Κοίτα μια νύχτα

I found the translation of the song, it's very good and it helped me a lot but still I would like to clear up some expressions I didn't find even in the most complete online dictionary: http://www.greek-language.gr/greekLa...des/index.html
So I'd be very grateful if you help me.

Κοίτα μια νύχτα - what is the function of the indefinite article here?
την πάει την φεγγαράδα - doesn't this mean Moonlight becomes her?
το λέει γη φιλενάδα - this I don't understand at all. The translation says "is a great girlfriend;" but still I would like to understand the idiom.
έξω που αντέχει - does αντέχω imply suffering or does it refer only to duration?
κι ότι κι αν παίζει - no matter what cards are dealt?
Βάλε και πρίμα - are we sure "πρίμα" means "fair winds"? )) I didn't find it in any dictionary neither with the meaning of fairy winds nor with any other meaning that would suit the context.
και μες την παρακμή της Χτυπάει κι ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΔΑ - and in her downfall the Olympic games pulsate?


ΚΟIΤΑ ΜΙΑ ΝYΧΤΑ
Κοίτα μια νύχτα
έξω που κάνει
κι ότι κι αν λέμε
κάπου μας πιάνει

Δες φεγγάρια
δες μπαλκόνια
και ζευγάρια
που΄ναι χρόνια μαζί

Μάτια μου η Ελλάδα
την πάει την φεγγαράδα
κι αν είσαι και ξενύχτης
σε πάει και μια βαρκάδα

Μάτια μου, η Ελλάδα
το λέει γη φιλενάδα
μου το΄παν κι οι θεοί της
τους είχε δωδεκάδα

Κοίτα μια νύχτα
έξω που αντέχει
κι ότι κι αν παίζει
κόσμο θα έχει

Βάλε κι αστέρια
Βάλε και πρίμα
κι άσε τα χέρια
να΄χουν το κύμα κορμί
--

Look at the night

Look at the night
outside;
whatever we may say,
it strikes a chord in us.

Look at the moons,
look at the verandas,
look at the couples
holding together for years.

Darling, Greece
does like the moonshine;
and if you stay up late,
it’ll take you for a boat ride.

Darling, Greece
is a great girlfriend;
even its gods have told me so
-she did have a dozen of them.

Look at the night
that still insists.
Whatever is on,
it’s bound to be packed

Add some stars,
and some fair winds
and let the hands
bear the body of the waves.

Originally Posted by feishtica

I found the translation of the song, it's very good and it helped me a lot but still I would like to clear up some expressions I didn't find even in the most complete online dictionary: http://www.greek-language.gr/greekLa...des/index.html
So I'd be very grateful if you help me.

All in all, the translation is rather bad, but the song is obviously very difficult.

Κοίτα μια νύχτα - what is the function of the indefinite article here?

Pointing; Look towards a night.

την πάει την φεγγαράδα - doesn't this mean Moonlight becomes her?

No, it can actually be interpreted in two ways, but not like this; First, "Greece likes/enjoys moonlight" or (literally) "Greece takes the moonlight and carries it". (Πήρα την ΧΧΧΧΧ και την πάω μια βόλτα - I took XXXXX for a ride)

I believe it is obviously the first.

το λέει γη φιλενάδα - this I don't understand at all. The translation says "is a great girlfriend;" but still I would like to understand the idiom.

Me neither

I think it actually means "Greece calls the earh its friend". But it makes no sense I've never heard such an idiom before.

On the other hand, there is another version here:

"το λέει για φιλενάδα"

http://www.stixoi.info/stixoi.php?in...ails&t_id=8515

Which is translated as "is a cracking girlfriend" which I think is fine. The expression actually is "Το λέω" as in "Το λέει η καρδιά του" (he has a heart/guts for it). Literally, in this case it means "Greece is very good as a girlfriend".

έξω που αντέχει - does αντέχω imply suffering or does it refer only to duration?

Switch places with the adverb and you'll get the meaning:

Κοίτα μια νύχτα
έξω που αντέχει

--->

Κοίτα έξω μια νύχτα
που αντέχει...

The meaning is indeed duration, along with a sense of "withstanding".

κι ότι κι αν παίζει - no matter what cards are dealt?

Short of, yes. Basically it is: "no matter what happens".

Βάλε και πρίμα - are we sure "πρίμα" means "fair winds"? )) I didn't find it in any dictionary neither with the meaning of fairy winds nor with any other meaning that would suit the context.

Πρίμα indeed refers to favourable (rather than fair) winds, but it's not used alone but as part of phrases, such as "ήρθαν όλα πρίμα" or "βάλε πρίμα" (try googling them, you 'll get plenty of uses). In this case the translation is incorrect.

