οι καρδιές των φοιτητών
χίλιες σημαίες κόκκινες μαύρες
Ο Φρεδερίκο η Κατρίν και η Σιμόν

Μέσα στους δρόμους μέσα στο πλήθος
τρέχω στους δρόμους ψάχνω στο πλήθος
πού ειν' το κορίτσι το κορίτσι που αγαπώ

Πες μου Μαρία μήπως θυμάσαι
κείνο το βράδυ που σε πήρα αγκαλιά
Πρώτη Μαΐου, όπως και τώρα
κι εγώ φιλούσα τα μακριά σου τα μαλλιά

Μέσα στους δρόμους μέσα στο πλήθος
τρέχω στους δρόμους ψάχνω στο πλήθος
πού ειν' το κορίτσι το κορίτσι που αγαπώ

Πρώτη Μαΐου μαύρα τα ξένα
κλείσε το τζάμι μην κρυώσει το παιδί


Η επιστροφή του ασώτου

Μέσα στο κέφι του γλεντιού και στου κρασιού τη ζάλη
ένας μικρός εμίλησε μ' αποκοτιά μεγάλη:
"Ξένε, ό,τι είχες να μας πεις, όλα θαρρώ μας τα 'πες,
γύρισες όταν έχασες, όνειρα και αγάπες".

Πιότερο τον επίκρανε κι απ' τη ντροπή του νόστου
που ο μικρός δε γνώρισε πως ήταν αδερφός του.
Σαν τέλειωσε η ξεφάντωση, πήγε στην καμαρά του
που 'χανε βάψει οι τοίχοι της από τα όνειρά του.

Κι όπως εξετυλίγονταν τα όνειρα τα πρώτα,
ο αδερφός του χτύπησε της κάμαρας την πόρτα,
και το 'πε πως από καιρό τον τυρρανά η σκέψη,
μ' απόψε τ' αποφάσισε άλαργο να μισέψει.

Επόνεσε όπως πονεί παλιά πληγή π' ανοίγει
και του διπλοπαράγγελνε τι πρέπει ν' αποφύγει.
"Εκεί στα ξένα που θα πας, μην πιεις νερό αδερφέ μου,
τση λησμονιάς και μαραθείς, ανθέ και καντιφέ μου.

Κάμε σαίτα την καρδιά να σκίσει τον αέρα,
να φτάσεις όπου έφτασα κι ακόμη παραπέρα.
Και το στερνό που θα σου πω πριν από τη φυγή σου,
πρόσεξε στο ταξίδι σου μη χάσεις την ψυχή σου".

Μέσα στη νύχτα μείνανε για ώρα αγκαλιασμένοι
και νιώθαν πως μ' αόρατο σκοινί ήτανε δεμένοι.
Κι όπως τον συναπόβγανε και μάκραινε η σκιά του,
έπεσε στο προσκέφαλο κι έκλαψ' απ' την καρδιά του.

Alkinoos takes a VERY fresh mind indeed to be able to "interprete" ... !!! ...

Besides, it is the kind of "work" that I don't just "easily" go ahead to "touch" ... !!! ...

So, please, allow (me atleast) the space and time I would need for something like that ,,, which unfortunately, these days I don't really have ... ...

Wish I met you guys earlier ... The experience of my recent past wouldn't be remotely as dreadful as it has been ... !!! ...


Philadelphia

Don't worry my friend! I don't want anyone to hurry with these lyrics...

I'm happy you found the people in here just as great as I found them! And you surely have been colouring up in here with your "fresh" spirit

Aχ! O Αλκίνοος Ιωαννίδης είναι ο αγαπημένος μου τραγουδιστής. H αγάπη της ζωής μου! =))

I wouldn't dare to translate any of his songs though, that would be a sacrilege.

I've been away for a while... It's good to be back, guys.

And it's good to see you, Philadelphia.

I'm glad you like him Panselinos.. hehe. And I understand you don't dare to translate his song.. believe me!!

Happy to have you back here

It is funny to talk to you both, BOTH in HERE and "OURANE" thread ... lol ...

However, I meant to say something with regard to the 1st song, you've posted in here, omorfi mou.

The lyrics belong to a great composer/poet of the music scene, (even before I was born) of the 60's mainly, called Manos Louizou. He also is of Cyprus decent and a "revolutionary" of his time ... actually, more or less a "John Lennon" of Greek music ... also died quite young, which made his songs even more legendary ... ...
His work is VERY well known and sang by MANY ...
... "PROTI MAIOU" is an "anthem" ... popularized also by "Vassilis Papakonstandinou", "Haris Alexiou" and more recently with "Alkinoos Ioannides" ...

