Please, I need some translation of Federico Garcia Lorca by Υπόγεια Ρεύματα band

Dear greek friends,

I would like some translation of this beautiful song by the band Υπόγεια Ρεύματα from Athens.
I thank you in advance all your efforts and I send my best regards to Greece and her people .



Federico Garcia Lorca
Νίκος Καββαδίας

Ανέμισες για μια στιγμή το μπολερό
και το βαθύ πορτοκαλί σου μεσοφόρι
Αύγουστος ήτανε δεν ήτανε θαρρώ
τότε που φεύγανε μπουλούκια οι σταυροφόροι


Παντιέρες πάγαιναν του ανέμου συνοδειά
και ξεκινούσαν οι γαλέρες του θανάτου
στο ρωγοβύζι ανατριχιάζαν τα παιδιά
κι ο γέρος έλιαζε, ακαμάτης, τ'αχαμνά του

Του ταύρου ο Πικάσο ρουθούνιζε βαριά
και στα κουβέλια τότε σάπιζε το μέλι
τραβέρσο ανάποδο, πορεία προς το βοριά
τράβα μπροστά, ξοπίσω εμείς και μη σε μέλει

Κάτω απ' τον ήλιο αναγαλιάζαν οι ελιές
και φύτρωναν μικροί σταυροί στα περιβόλια
τις νύχτες στέρφες απομέναν οι αγκαλιές
τότες που σ' έφεραν, κατσίβελε, στη μπόλια

Ατσίγγανε κι αφέντη μου με τι να σε στολίσω;
φέρτε το μαυριτάνικο σκουτί το πορφυρό
στον τοίχο της Καισαριανής μας φέραν από πίσω
κι ίσα ένα αντρίκειο ανάστημα ψηλώσαν το σωρό.

Κοπέλες απ' το Δίστομο, φέρτε νερό και ξύδι
κι απάνω στη φοράδα σου δεμένος σταυρωτά
σύρε για κείνο το στερνό στην Κόρδοβα ταξίδι
μέσα απ' τα διψασμένα της χωράφια τα ανοιχτά

Βάρκα του βάλτου ανάστροφη φτενή δίχως καρένα
σύνεργα που σκουριάζουνε σε γύφτικη σπηλιά
σμάρι κοράκια να πετάν στην έρημην αρένα
και στο χωριό να ουρλιάζουνε τη νύχτα εφτά σκυλιά.

Σ' ευχαριστώ πάρα πολύ φίλε,
Τα λέμε!

Who would dare to translate Kavvadias?

Kimon Friar

True. Or Gail Holst-Warhaft

Panselinos I am sure you are just as capable as anyone to sympathetically translate any Greek poem or song

Thank you, Catherini.
I believe, though, that the works of poets must be translated by poets.
I wouldn't take the liberty of mutulating Kavvadias' art.

I have a small book somewhere entitled "Wireless Operator" -- selected poems of Nikos Kavvadias translated by Simon Darragh.

For a moment, you waved your bolero
and your orange petticoat, like banners.
Was it in August? I remember it so...

This is as much as I remember of his translation. I have to find the book, God knows where I've put it.

I may have to buy that book, I can see it's for sale on Amazon (with a review by Simon Darragh) I only have a few of his poems and I love reading them, especially 'Marabou'

Maybe 'Federico Garcia Lorca' will be in it and then ENRIC will get the translation

The one I quoted was exactly 'Federico Garcia Lorca'.

I still can't find my copy, though. :/

OK, I'm ordering the book today.....we'll see who finds it first

Well, thanks to good people with interest to aid me.
I understand this controversy but I know books with translations of Lorca, Neruda, Alberti and other poets... I dont know why not Kavvadias... It is all.

Best regards
Τα λέμε !

Um, what controversy?

Apparently, you got us all wrong.

