Kostas Hatzis / Κώστας Χατζής

If I only had a sky, if I only had, also, a sea,
if I only had a little house, down by the shore…
playing with the little stones, speaking to the waves,
walking in the sand and singing.

But what am I saying, crazy one! I have your two eyes:
they are like the sky ~ they are like the sea!
I have your two eyes, sea and sky,
I have your love for a little house.

If I only had a cloud that would take me traveling
beyond borders and away from loneliness;
to have the birds as friends, and the stars for company ~
to live in the sky and to sing!

But what am I saying, crazy one! I have your two hands:
They are like the clouds, they are like birds!
but what am I saying, crazy one, I have your two lips,
I have your two eyes, stars and sky.

If only all people had a love like mine
We would all be friends and brothers on this earth.

(translation: Eva Johanos)

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

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

Και ένας νέος μοναχός …

Life you did embitter me so much
one morning I’ll leave out of touch
and in an airplane I will board
to look from up there at the world

When you’re looking from high above
the earth is a painting, kind of
this earth you took too much to heart
this earth you took too much to heart

The houses look so much like matchboxes
the people look like ants that stroll
and the largest mansion there is
not larger than a childish ball

And all of them who did embitter you
if you do look from high enough
they will appear so indifferent
that recalling them will be tough

Oh my beloved one don’t you cry
should you want we’ll go up high
to look at this earth from the moon
it’s just a moonlet or balloon

When you’re looking from far above
the world is a painting, kind of
this world you took too much to heart
this world you took too much to heart

The towers look so much like dollhouses
and canons like toys do appear
from high enough you cannot tell
the adornments and the fancy gear

Whatever embittered or bewildered you
if you do look from high enough
it will appear pretty indifferent
that recalling it will be tough

Oh my beloved one don’t you cry
should you want we’ll go up high
to look at this earth from the moon
it’s just a moonlet or balloon

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

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!

I, too, had, as you say, a friend
an old tramp of a dog
which the “hundred”* took from me.

Outside there are a lot of dogs going around
dogs that don’t bark
but walk on two legs.

False world, what heartlessness you hide
and what pain, so much of it all around me
and only one dog loved me.

I, too, had, as you say, a friend
which the “dogs” called a dog
because he lacked speech.

I told him my troubles,
how much they wounded my heart
the two-legged dogs.

(translation: Eva Johanos)

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

(translation: Eva Johanos
*”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)

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