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It blows in the opposite direction throughout the whole world
the wild flying things can’t find the source
I can’t stand the silence of the volley
I swear to be a refugee, may it do me good.

I turn about in the world; nowhere do I see a foreigner where I stay.
I come back and from whomever I meet, I learn.
I give, I take, I breathe in the colors, I become greater,
I am enchanted by the aromas and I travel.
I am looking for the same beautiful roof for all of us,
I am making a fire for whoever wants a diverse world.

For the eyes of a child that looks for earth, I pull down the sky,
I rescue mothers and sons.
I make my tongue the purple, intact pencil-
and my soul a vast hut of lyrics.
I knock down your castle, I spit on the point of your star.
I become a salty breeze and the last rain.

Take the no’s and pry yourself out of this corner
where the stolen things flew onto your corpse in excess,
my refusal uttered (in fire), untie yourself, poor thing
become a thread wrapped in the wind
that I may give you one, that you may spin forever and ever
that I may blow on you kindly, hold me without gloves
until all that live on the run shall find a shelter.
A new beginning, and may it turn out well for them.

It will end well for me, even if my masts squeal.
I have with me, in this movement which you make, my soul,
my self-renunciation, my magical staff,
I make weak things go beyond my voice.
My honor, a few steps tear the mud.
Take my footprints instead of a map
and in your baggage, don’t cram in shame,
nor silence.

Postscript: I don’t believe in luck.
When lies die, beautiful lyrics are born
and sweeten the hate among the traces of people
or throw them forever into completely desolate places.
My hidden words, my fragmented words
exhausted what had remained inside me.
My trustworthiness bankrupt before dirty history,
undying myth and raw allegory.
Mock me, cowards, forget me,
braid a fuse and light me on fire-
in your error an intact dream will cry out
the shout of life and may it do me good.

(translation: Eva Johanos)

I was born at the meeting of night and day
on a hot August Monday
dreams were few, words were many
and everyone felt good.
Where the race will survive and the celebration will begin
my mother’s tears were shed in vain
her dread, her pain, her longing
together with her wishes, a curse as well.
Which my star heard and hid itself in the light
and since then I have been so alone
and laughter doesn’t hold, and promises don’t count
and those who love you easily forget.
And they are afraid to stand near time
and from love they do not share their pain
You see their star shining up there on high
and so everything goes well

Listen Mama, God has something for everyone
And maybe my own star is somewhere there in the light
Listen Mama, God has something for everyone
And the sky is big enough for us.

And that’s why I return to the light and I sing
I stopped counting the days that are passing
I collect my fragments and I do not hope
to those who always want me, I will return
I clench my teeth and I have my comfort
only my dream and for as long as it can bear it my heart
I will be here, and it is well that you remember it
and since you don’t respect me, fear me.
Because I live only for what I love
I guard my lie towards you only to say
to all of you with the star there up high
who supposedly feel great.
Because everything around you is changing
while the passing days frighten you
but I throw wishes far away now
I will never live yesterday again.
Because Mama I found that everything is before me
my pain life and joy my dilemma
I always gathered what remained from the ashes
but fortune holds a grudge against me

Listen Mama, God has something for everyone And maybe my own star is somewhere there in the light Listen Mama, God has something for everyone And the sky is big enough for us.

(translation: Eva Johanos)

ʼκου μάνα, για όλους έχει ο θεός
Κι ίσως το δικό μου άστρο να ‘ναι κάπου εκεί στο φως.
ʼκου μάνα για όλους έχει ο θεός.
Και μας χωράει ο ουρανός.

Is there a place for our young life to take a rest?
Is there a place for their morality to nest?
Are there colours that stand out in black?
And if you know any, show me the track.
I’ m at a loss and sundered in four
parts of this world forgotten and filled up with lore.
Some are old and some die at birth.
There’s one inside me you, too. I’m matrix of both!
All drowned in blood and saved by lies,
wound on a spool with golden thread and thousand ties,
drunken without having taken a draught
to a sacred cause they sung and laughed.

For this I tell you, come! Take all sublime in life
to fight back the times, sing and laugh.
Talk to the feared ones look them straight in the eyes,
shut your ears, and stay away from haunted cries.
If you still smell blood from many parts of this world
make it a song, sing it for those who know the words,
will find a match and a secret hideaway
when their soul weighs down with decay.
Our destiny quails while we sing to it songs
and if we dare put flowers on our very gravestones.
Stupid angels I ‘ll never cease to holler
my black demons I stole your colour.
Naked kings, naked prophets entice
almighty gods to let them once again sacrifice.
And we – the tramps – all round this world
make up a spell, and if it never works
we wouldn’t care -say it’s a folly, a gaffe
come along you can make it – sing and laugh
for those proud ones who unjustly went by
I ‘m always on the side of those who die.

