Τίποτα δεν πάει χαμένο

I found this translation:

Τίποτα δεν πάει χαμένο _____||_____ Nothing lost or wasted
_____||_____
Στίχοι: Μανώλης Ρασούλης_____||_____ Lyrics: Manolis Rasoulis
Μουσική: Μάνος Λοΐζος_____||_____ Music: Manos Loizos

Σχεδόν πενήντα χρόνια_____||_____ Almost fifty years
βάσανα και διωγμοί,_____||_____ of hardship and persecution
τώρα στη μαύρη αρρώστια_____||_____ Now this black sickness,
ανάξια πλερωμή._____||_____ inequitable payment
Το δίκιο του αγώνα_____||_____ Your rightful combat
πολλά σου στέρησε,_____||_____ deprived you of many things
μα η ζωή λεχώνα_____||_____ but life is a woman in labour
ελπίδες γέννησε._____||_____ she gave birth to hopes.

Τίποτα δεν πάει χαμένο_____||_____ Nothing lost or wasted
στη χαμένη σου ζωή,_____||_____ in your thrown-away life
τ’ όνειρό σου ανασταίνω_____||_____ I revive your dream
και το κάθε σου "γιατί"._____||_____ And your every "why"

Ποτέ δε λες η μοίρα_____||_____ You never say that fate
πως σε αδίκησε,_____||_____ has been unjust to you
μα μόνο η Ιστορία_____||_____ but only History
αλλιώς σου μίλησε._____||_____ spoke to you differently.
Σκυφτός στα καφενεία,_____||_____ Hunched over in the café
στους δρόμους σκεφτικός,_____||_____ deep in thought in the streets
μα χθες μες στην πορεία_____||_____ but yesterday in the demonstration
περνούσες γελαστός._____||_____ you walked by smiling.

But I still don't understand several things:
What fifty years is Rasoulis referring to? Is this a biographical song of Manos Loizos himself? In that case is "the black illness" his own stroke?
"Μόνο η ιστορία αλλιώς σου μίλησε" - the literal translation here doesn't help at all. His lessons from history were different or...?
Η πορέια - how do they know that it's some political event? Probably because they know the history of the song. I looked for it but I didn't find it.

Originally Posted by feishtica

What fifty years is Rasoulis referring to?

Well the song was been released in 1979.
Based on this we find that Rassoulis is talking about the late 1920's
And guess what.... there was a world financial crisis in 1929.
People were organizing strikes and demonstrations during the first 6 years of 1930's.

Greek Communist Party has been founded back in 1918, in 1929
organized some big strikes that made the Greek Goverment to create a law for
arresting Greek Communists to "avoid" further unrest.....

So, in Greece, being a communist has been illegal from 1929 until 1974.

So Rassoulis wrote this one to describe the feelings that a communist have been felt
all these years.
But also for the years to come since 1978-79 (when the song was written).

Originally Posted by feishtica

Is this a biographical song of Manos Loizos himself? In that case is "the black illness" his own stroke?

It's a Rassoulis' one not Loizos'.
No it's not biographical.
I can't find out what's been saying when he talks about the "black sickness",
but he talks about the wondering of the "common" greek communist during that period
about the results of their struggle all those years.
Probably he is also talking about the attitude of the communist party the years 1974-78.

Originally Posted by feishtica

"Μόνο η ιστορία αλλιώς σου μίλησε" - the literal translation here doesn't help at all. His lessons from history were different or...?

Well he actually says this :
"I wasn't mistreated by my lack
but I lived in difficult times that I had to struggle for my beliefs with no expectation of α reward"

Originally Posted by feishtica

Η πορέια - how do they know that it's some political event? Probably because they know the history of the song. I looked for it but I didn't find it.

Actually is πορεία and not πορέια.

Greek communists have a strange "habbit" even nowadays.
They feel obliged to actively participate to "party's" demonstrations.
Whether they approved them or not!

Finally song's suggesting a hopefull solution.
You see that there's a dialogue between the old and the future generation.
That's why it syas "but life is a woman in labour, who gave birth to hopes"

and that's why the next generation says:
"I revive your dream, And your every "why""

Thank you very much, Amethystos!
I didn't have Iternet for two days, that's why I'm replying just now. Actually even now I'm writing from my father's laptop. I hope I'll have Internet tomorrow.

Originally Posted by Amethystos

It's a Rassoulis' one not Loizos'.

I thought he was writing avout Loizos, probably knowing that he was gravely ill. That's why "almost 50 years" (since Loizos was 45 when he's gone).
Now I understand what is the story behind the 50 years. It was forbidden being a communist in Greece. In Bulgaria it was forbidden being enything else. ))

Originally Posted by Amethystos

Actually is πορεία and not πορέια.

Lapsus... keyboardae. (Well, actually one of the endless mistakes I make while trying to write in Greek. Although I know the rule about the accent.)

Originally Posted by Amethystos

...and that's why the next generation says:
"I revive your dream, And your every "why""

In fact I was wondering who was talking to the protagonist in the refrain.
Thank you very much for explaining!