Firstly I wanna thank kmmy for the cooperation in this one.
Well, this song speaks about a certain era (late 60's early 70's).
Lyrics describe pictures of Greece from those years and focuses in the youth
of a generation that nowadays should be reaching their 60 year of age.
So even if Nikolakopoulou, who wrote it, is considered nowadays as a poet,
this song may be translated without the fear of spoiling some "great" well-hidden secret meaning.
Read it just as if it's the remembrance of a couple's youth!
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Title Ta laika
Lyrics/Poetry: Lina Nikolakopoulou
Music: Stamati Kraounakis
Sung by Alkistis Protopsalti
CD: Anthropon erga (UNIVERSAL 1993)
Track no: 03
Link to song->http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M_E-Vzxq9o&fmt=18
A channel dedicated to Nikolakopoulou ->http://www.youtube.com/user/thalassa212
Τα πιο ωραία λαϊκά σε σπίτια με μωσαϊκά τα είχαμε χορέψει
We had danced the best laika songs in houses with mosaic floors
γαλάζιο γύψο η οροφή και τα τακούνια μου καρφί
Blue gyps on the ceiling and my heels were like nails (0)
κι από την πρώτη την στροφή, το στόμα εγώ το ‘χα λατρέψει.
From the very first chorus, I adored this mouth (the one's who's talking to)
Κορίτσια αγόρια σ’ ένα χωλ και τα φιστίκια μες το μπωλ κι οι γέροι στη βεράντα
Boys and girls in the same living room, and nuts in a dish, and the old people in the balcony
με το ρυθμό της μουσικής και με μπλου-τζην Αμερικής (1)
within music's rhythm and in american blue jeans
μια εφηβεία επιεικής που γίνεται σαράντα.
(It is/was)an easy going puberty that now turns forty (2)
Δε γυρνάνε λέμε, πίσω ποτέ, τα καλά παιδιά σ’ εκείνα τα χρόνια
Listen to me, nice guys never go back to those years,
έρωτά μου τώρα πληγωμένε μου αητέ στάχυα είμαστε στου χρόνου τ’ αλώνια.
My Love, my wounded eagle, we are just hay in time's threshing floor.
Έλα μην κλαις, μη μου κλαις σε γιάτρεψα λύπες και αγάπες παλιές ανάτρεψα.
Come on now, don't cry, I have cured you. I've proved wrong all your old loves and sorrows
Έλα μην κλαις, μη μου κλαις στ’ ορκίζομαι για παραισθήσεις καλές φημίζομαι.
Come on now, don't cry, don't cry in front of me, I swear, I am famous for offering beautiful illusions
Τα πιο ωραία λαϊκά σε σπίτια με μωσαϊκά τα είχαμε χορέψει
We had danced the best laika songs in houses with mosaic floors
γαλάζιο γύψο η οροφή και τα τακούνια μου καρφί αλλά χωρίς επιστροφή.
Blue gyps on the ceiling and my heels were like nails, but there IS no return (to those days)
Τις πιο ωραίες Κυριακές με λεμονάδες σπιτικές τις είχαμε δροσίσει
The most beautiful Sundays, we had find freshness in homemade lemonade
με το Δομάζο αρχηγό και το Σιδέρη κυνηγό (3)
with Domazos being the leader and Sideris the striker
γιατ’ ήσουν Ένωση και εγώ με χωρισμό σ’ είχα φοβίσει.
cause you supported AEK Athens, and I threatened you for this, talking about separation
Μετά μας πήγε Αριστερά το περιβόλι κι η χαρά και πήραμε το Βήμα (4)
Then we turned to the Left , listening to the corresponding music and reading Vima newspaper
στο πρώτο υπόγειο του Κουν και στην Επίδαυρο (5)
in Koon's first stage, or in Epidaurus
που ακούν, Θεούς κι ανθρώπους να νικούν τα πάθη και το χρήμα.(6)
Listening to Gods and people overcoming passion and money
Δε γυρνάνε λέμε, πίσω ποτέ, τα καλά παιδιά σ’ εκείνα τα χρόνια
Listen to me, nice guys never go back to those years,
έρωτά μου τώρα πληγωμένε μου αητέ στάχυα είμαστε στου χρόνου τ’ αλώνια.
My Love, my wounded eagle, we are just hay in time's threshing floor.
Έλα μην κλαις, μη μου κλαις σε γιάτρεψα λύπες και αγάπες παλιές ανάτρεψα.
Come on now, don't cry, I have cured you. I've proved wrong all your old loves and sorrows
Έλα μην κλαις, μη μου κλαις στ’ ορκίζομαι για παραισθήσεις καλές φημίζομαι.
Come on now, don't cry, don't cry in front of me, I swear, I am famous for offering beautiful illusions
(0) A woman's heels tend to make this kind of noise on mosaic while dancing greek music.
(1) Jeans were difficult to find those days in Greece, so it's a fact that marked her memory.
(2) Using this phrase as if their teenage years still continue. As they really never grew up.
(3) Domazos and Sideris were former soccer players of Panathinaikos and Olympiakos. Nikolakopoulou's trying to transfer through lyrics pictures of sunday, when on those years, was the only day that soccer was being played in greece.
(4) Talks about their university years when students tended to follow socialistic or communistic parties.
(5) Koon was a progressive theatrical director and founder of a stage (Art's theater), from where many greek actors firstly became known.
Epidaurus is a the place were can be found the most well-retained ancient theater. Every year there's a full schedule of theatrical performances in summer.
(6) The main plot of ancient greek tragedy
Click on thumb to view the cover ->
Last edited by Amethystos; 10-17-2009 at 02:15 PM.
"Gilgamesh, where are you hurrying to?
You will never find that life for which you are looking.
When the gods created man they allotted to him death,
but life they retained in their own keeping"