και μες την παρακμή της Χτυπάει κι ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΔΑ - and in her downfall the Olympic games pulsate?

Ολυμπιάδα is NOT the Olympic Games; It is the four year period between two consecutive Olympic Games which in Greek is Ολυμπιακοί αγώνες.

However, in modern Greek, especially in the eighties, it was used as if it refered to the actual Olympic Games; You need to consider that by the time the song was first performed (1990 IIRC), there was much unrest with Athens' candidateship for the Olympic Games of 1996.

There were those who were in favour, and those who were against, claiming that it was financially too big an event for Greece to overtake. Eventually the Games were held by Atlanta, USA. It was a historic occasion marking 100 years of modern Olympic Games.

So what the line really says, is that the Greeks, despite their huge financial problems, want the pride and glamour that goes with the Olympic Games despite the risk of further worsening the economy. The line points out the irony.

Best regards,
Alexander

Thank you very much, Alexander!!!
I had made several mistakes in my translation and now I've corrected them.
It took me some time to realize why "την πάει την φεγγαράδα" can't be translated as The moonshine suits her. Because it's not ΤΗΣ πάει. ))
Can I ask you some questions related to Η μπαλάντα της Ιφιγένειας too?
What does παιδάκι πράμα mean?
οικοκυρική μοδίστρα???
η Ελλάδα πήγαινε κι ερχόταν - Greece was shaking?
κι έγινε ο τρόμος καθεστώς σου - Can I translate this as "The terror restricted your freedom"?
αγάπες μ΄έβαλαν στη μέση - I got entangled between my love affairs?
Here are the lyrics:
Η μπαλάντα της Ιφιγένειας
Στίχοι: Χαρούλα Αλεξίου
Μουσική: Χαρούλα Αλεξίου
Πρώτη εκτέλεση: Χαρούλα Αλεξίου

Με πήρες κάποτε απ΄το χέρι και δε σε ρώτησα πού πάμε
σου είπα με σένα δε φοβάμαι μάνα καλή μάνα μου έρμη
εσύ τον άντρα σου είχες χάσει κι εγώ είχα χάσει το γονιό μου
και τότε μάνα καλέ μάνα τότε σε βάφτισα αρχηγό μου

Κλείδωσες δυό φορές το σπίτι μας πήρες κι ήρθαμε στην πόλη
σαν τα κοράκια πέσαν όλοι έτσι όπως σε είδαν φοβισμένη
κι ακόνιζα παιδάκι πράμα τα νύχια μου και το μυαλό μου
με μιά τρεμούλα μ΄ένα φόβο μη γκρεμιστεί ο αρχηγός μου

Κι άρχισαν να κυλούν τα χρόνια όπως το χρώμα στη βατίστα
στην οικοκυρική μοδίστρα κι ο αδερφός μου στα καράβια
η Ελλάδα πήγαινε κι ερχόταν κι έγινε ο τρόμος καθεστώς σου
φοβήθηκα μη σε τσακίσουν και τότε έγινα αρχηγός σου

Και πάνω που άρχιζα να ορίζω ήρθε η αγάπη να με ορίσει
και μπλέχτηκα στο αλισβερίσι οι αγάπες μ΄έβαλαν στη μέση
εσύ νοιαζόσουν μη πονέσω μα αυτές δε΄βλέπαν τον καημό σου
κι όλες στο μάτι είχαν βάλει να ρίξουνε τον αρχηγό σου

Κι όταν με πήρε το τραγούδι ήμουν το στόμα των απόρων
έγινα στόχος των εμπόρων και θύμα της πολυγνωσίας
πήγαν να τρίξουν τα θεμέλια δεν ήταν τ΄αύριο πια δικό μου
τότε ξανάπλωσες το χέρι και σε ξανάκανα αρχηγό μου

Τώρα χαμένη εγώ στους ήχους και λυτρωμένη εσύ χορεύεις
η μόνη εσύ που με πιστεύεις σαν σου μιλώ μεσ΄στα τραγούδια
τώρα αγαπώ μα δεν ορίζω τώρα δεν ψάχνω να΄βρω δίκια
τώρα το δρόμο μου τον βρήκα γκρεμίστηκαν τ΄αρχηγηλίκια

Thank you again.
Maria

Maria

Originally Posted by BleakHeart

All in all, the translation is rather bad, but the song is obviously very difficult.

Pointing; Look towards a night.

No, it can actually be interpreted in two ways, but not like this; First, "Greece likes/enjoys moonlight" or (literally) "Greece takes the moonlight and carries it". (Πήρα την ΧΧΧΧΧ και την πάω μια βόλτα - I took XXXXX for a ride)

I believe it is obviously the first.

Me neither

I think it actually means "Greece calls the earh its friend". But it makes no sense I've never heard such an idiom before.