Teenage bands of MY "time", where into songs like that aswell ...
There are GREAT SONGS to be discovered by every new generation and make them their own ... !
I am very glad to see YOU are also "touched" by songs like that ...

Thanks for your interesting information Philadelphia!!

Oh! And by the way, IF you would be "calling" Alkinoos "directly" as panselinos pointed out ... it would be "Alkinoe" ... lol ...

Kalinihta sas

Sounds weird... heheh...

Kalhnuxta!

Just a slight explanation, if you allow me, Philadelphia mou: the composer's name is Manos Loizos, but here the diagramme "oi" is not the monophthong "i", it represents the diphthong "oi" - Μάνος Λοΐζος (with dialytics+stress at second component).
He's a legend alright.

"Πρώτη Μαΐου" is not a song by Alkinoos indeed. I assume you've listened to Ioannidis' latest album "Synantisi", omorfi mou. It's not a new album actually, it's a compilation of all the songs Alkinoos has written for other people, sung on other artists releases, soundtracks, performed other singers songs... etc.
In a nutshell: all of the songs he has never released on any of his own albums.

For instance, "Ιδαίοι δάκτυλοι" is a song (an actual Orphic hymn, in Ancient Greek of course), included in Daemonia Nymphe's album of the same name. "Εγώ κι εσύ μαζί" (duet with Tzimis Panousis) is from Toy Story's OST (originally: Randy Newman and Lyle Lovett), "Η τέλεια παρεξήγηση" is from one of Active Member's albums, "Μπαξέ Τσιφλίκι" is a famous rempetiko song by Vasilis Tsitsanis, "Ένα το χελιδόνι" is...
Now that's a classic. It's a part of Odysseas Elytis' (Noble Prize laureate in Literature) masterpiece "Axion Esti", which the composer Mikis Theodorakis has turned into a great oratorio.
The others are just songs Alkinoos has written for artists like Eleni Tsaligopoulou and Eleftheria Arvanitaki.


P.S. Yeah, like "Αχ, ρε Αλκίνοε, τι μου έχεις κάνει και σ' αγαπώ τόσο πολύ;!" :P

Yes, you are right I have listened to the latest album from him

"Galazio mistiko" is the first song I ever heard of Alkinoos, and I found it very different from music I usally listen to.

You seem to know a lot on this topic Panselinos!

Anyway I have to go to bed now... I'm "hearing" music even after I have switched it off, it's kinda freaky really... I must have been sleeping to little indeed!

So good night!

This was written and composed by a great figure of the Greek Music Firmament Manos Loizou. He is more or less the "John Lennon" of the Greek music scene. A beautiful, "political", "revolutionary" poet and "lyrical" musician. "First of May" is an "anthem" that was sang -firstly by Manos Loizou himself- by Haris Alexiou, Vassilis Papakonstandinou and more recently by Alkinoos Ioannides. It's a song about the "Students' Revolution" in France, in May of 1968 (if I am not mistaken). First of May, is also a holiday in Greek culture, known as "Protomaya" and it's a day in which people "venture ouward" into Nature, to gather flowers and make "flowery wreaths" that are hang on the front door of the Greek houses. It's a celebration for the end of Winter and a welcoming greeting to "Spring" and "Resurrection" ...



Πρώτη Μαϊου
/ Proti Maiou
First of May

Πρώτη Μαΐου κι απ' τη Βαστίλη
/ proti Maiou ki ap' ti Vastili
first of May, and from Bastille
ξεκινάνε οι καρδιές των φοιτητών
/ xekinane i kardies ton fititon
"commence the students' hearts"
χίλιες σημαίες κόκκινες μαύρες
/ hilies simees, kokkines, mavres
thousands of banners, red, black
Ο Φρεδερίκο η Κατρίν και η Σιμόν
/ o Frideriko, i Katrin ke i Simon
Frederick, Katrine and Simone

Μέσα στους δρόμους, μέσα στο πλήθος
/ mesa stous dromous, mesa sto plithos
in the streets, in the crowds
τρέχω στους δρόμους, ψάχνω στο πλήθος
/ treho stous dromous, psahno sto plithos
I run the streets, I search the crowds
πού ειν' το κορίτσι, το κορίτσι που αγαπώ
/ pou in' to koritsi, to koritsi pou agapo
where is the girl, the girl that I love

Πες μου Μαρία, μήπως θυμάσαι
/ pes mou Maria, mipos thimase
tell me Maria, do you remember (by any chance)
κείνο το βράδυ που σε πήρα αγκαλιά
/ kino to vradi pou se pira agalia
"that late afternoon I took you in my arms"
Πρώτη Μαΐου, όπως και τώρα
/ proti Maiou, opos ke tora
first of May, "just like at present"
κι εγώ φιλούσα τα μακριά σου τα μαλλιά
/ ki ego filousa ta makria sou ta malia
and I was kissing your long hair