For Palestine – sing and laugh
For the valley – sing and laugh
For the Balkans – sing and laugh
For Cyprus – sing and laugh
For Genova – sing and laugh
For Seattle – sing and laugh
For the white cells – sing and laugh
For the dead – sing and laugh
For Markos – sing and laugh
For Gandhi – sing and laugh
For Che Guevara – sing and laugh
For Martin Luther King – sing and laugh
For our enemy – sing and laugh
For our murderer – sing and laugh
For our dream – sing and laugh

Sing to the children with the cruciform hands
sing to the women with the coal black bands
sing to those who dig the earth with their sweat
and to those who laugh away their iry fret
Sing to the dreams that never found their way
and to the heroes that died before betraying
for all that human mind can not surmise
barbed wire horizons and skies.
Sing and the imposible will all at once retire
sing earth, wind, water and fire.
Instead of crying laugh on life’s behalf
for me and for you sing on and laugh.

Welcome, stranger, to the place where I live
take a seat next to me so I can pour you some wine to drink
forgive me a little for my way,
but you found me in the embrace of shame.
I’ve been left all alone, take and sit wherever you like
I see you are tired, you must have been wandering around for a long time,
however even in my dizziness and behind the shadows
it’s like, it seems that you remind me of something.

To your health, you too, I was gone for years, I was somewhere far away
They brought me back, strong voices
and some guilt feelings that told me that near here
I was born and I have died two thousand times.

Oh, that’s it, I was right to say, when I saw you
that surely you must speak strangely
you have the stamp of another world on you
those thorns on your head and the clothes that you are wearing.

Once some people put it on me for a crown
and they jeered at me, calling me a great king
still there is flowing fresh blood since then in those who climbed the ladder of time.
That’s why you see me in the shadows
like I’m afraid and I want to escape
one prayer in an olive orchard
they never let refinish

But at the same time you smell of the sky and the soil
and that wonderful freshness of silence

It is because I was brought here by strange quarrels
listen, then, to what you will tell them:
Since they are all yelling, those guys
and since they are killing in my name
say that the celebration is postponed
I’m going to go lay down on my nails.
Tell them that time has gone crazy
there is no stop at the station of Golgotha
Say that the strange one got lost
and left definitively

You tell me confusing things, but I like it
you must study the art of the brain
or like with me, when it gets to me and I start to go nuts
and I drink here, it gets to me in a different way

That’s why I came here and chose you, drunk
so you would be able to tell them the truth
beneath the light, your forehead is sweaty
but you keep it clean, you will not be ashamed.
The others played with me through the centuries
emperor they anointed me, they made me a general,
my simple words they scattered like rules
and I didn’t know anything, myself.

How did you find me down here, and what do you want from me?
My brain hasn’t moved from the cradle
it seems I was born yesterday
while outside there are millions of smart people

I saw them, I heard them, my skin feels them
I prefer the nails which hold me to the cross
those guys sold for a high price my birth
those guys hold onto the darkness as a treasure.
Say to my enemies that they had a good reason
and I will respect them because they were more honorable
when they killed me, they looked at the sky
and in that way they were in time to be forgiven from there.

Beautiful, strange friend of mine, tonight
for my disability you found a good purpose
take a cup take bread and cut it
I will finish my wine and I will go to tell them:
Since they are all yelling, those guys
and since they are killing in your name
say that the celebration is postponed
You are going to go lay down on your nails.
I will say that time has gone crazy
there is no stop at the station of Golgotha
I will say that the strange one has gotten lost
and left definitively

(translation: Eva Johanos)

Ωραίος, παράξενε φίλε μου, απόψε
για την ανημποριά μου βρήκες σκοπό
πάρε μια κούπα πάρε ψωμί και κόψε
να τελειώσω το κρασί μου και θα πάω να τους πω:
Αφού φωνάζουν όλοι αυτοί
κι αφού σκοτώνουν στ’ όνομα σου
θα πω αναβάλλεται η γιορτή
πας να ξαπλώσεις στα καρφιά σου.
Θα πω ο χρόνος πως τρελάθηκε
δε κάνει στάση Γολγοθά
θα πω ο παράξενος πως χάθηκε
κι έφυγε οριστικά.