All we said was that whichever way you look at it, translating poetry is a difficult art. The most difficult and very delicate work.
It is a skill for which mastery of the two languages is insufficient; it requires a fine artistic and poetic sense on the part of the translator.
The person who translates poetry from one language to another has to be a good poet of both the languages.

To my knowledge, none of us here is a poet.

Moreover, it would be needless to butcher a famous poet's poem with my pathetic attempts to translate it, when there already exists a good and well-known translation by somebody else. I just can't find where I've put my book.

Catherini ordered it too, so whichever one of us gets/finds it first, will provide the translation by Simon Darragh.

Is it more clear now?

Well , thank you very much Panselinos.
Of course, translate poetry is very difficult, I know !!!
And thanks again for your efforts.
I've interest in the idea, in message of this poetry adapted for a song by Υπόγεια Ρεύματα. I love this song and I would like to understand a little bit words. I no await a exact translation. So, all aid will be well coming.
See you !
Ta leme !

Originally Posted by panselinos

All we said was that whichever way you look at it, translating poetry is a difficult art. The most difficult and very delicate work.
It is a skill for which mastery of the two languages is insufficient; it requires a fine artistic and poetic sense on the part of the translator.
The person who translates poetry from one language to another has to be a good poet of both the languages.

To my knowledge, none of us here is a poet.

Moreover, it would be needless to butcher a famous poet's poem with my pathetic attempts to translate it, when there already exists a good and well-known translation by somebody else. I just can't find where I've put my book.

Catherini ordered it too, so whichever one of us gets/finds it first, will provide the translation by Simon Darragh.

Is it more clear now?

Yeap you're absolutely right! (Particularly the "butcher" expression )
The first part of the translation you wrote was brilliant.
So let's wait to see the rest of it.

Btw even we, native greeks, have NO IDEA about what Kavvadias' talking about, in this one.
(Especially the "bull's picasso" part is totally weird)
We simply love the song and sing the words by heart.
So it would be great if there's some kind of prologue in the book, for every poem, to familiarize the public to the meaning of the lyrics.

Originally Posted by Amethystos

Btw even we, native greeks, have NO IDEA about what Kavvadias' talking about, in this one.
(Especially the "bull's picasso" part is totally weird)

War, brutality... This poem actually reveals the political credo of Kavvadias.
Some people from the literary circles even criticized Kavvadias for writing about the Spanish Civil War without actually having knowledge of it. In my humble opinion, this is sheer nonsense. Anyway...

Well, Picasso's Bull has become one of the most famous examples of metaphor in art, so "Picasso of the Bull" is not as weird as it seems.

Originally Posted by Amethystos

The first part of the translation you wrote was brilliant.

It is indeed excellent. By the way, Darragh lives on Alonnisos (and, of course, in Kent).

Originally Posted by ENRIC

I've interest in the idea, in message of this poetry adapted for a song by Υπόγεια Ρεύματα.

A minor correction, if you allow me. The poem has been turned into a song by the composer Thanos Mikroutsikos; its original performer is Giannis Koutras, not Ypogia Revmata.


Wait a minute. ENRIC, you are Spanish, right? (I catch on quick, eh? )
I think I have a better idea. How about a translation in Spanish?
It's not nearly as poetic as the English one by Simon Darragh, but it is still good nonetheless.

So...
"Federico García Lorca" translated by David Hernández de la Fuente.

En un momento sólo aireaste tu bolero
y también tus enaguas de naranja profundo.
Acaso fuera agosto, supongo, no lo sé,
cuando en tropel partieron los guerreros cruzados*.

Marchaban las banderas acompañado al viento,
galeras de la muerte habían zarpado ya.
En el pezón materno tembalan los bebés
y el viejo perezoso ponía al sol sus testículos.

El Picasso del toro hondamente mugía
cuando ya en las colmenas se pudría la miel.
En rumbo de través - marchamos hacia el norte.
Avante toda - no importa, pues ya estamos detrás.

