Βρέχει φωτιά στη στράτα μου - Dionysiou

Yeia sas, is it possible to get an english translation for these lyrics. I have heard this song so many times and would love to get a better understanding of the lyrics. thankyou in advance

Βρέχει φωτιά στη στράτα μου
φωτιά που μ’ έχει κάψει
Για τα φτωχά τα νιάτα μου
κανένας δε θα κλάψει

Η ζωή, η ζωή εδώ τελειώνει
σβήνει το καντήλι μου
κι η ψυχή, η ψυχή σαν χελιδόνι
φεύγει απ’ τα χείλη μου

Κύμα πικρό στην πλώρη μου
και τα πανιά σκισμένα
Ούτε αδελφός αγόρι μου
δε νοιάστηκε για σένα

Η ζωή...

I just adore this song, here it is the translatio...

It it raining fire on my way

It is raining fire on my way,
flames that have consumed me.
For my poor youth
nobody will shed a tear.

Life, life ends here!
My little oil lamp is burning down,
and the soul, the soul like a swallow,
is fleeing from my lips.

A bitter wave under my prow,
and my sails ripped.
No even a brother, my lad,
ever cared for you at all.

Life, life ends here!
My little oil lamp is burning down,
and the soul, the soul like a swallow,
is fleeing from my lips.

A beautiful song...

Βρέχει φωτιά στη στράτα μου
It is raining fire on my way
φωτιά που μ’ έχει κάψει
fire that has burnt me
Για τα φτωχά τα νιάτα μου
for my poor youth
κανένας δε θα κλάψει
nobody will cry

Η ζωή, η ζωή εδώ τελειώνει
Life, life is ending here
σβήνει το καντήλι μοu
my light is estinguishing
κι η ψυχή, η ψυχή σαν χελιδόνι
and the soul, the soul like a swallow
φεύγει απ’ τα χείλη μου
is parting from my lips

Κύμα πικρό στην πλώρη μου
Bitter wave on my prow
και τα πανιά σκισμένα
and the sails torn
Ούτε αδελφός αγόρι μου
not even a brother, my boy
δε νοιάστηκε για σένα
did care about you

Η ζωή...
Life....

thankssssssssssssssss

Giasas pethgia,

I noticed the 'translation' of this beautiful and errie song and thought I might add my English 'interpretation' of it in an effort to make it more associative to those versed only in the Queen's English. Translating something doesn't always interpret its' concise meaning, as we so often witness when watching sub-titles that are badly interpreted on many a foreign movie.

He is my English interpretation of this legendary song's lyrics:


Fire pouring down in my path
Fire that has scorched me
For my poverty stricken youth
No one shall cry

Life, life ends here
My candle is extinguishing
And my spirit, my spirit like a swollow
Departs through my lips

Bitterly waves striking my bow
And the sails all torn
Not even a brother my dear boy
Cared for you

Life, life ends here
My candle is extinguishing
And my spirit, my spirit like a swollow
Departs through my lips


Clarification...

- Prow, has dual meaning in English, it can mean the front of a ship or aeroplane.
- Most people of the western world in grasp of English don't regularly associate an oil lamp (kandili) as a symbolic representation of 'life'; but they do a candle.
- In English, it is grammatically incorrect to associate rain or water with fire given the context in which it is used in this song. Though in Greek it is totally acceptable. Hence the term 'pouring' instead of 'raining'.


As I mentioned, I've provided my English interpretation of this song and not my translation of it, in an effort to portray a more concise English understanding of its' lyrical intent, rather than its' grammatic accuracy.

May it touch and heal those in emotional pain for an eternity. God bless the hand that wrote it.


Kalo sas vrika patriotes mou.

Beautiful translation/interpretation Given the fact that sometimes English is simply too poor to render the entire meaning of a Greek song, I believe you found the best way to use it in a rewarding manner

Welcome to our forum

Thank you dya,

One must understand the difference between the two languages to appreciate why it is never easy to interpret one into the other. Albeit English's lacking of real life 'expressions and feelings' in single word form, when compared to the supreme expressiveness of Ancient Greek, even Modern Greek lacks as English does to the latter. Nonetheless, Modern Greek does leave English in its' tracks in the race of sheer expression. Any linguist worth his salt will vouch for that.

It is a great shame though to have lost the popularity of the Ancient Greek language, though it is clearly understandable why it has occurred if one looks at the direction in which those 'ruling the world' are heading in. Its' annulment was not by accident nor a betterment, but rather an agenda to suppress the expression of full and complete human emotion, thereby aiding in our detachment from our true spiritual self. Which in return aided the suppression and control of the populous of the time, and has propagated till now. It has now reach the point, I'm sad to say, that the human psychic is so heavily suppressed that it would take many generations to slowly implement it back into its former glory so as the essence of the 'divine Ancient Greek ideology of life' can even begin to be introduced back into the communicative thoughts of us all collectively. Perhaps one fine day this will occur, long after those who have ruled us since the 'cessation of the Ancient Greek language' and until this very day, are merely a part of history; be it a bad part. Till then, we can only make do with what we have at our disposal, even if it is of lesser substance than what could be.

I bid you a good day dya, and I thank you for your kind words.

Very interesting point of view! I believe that the changes a language goes through are only a reflexion of the changes people go through. Adapting the language to the rhythm of society results in losing some of its essence on the way. Sadly, this happens because we also lose the concepts behind that essence. Hopefully, from time to time we recover some of them and move on carrying with us important parts of our heritage.

Have a wonderful day

Originally Posted by dya

I believe that the changes a language goes through are only a reflexion of the changes people go through. Adapting the language to the rhythm of society results in losing some of its essence on the way. Sadly, this happens because we also lose the concepts behind that essence. Hopefully, from time to time we recover some of them and move on carrying with us important parts of our heritage.

That is fundamentally correct dya, but it is "the changes people" go through which most do not comprehend. They can't comprehend what the changes are and more importantly why they're occurring. It is too long an issue to knuckle out here as I don't have the time, but suffice to say that it is not for good reason that a language which ALL Linguists the world over agree to be the most expressive devised by mankind to date, even more expressive than the largest known Chinese dictionary that contains in excess of 50,000 symbols or characters, is then replaced by one of lesser expression even though we are suppose to be advancing. That is your quintessential conundrum if ever there was one. Yet hardly anyone seems to have noticed it, nor anybody cares how these two dynamics have displaced themselves in an opposing manner when they should have advanced in a similar direction.

It is like mankind today wishing to build massive and exuberant condominiums to live in, and once having done so, to then go and move into caves as their choice of dwelling, if you know what I mean. If he won't do that, then why has he quietly settled for a less expressive language when life itself has become more complex?

The reason is something that most could not comprehend, and out of those that can, many of them would refuse to accept it. Very few are they who can accept what’s wrong without becoming offensive, it is a idiosyncrasy of mankind that can best be done away with, which he will come to understand numerous generations from now. It is a ‘can of worms’ that extends so far back in time, as to leave most bewildered at the concept and understanding behind it. Which pains me greatly, as I know the suffering mankind has had to endure and will yet endure as a result of being subliminally detached from his higher self and divine spirituality to please the ‘power’s to be’ in the name of material gain . So I won't even bother starting, as this after all is NOT a political forum.

Do have a good day dya.