On the other hand, there is another version here:

"το λέει για φιλενάδα"

http://www.stixoi.info/stixoi.php?in...ails&t_id=8515

Which is translated as "is a cracking girlfriend" which I think is fine. The expression actually is "Το λέω" as in "Το λέει η καρδιά του" (he has a heart/guts for it). Literally, in this case it means "Greece is very good as a girlfriend".

Switch places with the adverb and you'll get the meaning:

Κοίτα μια νύχτα
έξω που αντέχει

--->

Κοίτα έξω μια νύχτα
που αντέχει...

The meaning is indeed duration, along with a sense of "withstanding".

Short of, yes. Basically it is: "no matter what happens".

Πρίμα indeed refers to favourable (rather than fair) winds, but it's not used alone but as part of phrases, such as "ήρθαν όλα πρίμα" or "βάλε πρίμα" (try googling them, you 'll get plenty of uses). In this case the translation is incorrect.

Ολυμπιάδα is NOT the Olympic Games; It is the four year period between two consecutive Olympic Games which in Greek is Ολυμπιακοί αγώνες.

However, in modern Greek, especially in the eighties, it was used as if it refered to the actual Olympic Games; You need to consider that by the time the song was first performed (1990 IIRC), there was much unrest with Athens' candidateship for the Olympic Games of 1996.

There were those who were in favour, and those who were against, claiming that it was financially too big an event for Greece to overtake. Eventually the Games were held by Atlanta, USA. It was a historic occasion marking 100 years of modern Olympic Games.

So what the line really says, is that the Greeks, despite their huge financial problems, want the pride and glamour that goes with the Olympic Games despite the risk of further worsening the economy. The line points out the irony.

Best regards,
Alexander

Originally Posted by feishtica

What does παιδάκι πράμα mean?

It means several things, depending on the co-text. In this case, it means a grown-up kid.

οικοκυρική μοδίστρα???

A home tailoress, ie a woman in the family who mends and sews cloths.

η Ελλάδα πήγαινε κι ερχόταν - Greece was shaking?

No, "Greece was coming and going" literally. You could also say "Greece was roaming" or "changing its mind"

κι έγινε ο τρόμος καθεστώς σου - Can I translate this as "The terror restricted your freedom"?

Yes, short of. Literally: "Terror became your regime" but note that "καθεστώς" in Greek conveys mostly negative connotations, because of the 1967-74 military junta.

αγάπες μ΄έβαλαν στη μέση - I got entangled between my love affairs?

Yes.

Also, take a look at this, you will probably find it illuminating, even if it is in Greek

...Η μπαλάντα της Ιφιγένειας ή αλλιώς «ένας μικρός απολογισμός της ζωής μου από το 1959 έως το 1975», όπως δήλωνε στη Μεσημβρινή το 1984.

Ο πατέρας που χάνεται όταν αυτή είναι μόλις εννέα χρόνων: Εσύ τον άντρα σου είχες χάσει κι εγώ είχα χάσει το γονιό μου.

Η κάθοδος από τη Θήβα στην Αθήνα: Κλείδωσες δυο φορές το σπίτι, μάς πήρες κι ήρθαμε στην πόλη.

Η ενασχόλησή της με τη μοδιστρική και ο αδελφός στα μπάρκα: Κι άρχισαν να κυλούν τα χρόνια όπως το χρώμα στη βατίστα / στην οικοκυρική μοδίστρα κι ο αδελφός μου στα καράβια.

Η γνωριμία της με την αγάπη: Και πάνω που άρχιζα να ορίζω ήρθε η αγάπη να με ορίσει.

Η γνωριμία της και με το τραγούδι: Κι όταν με πήρε το τραγούδι ήμουν το στόμα των απόρων / έγινα στόχος των εμπόρων και θύμα της πολυγνωσίας.

Part of her short bio by Difono magazine. The rest is here:
http://www.difono.gr/news/index.php?...t01returnid=85

Thank you very much!!! So there are errors to correct again.
Yes, I know the song is autobiographical, I am a huuuuge fan of Haroula. )
As for regimes, no need to explain to me, who have grown up in communist Bulgaria...

Originally Posted by BleakHeart

It means several things, depending on the co-text. In this case, it means a grown-up kid.



A home tailoress, ie a woman in the family who mends and sews cloths.



No, "Greece was coming and going" literally. You could also say "Greece was roaming" or "changing its mind"



Yes, short of. Literally: "Terror became your regime" but note that "καθεστώς" in Greek conveys mostly negative connotations, because of the 1967-74 military junta.



Yes.

Also, take a look at this, you will probably find it illuminating, even if it is in Greek



Part of her short bio by Difono magazine. The rest is here:
http://www.difono.gr/news/index.php?...t01returnid=85