Kostas Hatzis

Great people, but
loneliness keeps them frozen.
They go to the cinema
so they don’t feel alone.

But I have you, and you, me,
And our love is a golden bird.
But I have you, and you, me:
Two who love each other are many!

Noises, lights, voices
And inside the laughter, the snow..
Telephone calls, companions
in order to not feel alone.

But I have you, and you, me,
And our love is a golden bird.
But I have you, and you, me:
Two who love each other are many!

(translation: Eva Johanos)

Μα εγώ έχω εσένα, κι’ εσύ εμένα,
κι’ είν’ η αγάπη μας χρυσό πουλί.
Μα εγώ έχω εσένα, κι’ εσύ εμένα,
δυο π’ αγαπιούνται είναι πολλοί!

Και ένας νέος μοναχός …

Years ago, on a far journey
to a deserted coast somewhere in Africa
I met a traveller from another planet
who had gotten lost in space

He asked me how they call this star
where by misfortune he had found himself
I told him it is the third planet from the sun
and that we call it Gaia (Earth)

He looked at me with true doubt
he told me that he had thought that that planet had been lost
their faraway observatories
had noted a great destruction

Then I spoke to him about Hiroshima and Nagasaki
the complaint caught hold of me and I cried like a child
I told him ‘for 6000 years the human beings have been at war, sir
human with human, people with people together’
I told him ‘for 6000 years the human beings have been at war, sir
but the earth still lives, still lives, still lives’

He spoke to me about his faraway planet
He told me how it is governed by 12 wise men
Afterwards he asked me about our own governemtns
how many wise men govern the earth

Here, I told him, things are different, sir
It is not always the wise who govern
Many times those who govern are the highwaymen
Plenty of times those who govern are the insane

Then I spoke to him about Nero and about Hitler
about the concentration camps and about the Nazis
I told him how the S.S. killed the people
thousands and thousands of them, like sheep, sir
but the earth still lives, still lives, still lives’

He looked around at the sea, the forests so beautiful
He told me, ‘it is the most beautiful star I have seen’
He asked me if he might cut a branch from a tree
and take a stone with him to remember the Earth

I took the stone from his hands
and kissed it with love
He wondered at that and asked me why
I told him that ‘there exists no stone on this planet, sir
which has not been anointed with human blood;
So much blood has been poured on this soil, sir
but the earth still lives, still lives, still lives’

(translation: Eva Johanos)

Πήρα την πέτρα από τα χέρια του
και τη φίλησα με αγάπη
Απόρησε και με ρώτησε γιατί
Του είπα δεν υπάρχει μια πέτρα σε αυτόν τον πλανήτη, κύριε
ανθρώπινο αίμα να μην έχει ποτιστεί
Πολύ αίμα έχει χυθεί εδώ πάνω, κύριε
αλλά η γη ακόμα ζει, ακόμα ζει, ακόμα ζει

When I first heard him he spoke about lightning bolts
about a rain, about a paradise on earth
he made us regret that we went to war
that we deprived those in pain of a smile
that we mistreated joy
that we were unjust towards justice
Another time he spoke to us about a gathering of people
and he said that all those cultured and educated people
who speak the language of saving the world
did not manage to learn the language of the birds,
of the flowers, of the stars
while those with open hands speak about love and kindness
he spoke to us about memory and about resurrection,
freedom and the suffering of humanity
about the peace that will come
and those weapons, the knives and swords
he read Isaiah to us
how they will become tools to work the earth
they killed the man, the person who loved
the flowers the birds
the gardens and the trees
the flowers the birds.
Those [beings] felt more bitterly the loss of him
why they killed him no one knows
that is what the spring told me, in sorrow.

(translation: Eva Johanos)

γιατί τον σκότωσαν κανείς δεν το ξέρει
αυτό μου είπε η άνοιξη λυπημένη.

Όποια απόφαση κι αν πάρω, θα την πετάξω σαν τσιγάρο
θάρθει η μέρα θα ξανάρθει, κι εγώ θα κάνω τα ίδια λάθη
περνά η ζωή περνά ο καιρός, κι όλο με σκάβουν οι ρυτίδες
μα δόξα νάχει ο Θεός, μπόλικες έχω τις ελπίδες

In some window there is light
someone is burning with fever
he is leaving us step by step
Some ship in the open sea
with a thousand pains holds on
to not let the wave drink it up

And we three at the cafe
cigarettes, card games and coffee
Hey, never mind- never mind, brother*

Someone at the edge of the cliff
looks at the end of the sky
alone he dies
Someone in a battle is fighting
the bullet passes by us
and in his chest it goes

And we others- but yes
We have a party and go Dutch*
Hey, never mind- never mind, brother*

Outside is lightning and thunder
a passer-by is walking
lost in the storm.
Somewhere they don’t have bread
somewhere a child is hungry
and is crying at this hour.

And we have all had enough- but yes!
we are having a feast and going Dutch*
Hey, never mind- never mind, brother*

So many tonight are staying awake
wandering about like the damned
and they cry and they are in pain.
Stand still and think for a moment
how many are being killed on the earth
during the time we are talking.

And we three at the cafe
cigarettes, card games and coffee
Hey, never mind- never mind, brother*

[*”never mind”-“δε βαριέσαι”- expression which means literally,
doesn’t it bore you- or don’t bother yourself with it
*”going Dutch”- ρεφενε- each person paying for himself]

(translation: Eva Johanos)

Κι εμείς οι τρεις στον καφενέ
τσιγάρο πρέφα και καφέ
Βρε δε βαριέ-, βρε δε βαριέσαι αδερφέ.

In one night, Margarita
don’t seek to understand life
Come now, goodnight Margarita
We’ll talk again in the morning

Take a last breath
to hold it in the kiss
Come now, goodnight Margarita
today you tired yourself a lot

Come now, goodnight Margarita
In the river the water flows
take your troubles and throw them in
Come now, goodnight Margaro

Look at the moon, Margarita
it shines like half of the sun
if you turn it to the other side
it is awfully dark over there
Behind the laughter, Margarita
hides a pure tear
And what you see flashing
Is not real gold, Margaro

(translation: Eva Johanos)

Κοιτά το φεγγάρι Μαργαρίτα λάμπει
σαν τον ήλιο, το μισό
άμα το γυρίσεις απ’ την άλλη
είναι θεοσκότεινο κι αυτό
Πίσω από το γέλιο Μαργαρίτα
κρύβεται ένα δάκρυ καθαρό
Κι ό,τι βλέπεις να λαμποκοπάει
μάλαμα δεν είναι Μαργαρώ