Dimitris Mitropanos

Moon, you put a spell on me
and I walk in foreign lands
the house is an orphan
unsupported the dusk
and the mountains have been crying
Send my sky a bird
to take patience to the mother

Send my sky a bird
a little swallow
to go and build its nest
in the garden in the plum-tree
next to the little balcony
Send my sky a bird
to take patience to the mother

To take patience to the mother
tied up in a the kerchief
a dowry to my little sister
and to the daughter of my neighbor
a sweet kiss on the lips

(translation: Eva Johanos)

Να πάει στη μάνα υπομονή
δεμένη στο μαντίλι
προικιά στην αδερφούλα μου
και στη γειτονοπούλα μου
γλυκό φιλί στα χείλη

Καλοκαίρια και χειμώνες
περιμένω να φανείς
δάκρυα καυτά σταγόνες
θα με καιν ώσπου να ‘ρθεις

Γιατί εδώ
εδώ ειν’ ο έρωτας που ξέρουμε
εδώ κι οι πίκρες που μας θέλουν και τις θέλουμε
εδώ κι εμείς για να ‘χει πάντα συντροφιά
η εθνική μας μοναξιά
εδώ κι εμείς για να ‘χει πάντα συντροφιά
η εθνική μας μοναξιά

Δεν είμαι εγώ
σαν τους παλιάτσους μιας βραδιάς
που λένε λόγια μια της φωτιάς
δεν είμαι εγώ
Φυλάω σταυρό,φυλάω σταυρό
άμα το θες,δεν θα ντραπώ
Δεν είμαι εγώ
σαν τους παλιάτσους μιας βραδιάς
δεν είμαι εγώ

Saturday daybreak in front of Acherousia
I danced zeimpekiko on the fire
Steps birthday for immortality
And all my loves are one foreign land

I took from your eyes a little black colour
And I painted my clothes – Mum, don’t see me-
I still remember your last conversation
When you were dancing you told me, be Digenis

Looks engraved the black screens
And the blind prophets betray the oracles
Love archangel like the old pictures
And the dance of the world breaks the joints

I took from your eyes a little black colour
And I painted my clothes – Mum, don’t see me-
I still remember your last conversation
When you were dancing you told me, be Digenis

Our songs are volcanos which burn
Bodies and statues acquire feathers
Our ancient passions and your kisses worth the blame
Look, I was resurrected for a second time

I took from your eyes a little black colour
And I painted my clothes – Mum, don’t see me-
I still remember your last conversation
When you were dancing you told me, be Digenis

Πήρα από τα μάτια σου λίγο μαύρο χρώμα
κι έβαψα τα ρούχα μου -μάνα μη με δεις-
την στερνή κουβέντα σου την θυμάμαι ακόμα
σαν χορεύεις μου ΄λεγες, να ‘σαι ο Διγενής

Κομμάτια κι αν με κάνει η ορφάνια
λέξη για σένανε καμιά
το βράδυ με κοιμίζει η περηφάνια
και με ξυπνάει η ερημιά

I wasted my life like a traveling circus
In stations and in squares I did not ask where you were taking me
Now I travel without a compass
I can hear your voice but I do not get what you are saying

[CHORUS]
Greece, my Vembo* and Marilyn Monroe
Greece, my Elytis* and Edgar Allan Poe
Greece, witch, virgin and my street walker
Greece, my Toumba, Alcazar and Kalogreza*.

Once you were creating in me a fiery passion
Now you play a game I do not care about.
I do not win and I do not lose I love you and I deny you
And on your cliff, I am holding onto a little twig.

*Vembo = modest greek singer in the 40’s
*Elytis =poet full of optimism and sun light in his poems
*Toumba, Alcazar and Kalogreza =all these three are places where there are soccer stadiums with “really hot” fans

Μια φορά μου γεννούσες ένα πάθος παράφορο
τώρα παίζεις παιχνίδι που μ’ αφήνει αδιάφορο
δεν κερδίζω δε χάνω σ’ αγαπώ και σ’ αρνιέμαι
κι από ένα κλαράκι του γκρεμού σου κρατιέμαι

The sinners of the night and the alone of the dawn
Want heavy zeimpekiko and a nervous wheel
They hang around in places which aren’t on the map
For a drop of sky, for a fake love

Those who became friends with Death
They die with a cigarette in the mouth
They are gifted in their mad dreams
Always smiling always smiling, always smiling
Always smiling and laughing

Our youth are a way from Athens to Thessaloniki
We built a city together but I am still live in the rent
I fell in order to dream of you on mats made of lime-trees
And I saw how the night brings out light and the purple color of shells

Those who became friends with Death
They die with a cigarette in the mouth
They are gifted in their mad dreams
Always smiling always smiling, always smiling
Always smiling and laughing (x2)

Όσοι με το Χάρο γίναν φίλοι
με τσιγάρο φεύγουνε στα χείλη
στα τρελά τους όνειρα δοσμένοι
πάντα γελαστοί, πάντα γελαστοί
πάντα γελαστοί και γελασμένοι
Όσοι με το Χάρο γίναν φίλοι
με τσιγάρο φεύγουνε στα χείλη
στα τρελά τους όνειρα δοσμένοι
πάντα γελαστοί, πάντα γελαστοί
πάντα γελαστοί και γελασμένοι

We will leave from here sometime
When all of us will be tired
I’ll turn around for a moment just to see you
And you will be looking at me, happy.

We’ll leave from here sometime
And you will shout all your “wants”
Your cry won’t be dumb
You will be able to cry, free.

Sometime, but now we are here
Strangers in a land which is changing
I know a thousand ways to save myself
But none of them suit me.

We’ll leave from here sometime
And you will be beautiful in the way
You will laugh with everything I will be telling you
We will take the clouds out on our shoulders.

Κάποτε θα φύγουμε από δω
Και θα είσαι όμορφη στο δρόμο
Θα γελάς με ό,τι κι αν σου πω
Σύννεφα θα βγάλουμε στον ώμο.