xilies foties

kalimera, good morning. I am very new comer ... I am trying to learn Greek. Because I found Greek so poetic . and I do love the old songs in Greek. As you can imagine sometimes it seems so difficult to learn ... so if someone can help me on the below lyrics , I will be so happy.

Thank you !!

Ρολόγια δίχως δείχτες τη μοναξιά τις νύχτες μετρούν.
Αγάπες περασμένες απ`τον καιρό σβησμένες ξυπνούν.
Αν σου χαρίσω τα σημάδια απ`τις πληγές κι από τα χάδια
σαν ναυαγός στο κορμί σου θα πιαστώ.
Σου κάνω το χατήρι κι αδειάζω το ποτήρι ξανά.
Τα λόγια ένα μαχαίρι που το δικό μου χέρι τρυπά.
Απόψε δεν θα σου μιλήσω, την καρδιά μου θα σφαλίσω
και μόνο αυτά που περιμένεις θα σου πω.
Χίλιες μορφές μες στη μορφή σου αγάπησα.
Χίλια κορμιά μες στο κορμί σου κράτησα.
Χίλιες φωτιές με τη φωτιά σου μου άναψες
μα χίλιες φλόγες κάνουν μόνο μια φωτιά.
Το φως και το σκοτάδι του έρωτα το χάδι κεντούν.
Της νύχτας τα τραγούδια αγκάθια και λουλούδια γεννούν.
Σ`ένα μπουκάλι σφραγισμένο,ένα χαρτάκι διπλωμένο
στην τρικυμία της καρδιάς σου έχει χαθεί.
Χίλιες μορφές μες στη μορφή σου αγάπησα.
Χίλια κορμιά μες στο κορμί σου κράτησα
Χίλιες φωτιές με τη φωτιά σου μου άναψες
μα χίλιες φλόγες κάνουν μόνο μια φωτιά.

Clocks without pointers count the lonelyness at night
Loves faded from time wake up
If I give you the marks from the wounds and the affections
like a castaway I'll grab onto you
I do you the favour and empty the glass again
Words are a knife that prick my own hand
I won't talk to you tonight, I'll close my heart
and only what you want me to say I'll say

A thousand forms in your form I loved
A thousand fires with your fire you lit for me
but a thousand flames make only one fire

Light and darkness of love (can't translate)
Night's songs give birth to thorns and flowers
In a sealed bottle a folded paper
in the storm of your heart has been lost

A thousand forms in your form I loved
A thousand fires with your fire you lit for me
but a thousand flames make only one fire


I apologise for this is the worst translation I've ever made. It was pretty difficult and a tricky song. I'm not very experienced with translating to be honest. Things that make sense in greek don't in english so I can't translate them. Being native in both languages doesn't really help in these matters...

kalimeraaaa, se efharisto poly Seireina. I know it is diffciult to translate it, because it doesnt give the same feeling. but it is perfect. now I love the song more.

You're welcome! Glad you still like the song, I thought I'd ruined it there for a sec!

oxi ! pote ! mporo na giavazio elenika kai katalavenno ligo ... giati mporo na katalavenno. ax my perfect Greek. na se kalaaa !

Polu kala einai ta ellinika sou! Mpravo! Moni sou emathes?

Alithia ? Den Nomizo ... nai, moni mou. giati mou aresi poly i ellinika ...thelo na milao kalitera ... alla , kseris ti ? einai poly diskola ... aman aman ... but it is quite poetic, and sounds very nice ...

Katalavaino. Fantazomai einai duskola na ta mathei kaneis. Thanks, it's good to know greek sounds nice!

Το φως και το σκοτάδι του έρωτα το χάδι κεντούν - maybe something like 'the light and the darkness prick holes in the tenderness of love'?

Well that's pretty bad, but maybe looking at something that's not so good will help somebody get a better idea

I don't know how to translate "χαδι". There isn't a word for it in english, not one I know of. If I translate it as "stroke" it would be: Light and darkness create (the word used is actually create for matterial, can't hink of a more precise one in english right now) the stroke of love.

My dictionaries seem to have 'make holes in/embroider' as the meaning for κεντω, the former would sort of fit with the roses in the next line and the unhappy tone of the song, but doesn't really make any literal sense. I thought of 'tenderness' as an English approximation to my guess about χαδι (but I'd also guess that the Greek word is essentially physical).

χαδι means caress. this is what i found in all the dictionaries i looked and i remember this is how other greeks on the forum translated it. as for κεντω, embroider is the translation but here obviously is used in a metaphoric way.

Hmm, this morning, 'the light and the darkness embroider the caress of love' doesn't sound too bad to me. There are certainly lines in Bob Dylan longs that make less sense ...

Originally Posted by AveryA3

Hmm, this morning, 'the light and the darkness embroider the caress of love' doesn't sound too bad to me. There are certainly lines in Bob Dylan longs that make less sense ...

I could say that this is an almost exact translation.