Νταλάρας και Κατσιμιχαίοι - Διδυμότειχο Blues

Νταλάρας και Κατσιμιχαίοι - Διδυμότειχο Blues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUrpTgiLpXU

does anyone know the lyrics in english?

Originally Posted by dazeen

Νταλάρας και Κατσιμιχαίοι - Διδυμότειχο Blues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUrpTgiLpXU

does anyone know the lyrics in english?

Didimotiho, is a greek city, on the very edge of the country, where there are military deployments, and the soldiers that are called up to see their service in there, are not at all considered to be lucky. Freezing cold, many-hour services at sentry-boxes, dangers, away from family and friends etc. It's no insignificant, the number of soldiers the mental sanity of whose is disturbed under these extreme circumstances. Military service, in Greece, is mandatory.........

Με τον Λαυρέντη Μαχαιρίτσα

μουσική: Λαυρέντης Μαχαιρίτσας
στίχοι: Γιάννης (Μπαχ) Σπυρόπουλος

το 76 λίγο πριν να φέξει
On '76, just before the day was breaking
πήρα ένα πλοίο άσπρο σαν ψυγείο
I sailed away with a ship that was white, like a fridge, (= frost in souls)
σα νοσοκομείο
like a hospital (= mental instability)

το 76 σα χοντρό αστείο
On '76, like a clumsily-made joke,
κρύο χειρουργείο το εθνικό θηρίο
the national monster - freezing cold operating-theatre
μ'έστειλε στη χίο
sent me at Chios (I was sent to offer military services at Chios, a greek island, also at the extreme-edges of the country//Noone can (or should....) choose where to serve. He is just announced where he will offer military services...)

θρύλικος κομπάρσος με προφίλ κουρέλα
a legendary stooge, having the profile of a tattered one
λούτσα στον ιδρώτα σάπιο καλοκαίρι
puddle in sweat, decayed summer
κουρεμένοι σβέρκοι
necks with hair cut

εθνική διχόνοια τράκες και καψόνια
national dissension, cadges and kapsonia(1)
ίδια πελατεία πτώση με ομόνοια
same patronage, fall with unity(2)
σα φτηνή κολώνια
like a cheap perfume

το 76 έκλεισα τα μάτια
On '76, I closed my eyes
κάπνισα μια γόπα σβήστηκα απ' το χάρτη
I smoked a cigarette-stub, I was erased from the map -
κόλαση του δάντη
Dante's inferno

σαν παροπλισμένος ψευτοεπαναστάτης
like a dismantled pseudo-rebel
είχα το άλλοθί μου το κουτσό σκυλί μου
my alibi, was my limping dog
την αποστολή μου
my mission

τραύλιζα διατάξτε έσειρα δυο μήνες
I was stuttering "diataxte"(3), I hauled two months
μείναν άλλοι δέκα να ?μαι στο χαϊδάρι
there are another ten (months) for me, to serve at Haidari (suburb of Athens, where another military unit resides - this is regarded as a favourable transposition.....)
παίδες εν καμίνω (ancient greek phrase)
lads in the furnace

το 'κρυβα απ' όλους σαν παραχαράκτης
I was hiding it from everybody, just like a forger
είπα θα περάσει κι ήμουνα προστάτης
I said (to myself) it's OK, it will be over and I was a support (4)
δώρο και εφιάλτης
a gift and a nightmare

διδυμότειχο μπλουζ
Didimotiho Blues
διδυμότειχο μπλουζ
Didimotiho Blues
διδυμότειχο μπλουζ.
Didimotiho Blues

δίπλα μου η αθήνα του οδυσσέα σειρήνα
next to me, Athens - Ulysses' Siren
λαϊκή βιτρίνα ομφαλός του κόσμου
a folk shop-window - navel of the world
πίσω μου κι εμπρός μου
behind and in front of me

χρόνια σαν ταβέρνα σαν καλικαντζούρα
(many) years like a taverna, like a gnomish
κράτος φιλελλήνων του κενού η λατρεία
state of philhellenes, the worship of void -
ποιητική αδεία
poetry permitting (5)

εν πάσει περιπτώσει πίσω στα δικά μου
anyway, let me come back to my (questionings),
στα χακί άπλυτά μου στα εγερτήρια
to my khaki linens, to the reveilles,
στη μουγγή σκοπιά μου
to my mute sentry-box


στη μετάθεσή μου στο τρελλό βιολί μου
to my transposition, to my crazy habit (6)
στο βραχνό πρωινό μου στο έτσι αλλιώς κι αλλιώτικο
to my hoarse morning, to my thus, otherwise and unlike
μπρος στο διδυμότειχο
in front of Didimotiho

διδυμότειχο μπλουζ
Didimotiho Blues
με ξεκούρδιστη κιθάρα διδυμότειχο μπλουζ
with an unstrung guitar, Didimotiho blues
η χαμένη μου πεντάρα διδυμότειχο μπλουζ
my lost penny (7), Didimotiho blues
λυγδιασμένη μου τσατσάρα
my greasy comb
τα βρεγμένα μου τσιγάρα
my wet cigarettes
σάπια φρούτα στα τελάρα διδυμότειχο μπλουζ
rotten fruits in the frames, Didimotiho blues
διδυμότειχο μπλουζ
Didimotiho blues

διδυμότειχο μπλουζ
Didimotiho blues
τ' όνομά του είναι αιτία διδυμότειχο μπλουζ
Its name, is a cause, Didimotiho blues
τρύπα στη γεωγραφία διδυμότειχο μπλουζ
a hole in geography, Didimotiho blues
αδειανή φωτογραφία
an empty picture
του παράλογου η θητεία
the military service of irrational
αγχωμένη μαλακία διδυμότειχο μπλουζ
a strained self-abuse, Didimotiho blues
διδυμότειχο μπλουζ
Didimotiho blues

(1)kapsoni - is the aimless physical suffering, through which the soldiers are sent in, by their superiors - totally absurd action
(2) Omonia - ambiguous: The central big square of Athens, given the name Unity, where decay rules through the years. Also the unity itself...
(3) diataxte - from verb order, command, this is the imperative form, and this is the phrase the soldiers are obliged to use each time a superior of theirs refers to their name.............
(4) When the father of a family has passed away, or there are sick relatives within the family, then the soldier, is once more obliged to conduct military services, but 'favourable' of a shorter period, yet long enough.....
(5) a phrase that is allowed to be said in a poem
(6) language idiom - cannot be literally translated from greek because it makes no sense (my crazy violin)
(7) his lost penny, is so important to him for another one reason; the greek armed forces, oblige all male citizens, starting from the age of 18, to convey their military service. But they are not paid in any way. Nowadays, their 'salary' comes up to 10-20 EUR / month I think. While at the same time, the life goes more and more expensive. So this verse, is fully ironic, as all the song is.

In general, this song, is somehow the anthem of the Irrational, that takes place in the armed forces (in a country that at least for 40 years has not conducted a war with any other country). Tries to show the difficulties, a soldier is obliged to go though, with no reason, and to no avail, the mental balance which crumbles to the edge and all the hardships, which take place aimlessly.

I'm sorry that I have written so many things here, I wanted to explain to you why this song, really shocks me every single time that I listen to it. I can't believe that such things keep on happening in 2008 (but they do.......)
Tears fill my eyes when putting my feet in their shoes and anger fills my soul.

telio! thankyou so much for the translation, i understand the song so much better :]

Originally Posted by dazeen

telio! thankyou so much for the translation, i understand the song so much better :]

Dazeen, it's my pleasure to try translating nice songs to english