Μέσα στους δρόμους, μέσα στο πλήθος
/ mesa stous dromous, mesa sto plithos
in the streets, in the crowds
τρέχω στους δρόμους, ψάχνω στο πλήθος
/ treho stous dromous, psahno sto plithos
I run the streets, I search the crowds
πού ειν' το κορίτσι, το κορίτσι που αγαπώ
/ pou in' to koritsi, to koritsi pou agapo
where is the girl, the girl that I love

Πρώτη Μαΐου, μαύρα τα ξένα
/ proti Maiou, mavra ta xena
first of May, "it's gloom to be away from home"
κλείσε το τζάμι, μην κρυώσει το παιδί
/ klise to tzami, min kriosi to pedi
close the window, "don't want the child to get cold"

________________________________________
Wow! What a song! A "prayer" indeed ...


Philladelphia

By the way, "panseline" mou ... it was a "slip" in my typing that got the name spelled wrong ... I typed "LoUizou", when the name is simply "LOIZOU" like you have eplained it ... thank you ...

eXplained ... I am getting worse ... lol ...

Err... I actually hadn't noticed that. lol
The only reason I made that explanation was because I thought omorfi might read "oi" like "i" - "Lizos".

panselinos: You are right, I would read it like an "i" .. But now I wont! haha.

Philadelphia: THANKS for a wonderful translation. First of May is actually a holiday here too, the workers liberation day. "όπως και τώρα" is that an expression?

... it's the way to say "as (things are) now" in Greek ... literally, "as (it is) and now" ...

ok

Η επιστροφή του ασώτου
The return of the prodigal (son)


Μέσα στο κέφι του γλεντιού και στου κρασιού τη ζάλη
Within the fiesta’s good spirits and the wine’s giddiness
ένας μικρός εμίλησε μ' αποκοτιά μεγάλη:
A little one spoke with great boldness:
"Ξένε, ό,τι είχες να μας πεις, όλα θαρρώ μας τα 'πες,
«Stranger, whatever you had to tell us, I assume you have already told us,
γύρισες όταν έχασες, όνειρα και αγάπες".
You came back when you lost dreams and affections”.

Πιότερο τον επίκρανε κι απ' τη ντροπή του νόστου
He felt more bitter than the disgrace of repatriation
που ο μικρός δε γνώρισε πως ήταν αδερφός του.
that the little one did not recognise that it was his brother.
Σαν τέλειωσε η ξεφάντωση, πήγε στην καμαρά του
As soon as the celebration was over, he went to his chamber
που 'χανε βάψει οι τοίχοι της από τα όνειρά του.
Where his dreams had painted its walls.

Κι όπως εξετυλίγονταν τα όνειρα τα πρώτα,
And as the former dreams started to unfold,
ο αδερφός του χτύπησε της κάμαρας την πόρτα,
his brother knocked on the chamber’s door,
και το 'πε πως από καιρό τον τυρρανά η σκέψη,
And spoke of it, that for some time now, a thought is weighing him down
μ' απόψε τ' αποφάσισε άλαργο να μισέψει.
But tonight, he made up his mind, to depart for afar

Επόνεσε όπως πονεί παλιά πληγή π' ανοίγει
He felt pain, just like an old wound that opens hurts
και του διπλοπαράγγελνε τι πρέπει ν' αποφύγει.
And proceeded in doubly counselling him of what he must avoid.
"Εκεί στα ξένα που θα πας, μην πιεις νερό αδερφέ μου,
«There, in the far away lands where you will go, do not drink (the) water, my brother,
τση λησμονιάς και μαραθείς, ανθέ και καντιφέ μου.
Of oblivion and fade away, my blossom and marigold.

Κάμε σαίτα την καρδιά να σκίσει τον αέρα,
Make arrow, of your heart, let it rip the air
να φτάσεις όπου έφτασα κι ακόμη παραπέρα.
To reach the places that I have reached and go even further.
Και το στερνό που θα σου πω πριν από τη φυγή σου,
And the last thing I’ll tell you, before your leave
πρόσεξε στο ταξίδι σου μη χάσεις την ψυχή σου".
Take heed, not to lose your soul in your journey”.

Μέσα στη νύχτα μείνανε για ώρα αγκαλιασμένοι
During the night, they stayed embraced for a long time
και νιώθαν πως μ' αόρατο σκοινί ήτανε δεμένοι.
And they felt that they were bound, by an invisible cord
Κι όπως τον συναπόβγανε και μάκραινε η σκιά του,
And as he walked him out and his shadow grew small
έπεσε στο προσκέφαλο κι έκλαψ' απ' την καρδιά του.
He fell on the doorstep and wept from his heart.