Melina Mercouri / Μελίνα Μερκούρη

From the window I send out
one and two and three and four kisses
which reach the harbor
as one and two and three and four birds

How I would like to have one and two
and three and four children
that when they will grow up, all of them
will become handsome and charming for the good of Peiraia

As much as I may look, I find no other harbor
that drives me crazy as much as Peiraia
where when the evening comes, it lays out songs in a row
and the plucking of the strings changes, and it fills up with
young people

When I go out of my door
no one exists whom I don’t love
and when I go to sleep at night I know that
I know that, that I will dream of him

Jewels I put on my neck, and a be-
and a be-, and a bead as a talisman
because in the evenings I am waiting, at the harbor if I go out
someone I don’t know to find

As much as I may look, I find no other harbor
that drives me crazy as much as Peiraia
where when the evening comes, it lays out songs in a row
and the plucking of the strings changes, and it fills up with
young people

(translation: Eva Johanos)

Όσο κι αν ψάξω, δεω βρίσκω άλλο λιμάνι
τρελή να μ΄έχει κάνει όσο τον Πειραιά
ποθ όταν βραδιάζει, τραγούδια μ’αραδιάζει
και τις πενιές του αλλάζει, γεμίζει από παιδιά

Love, turned into a double-edged knife,
Once upon a time you gave me nothing but joy
but now you drown the joy in tears
I can’t find the shore, I can’t find a cure (bis)

Fires flare in his eyes
the stars go out when he looks at me
turn off the lights, turn off the moonlight
don’t let him see me as my pain takes possession of me (bis)

Φωτιές ανάβουνε μες στα δυο του μάτια,
τ’ αστέρια πέφτουνε όταν με θωρεί.
Σβήστε τα φώτα,σβήστε το φεγγάρι
σαν θα με πάρει τον πόνο μου μη δει.

Από σκαλί σ΄ άλλο σκαλί κι από φιλί σε πάθος
πήρα σοκάκι ανάποδα και μονοπάτι λάθος.
Κι απ΄ το Ροδόλφο στο Μηνά κι απ΄ τον Κοσμά στον Πάνο
πελάγωσα μανούλα μου και τώρα τι να κάνω.
Το γαρ πολύ του έρωτος γεννά παραφροσύνη
το διάβασα στον Παλαμά, το βρήκα στον Δροσίνη.

They speak of times of glory, once again
(Anna don’t cry)
We will ask the grocer for some credit

They are speaking, again, of the nation’s honor
(Anna don’t cry)
in the cupboard there is not a crumb of bread

They are speaking of victories the future will bring
(Anna don’t cry)
Me they do not put in their hand

The army is starting out
(Anna don’t cry)
If I return again
I will follow other flags.
The army is starting out

(translation: Eva Johanos)

Ο στρατός ξεκινά
(Άννα μην κλαις)
Σαν γυρίσω ξανά
θ’ακολουθώ άλλες σημαίες.
Ο στρατός ξεκινά

Like a cloud left by the weather
all alone in the sky
as a child I hit the road

I walked all over the earth
with a song in my heart
and the rain on my shoulders.

With these arms for wings
which never knew joy
I fought the wave.

And I had deep inside me a wound
a love that found no [place on] earth,
lost in misfortune.

With my face so darkened
by the merciless sun
I disappeared in the night,

And love took me there
where I had a kiss on my lips,
but company I had none

With my heart a wound
I have walked all over this earth
the one I had to live on

But they took away from me, both together,
the dream and the dawn
and I leave before starting

Like a cloud left by the weather
all alone in the sky
I will come back to you

In that rain
in which I left you one morning
and wasted my life

I will come back out of the past
like a bird up from the South
to knock at the door

It will be a bitter springtime
when everything opens up on earth
and I will start over from the beginning.

Θα ‘ναι μια άνοιξη πικρή
που όλα θ’ ανοίγουνε στη γη
κι απ’ την αρχή θ’ αρχίσω

They call it Mediterranean and naked they play
dark eyed children, bitter statues
it gave birth to the gods, Christ himself
summer is not afraid of weather there,
in the Mediterranean

Blood tampered centuries there
the rocks and the headlands and the deep silence
islands like pigeons, eternal prisons
summer is not afraid of rains there,
in the Mediterranean

Valleys and olives get lost in fire
hands stay lonely and the bodies empty
nations of despair and the bitterness of death
summer does not lose its’ wings there,
in the Mediterranean

Here in that lake I was born too
Mediterranean of fear and bitter times
dreams that played in deep waters
and became lonely trees in dry islands
in the Mediterranean

Heavy clouds hide the Parthenon
In Spain the word ‘liberty’ is lost
but if Athens still is a bitter dream
summer is not afraid of weather there
in the Mediterranean.

Τον Παρθενώνα κρύβουν σύννεφα βαριά
στην Ισπανία εχάθη η λέξη λευτεριά
πάντα η Αθήνα μένει όνειρο πικρό
το καλοκαίρι εκεί δεν τρέμει τον καιρό,
μεσ’ τη Μεσόγειο.

Athens, once more it is opening, your sky
Athens, fire is the blood of your children
a kiss- of freedom the kiss
on Mount Hymettus the sunrise turns rose

Athens they painted you again in blood
my heart you never believed in the lie
the students and the workers in the street, Athens
Deep soul, deep soul, hold on, Athens

Athens, the stone ring of the earth
my heart, count the cries of the mothers
Tightened lips the heartbreak heavy
Athens now you want and you can

The road will celebrate your freedom
Athens, fascism will not remain
the students and the workers in the street, Athens
Deep soul, deep soul, hold on, Athens
the students and the workers in the street, Athens
Deep soul, deep soul, hold on, Athens

(translation: Eva Johanos)

My star, my moon, my branch of spring
near you I’ll come again, near you I’ll come one dawn
to take a kiss from you and for you to take me again.

My love, my love, the night will take us away,
the stars and the sky, the cold moon.

I’ll love you, I’ll live in the song,
you’ll love me, you’ll live with the birds,
I’ll love you, we will become a song,
you ‘ll love me, we will become birds.

In your eyes plays the morning star
the sun bathes the dream of the earth
a wide river is love, and deep
it has grown tired and is going to sleep

For what journey did you set out
remember me and love me
the dawn is stealing a small kiss from you

On your lips burns a bitter small kiss
what faraway journey is calling you
you will leave, stranger, with white sails
forgetting is awaiting the morrow

For what journey did you set out
remember me and love me
the dawn is stealing a small kiss from you

(translation: Eva Johanos)

He was pale
He was a sweet
complaint
It was the boy I love
a complaint
Behind his eyes
the rain
my boy
has been crucified

What is wrong that the boy is crying
no one came outside to see
but the dawn pitied him
who felt so much pain

(translation: Eva Johanos)