Las olivas exultan tostadas bajo el sol
y brotan en las huertas unas pequeñas cruces.
Quedaban los abrazos en las noches estériles,
cuando se te llevaron, gitano, en tu mantilla.

Gitano y señor mío, ¿con qué te adornaré?
Traed el manto rojo, el vestido del moro.
En Cesarianí** nos llevaron tras un muro
y apilaron montones de muertos hasta arriba.

Muchachas de Dístimo, traed agua y vinagre.
Y tú sobre la yegua, atado en una cruz
cabalga en postrer viaje a la cuidad de Córdoba
entre terruños secos y abiertos por el sol.

Barquita del pantano, sin quilla y del revés.
Arneses que se oxidan en la cueva gitana.
Que las dunas desiertas sobrevuelen los cuervos
y aúllen siete perros en la aldea de noche.

____________

* Estos "cruzados" han sido identificados con las brigadas internacionales que lucharon en la Guerra Civil Española (cf. Simon Darragh, p. 53), aunque más bien parece que se refiera a los militares sublevados o, en todo caso, a las tropas extranjeras que les ayudaron: los cruzados tienen una connotación negativa en Grecia, por la invasión del Imperio Bizantino.

** Cesarianí es un suburbio obrero de Atenas en el que los alemanes, durante la ocupación, fusilaron a gran cantidad de civiles. Asímismo, un poco más adelante, se cita la aldea de Dístimo, en Beocia, donde los nazis fusilaron a todos los paisanos. Cavadías pone en relación la guerra civil española con la katochi u ocupación alemana de Grecia durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial.

Well Panselinos, I can only say THANKS and THANKS and ευχαριστώ !
Your help is great !!!
I will study with attention this work by David Hernández de la Fuente, that, for the present I can see is very interesting, very rich and also "very Lorca".

Tahks again, also to Amethystos !!!
τα λέμε.

Παρακαλώ.

Hermaion 02/2007, "Nicos Cavadías. Poesía Completa" by David Alejandro Hernández de la Fuente. Definitely worth reading! The guy is really good.

Well, I have the English translation from the book 'Wireless Operator' . I hope you enjoy it


Federico Garcia Lorca

For a moment, you waved your bolero
and your orange petticoat, like banners.
Was it in August? I remember it so,
when they were all setting off, the cross-bearers.

In the wind the ranks of banners rippled –
toward death the galleys set their sails.
While children were cowering at the nipple
the old man was lazily sunning his balls.

Picasso’s bull let out a snort;
in the hives the honey all turned rotten.
The course is against us – it’s set for the north.
Full ahead – never mind that we’re forgotten.

The olives spread easy under the sun,
and little crosses grew in the gardens.
At night, only sterile embraces remained
when they brought you, my gypsy, wrapped in an apron.

My gypsy, my leader, what for your pall?
Bring the purple cloth of Mauretania.
In Kaisariani they took us behind the wall,
and the mass was raised to manly stature.

Distoman girls, bring water and vinegar:
cross-wise on the mare your body lain,
set out on the final journey to Cordoba,
across its thirsty open plain.

The marsh-boat reversed, narrow, no keel;
the weapons rust in a gypsy redoubt.
In the empty arena, let the crows wheel;
let the seven dogs howl in the village all night.

Thanks so much catherini !!!!

With the extraordinary translation of David Hernández de la Fuente sended by panselinos and this English version I've a good idea and, perhaps in a near future I'll make some about this great Kavvadias poem in my blog (BOSPHORUS)

So, for the present, σε ευχαριστώ πάρα πολύ !!!

Best regards !!!

You're welcome Enric Its been really interesting for me too !!

Well for those who understand French I've found a site for translated Kavvadias in French.

Instructions:
1) Well at first you'll have to go to -> Michel Volkovitch site
2) then click on the tab called "MADE IN GREECE" on the left side
3) finally click on your desired Kavvadias' collection.

In our case "FEDERICO GARCIA LORCA" is included in the collection of poems called "Brume"