san ton karagkiozis can anybody please translate into english?

Σαν τον καραγκιόζη

Κείνο που με τρώει, κείνο που με σώζει
είναι π' ονειρεύομαι σαν τον καραγκιόζη
Φίλους και εχθρούς στις φριχτές μου πλάτες
όμορφα να σήκωνα, σαν να 'ταν επιβάτες

Λευκό μου σεντονάκι, λάμπα μου τρελή
ποιο φορείο θα μας κουβαλήσει
Βάλε στη σκιά σου τούτο το παιδί
που δεν έχει σώμα να ψηφίσει, να ψηφίσει

Σαν κουκιά μετρώ τα λόγια του καμπούρη
πίσω απ' το λευκό πανί, μέσα απ' το κιβούρι
Μα όσο κι αν μετρώ, κάτι περισσεύει
Τρύπια είν' η αγάπη μας και δε μας προστατεύει

Λευκό μου σεντονάκι, λάμπα μου τρελή
κόκκινο αυγό ή καρναβάλια
Μέσα από την κάλπη, τη στατιστική
μάς κοιτάει ο Χάρος και τού τρέχουνε τα σάλια

Σαν σκιές γλιστρούν λόγια και εικόνες
κάρα σκουπιδιάρικα φεύγουν οι χειμώνες
Κι αν δεν ντρέπεσαι να γυρίσεις πίσω
έλα στην παράσταση να σε γιουχαίσω

Λευκό μου σεντονάκι, λάμπα μου τρελή
ποια αγάπη τάχα μας φυσάει
Βάλε στη σκιά σου τούτο το παιδί
που δεν έχει απόψε πού να πάει, πού να πάει

First of all I would like to say that I WON'T translate the lyrics you provide....
But I have to say that your post made me curious enough to search for infos about this widely known song

Well there are some facts:
1)This song was first heard in 1974 during Dionissis Savopoulos' innovative performances in a club called "Kyttaro" placed in the corner of Acharnon st. and Ipirou st. (They're the roads that are mentioned to the lyrics...)

Here is a picture of Savvopoulos from "Kytarro"




2)During the last months of 1974 and right after the establishment of democracy in Greece,
there were two releases of the song:
a)A 45 rpm disk from Savoppoulos with "San ton karagkiozi" and "Gia tin Kipro"
b)An Lp from Mariza Koch called "I Mariza Koch kai dio zigies paixnidia" which included the "San ton karagkiozi" but with different lyrics......

and 3)In 1975 Savvopoulos included the song in his Lp called "10 xronia tragoudia" (10 years of songs). In there Savvopoulos added the live recordings from "kytarro".

Since I knew the song from the third version I will translate that one.

You got to know that there are many lyrics of the given song and they are all correct, since Savvopoulos often sings it with different lyrics.
So you can find
this one http://www.stixoi.info/stixoi.php?in...s&song_id=6680
this one http://www.stixoi.info/stixoi.php?in...ng_id=2408&hl=
this one http://www.scribd.com/doc/8576262/-1 (song no 4)

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There are some other things you must know in order to "somehow" understand the song.
First of all is Karagkiozis himself. He is the main protagonist of the Greek shadow theater.



Secondly you have to know that during November of 1973 there was the Athens Polytechnic uprising that escalated to an open anti-junta revolt and ended in bloodshed in the early morning of November 17 after a series of events starting with a tank crashing through the gates of the Polytechnic foundation.

And now you can somehow understand what he says...

Title: "San ton Karagkiozi"
Lyrics: Dionissi Savvopoulos
Music: Dionissi Savvopoulos
Singing: Dionissi Savvopoulos
Lp:"10 xronia tragoudia" (LYRA 1975)
Track no: 16

Listen to the song -> http://www.esnips.com/doc/6de99a2a-7...ton-karagkiozi

1973 ΦΘΙΝΟΠΩΡΟ
1973 Autumn
ΛΆΡΙΣΑ 5 ΤΟ ΠΡΩΙ
City of Larissa 5 o'clock in the morning
ΤΗΛΕΦΩΝΟ ΣΑΝ ΤΡΟΧΟΣ ΟΔΟΝΤΟΓΙΑΤΡΟΥ
the phone is ringing as if it was a dentist's wheel
ΕΚΕΙ ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΙΣΜΟΣ
from the other side of the line, (someone from) Evangelismos' hospital (in Athens)
ΘΑΝΑΤΟΣ
Death

ΤΟ ΒΡΑΔΥ ΣΤΗ ΣΥΝΑΥΛΙΑ ΕΒΓΑΖΕ ΜΙΑ ΨΙΛΗ ΣΥΧΝΟΤΗΤΑ ΠΟΥ ΤΡΥΠΑΕΙ ΤΟ ΚΡΑΝΙΟ
In the evening's concert he was screaming with a prime frequency in his voice that drills the heads
ΕΝΑΣ ΝΕΚΡΟΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΑΓΚΑΛΙΑ
A dead man in the arms
ΑΔΥΝΑΤΟ ΝΑ ΤΟΝ ΑΝΑΣΤΗΣΕΙΣ Η' ΝΑ ΤΟΝ ΦΟΡΤΩΘΕΙΣ
It's impossible to resurrect him nor to carry him

Κείνο που με τρώει
The thing that troubles me
κείνο που με σώζει
the thing that relieves me
είναι π' ονειρεύομαι
is that I'm dreaming
σαν τον καραγκιόζη
like Karagkiozis does

¨Οτι και να πω
Whatever I say
κάτι περισσεύει
there's always a surplus
Τρύπια ειν' η αγάπη μας
Our love is leaking
και δε μας προστατεύει
and so it's not protecting us

Λευκό μου σεντονάκι
My little white sheet
λάμπα μου τρελή
my crazy lamp
Ποια αγάπη τάχα μας φυσάει
Which one is the love that's blowing to us
Βάλε στη σκιά σου
Hold in your shadow
τούτο το παιδί
this child
Που δεν έχει απόψε
which tonight
πού να πάει πού να πάει
has nowhere to go, nowhere to go

Σαν σκιές γλιστρούν
Like shades are gliding by
λόγια και εικόνες
words and images
Κάρα σκουπιδιάρικα,
(Like) dust-cars
φεύγουν οι χειμώνες
winters are passing by.
Αν δε ντρέπεσαι
If you 're not getting shy
να καθίσεις πίσω
of seating in the back seats (of the hall)
Έλα Ηπείρου κι Αχαρνών
Come at (the corner of) Ipirou and Acharnon st.
να σε γιουχαΐσω
to yell at you.

Wow,it is really fantastic.I would think that it's just a song about shadow theatre maybe just because of the name.
But now i like it much more
With so many thanks to you...

You're welcome.

But if you like to listen to savopoulos' songs, you got to be carefull not to misunderstand the words.....

The majority of Greeks may know the lyrics of his most well known songs, but WE don't really know what's the meaning of them.....