Michalis Violaris / Μιχάλης Βιολάρης

Blessed Mary, in her apron
was embracing the sea
with Sikinos, Amorgos and
all her other offspring!

Hey you, my cicadas, my angels!
Bye-bye, and farewell!
The sun king lives!
And all reply with one voice:

He lives and lives and lives
The sun king lives!

From the edge of time and
behind the winters
I heard the sounding of the conch*
and mermaids were emerging…

Hey you, my cicadas, my angels!
Bye-bye, and farewell!
The sun king lives!
And all reply with one voice:

He lives and lives and lives
The sun king lives!

And I, among the sea-urchins,
in crevices and among the tamarisks**
like an old seaman
was asking the cicadas

Hey you, my cicadas, my angels!
Bye-bye, and farewell!
The sun king lives!
And all reply with one voice:

He lives and lives and lives
The sun king lives!

(*bourou (gr.μπουρού): Large sea-shell found in Greek waters that can be used to amplify the voice.
**armirikia(gr. αρμυρίκια): salt water loving trees grown near sandy beaches.)

Ζει και ζει και ζει …..
ο βασιλιάς ο ήλιος ζει.

There in the open waters off of Hydra and Spetses
just there before me a
dolphin-girl
You, I say, where is your petticoat
like that, naked you go to find your boy

Come on, my baby, come up and we’ll get started
we could go around the skies five times

A boy I don’t have, she replies to me
I just came for a moment to see what’s happening
She takes a dive into the waves and disappears
she comes back up and holds onto the boat

Come on my baby…

My God, forgive me, I bend over to see
and she gives me a kiss, the naughty child
Like a lemon tree is the scent of her breasts
and all of the blue in her eyes
sparkles

Come on my baby…

(translation: Eva Johanos)

Άιντε μωρό μου…

If I should want, if I should want
to refuse you
to forget you
may I find no water to drink
nor clothes to wear

If I should want, if I should want
to refuse you
to forget you
may I not be able to find a kiss
nor a tear to shed!

(translation: Eva Johanos)

Αν βουληθώ, αν βουληθώ
να σ’ αρνηθώ
να σ’ απολησμονήσω
να μην μπορώ φιλί να βρω
μη δάκρυ να δακρύσω!

If you are and if you’re not the mayor’s child
mayor’s child, oh, oh
i will kiss you even if I go to jail
The money, the money, the money
the schillings odd and double
one pounds, five pounds and where they are
the pimp that has them in his wallet, oh, oh

You are the mirror, the clear glass
the clear glass, oh, oh
that shines in Europe and in the Orient
The money…

What song to tell you in order for you to like it
in order for you to like it, oh, oh
that you have an angelic body and a waist like a ring
The money…

The stair that you go down, I wish I would go down it too
I wish I would go down it too, oh, oh
and on every step to kiss you tenderly
The money…