Christos Thivaios / Χρήστος Θηβαίος

I haven’t gone on long journeys
my years have had roots, they have been trees
which my heart has covered with leaves
and has let them bloom on the rock.

I haven’t gone on long journeys
the people I’ve loved have been woods
my friends have been moons and islands
which my heart has been thirsty for reaching.

You have been my longest journey
you are the night, the day’s dream,
my little fatherland, my body , my start,
my earth, my breath and my air.

I haven’t gone on long journeys,
my heart has travelled and this is enough for me
(my heart has travelled) to dreams, to wet feelings,
so as to breath the secret world in.

You have been my longest journey
you are the night, the day’s dream,
my little fatherland, my body , my start,
my earth, my breath and my air

Το πιο μακρύ ταξίδι μου εσύ
η νύχτα εσύ το όνειρο της μέρας
μικρή πατρίδα σώμα μου κι αρχή
η γη μου εσύ ανάσα μου κι αέρας

Deep, wild sea
My drowned hopes
My saltwater enchantress
Lost homelands

In the abyss you grew thirsty
In the stars you were victorious
Deep, wild sea
Deeply you spoke to me

In your blue I traveled
To anarchic places
I forgot time
ideas and people

You were thirsty for my lips
You intoxicated my mind
Deep, wild sea
Deeply you spoke to me

(translation: Eva Johanos)

Behind the light of the music you cruise in
you are entirely an Argentinian tango
And you no longer seek me in your dreams
as you did once, with a spiritual tune

And for those who you abhor, I am no other
and for those who you love, this is not me
some thought that I was someone great
and from a sparrow I would become an eagle

Into the lifeless cafes falls the snow
and I mourn for the wilderness of a kiss
that, as as an old cloth, our love wears out
and seems like the sound of a broken gun

And for those who you abhor, I am no other
and for those who you love, this is not me
some thought that I was someone great
and from a sparrow I would become an eagle

And for those who you abhor, I am no other
and for those who you love, this is not me
some thought that I was someone great
and from a sparrow I would become an eagle

I shall bring you violins, and a sweet little drum, to play for you,
Erinoula dear, Erinoula dear.

Between us, as you see, the margins are narrowing
Erinoula dear, Erinoula dear.

The burnt towns, the dead children, I remember the blood as well,
Erinoula dear, Erinoula dear,

and my own life, with no meaning with no voice and with empty eyes,
Erinoula dear, Erinoula dear.

Watch out!* Watch out! And the mercenaries who are governing you…
Watch out! Watch out! … those same ones will be sentencing you tomorrow,
and “Hail to you, Cesar who are going to die”* they will tell you.
As the saying is “et preterea censeo Carthago delenda est”*.

You frighten me like the shouts from the stadiums and like the flags,
Erinoula dear, Erinoula dear.

I watch you in fear, keeping my feelers drawn in,
Ach Erinoula dear, Erinoula dear.

Watch out! Watch out! And the mercenaries who are governing you…
Watch out! Watch out!… those same ones will be sentencing you tomorrow,
and “Hail to you, Cesar who are going to die”* they will tell you.
As the saying is “et preterea censeo Carthago delenda est”.

You frighten me like the shouts from the stadiums and like the flags,
Erinoula dear, Erinoula dear.

and you fall in love there without colour, without odour, without myth
Erinoula dear, Erinoula dear,

Watch out! Watch out! And the mercenaries who are governing you…
Watch out! Watch out!… those same ones will be sentencing you tomorrow,
and “Hail to you, Cesar who are going to die”* they will tell you.
As the saying is “et preterea censeo Carthago delenda est”.

But I – I shall bring you violins, and a sweet little drum, to play for you,
Erinoula dear, Erinoula dear…

(Translator’s notes:
* Watch out! Watch out!: separately, the words “πέφτει σύρμα” are “wire falling”, but as an expression, they are used as a warning of approaching danger.
* Hail to you, Cesar… : In the Roman gladiator fights, the combatants would salute the emperor with “Ave Caesar, morituri te salutant”, meaning “Hail Cesar, those who are about to die salute you”. By simply changing the case of “morituri” (or here its Greek counterpart, μελλοθάνατοι), the “about to die” is applied to the emperor instead of the one who speak to him.
* “et preterea censeo Carthago delenda est”: quote from the Roman statesman Cato, famous for his virtue and his stuffiness, who is reputed to have ended his every speech with this sentence, until he got his way and Rome waged total war against Carthage.)

I want, on the day you leave
lyrics: Odysseas Ioannou
music: Thanos Mikroutsikos
first performance: Christos Thivaios

And what can I say about you
that will be you
words with skin and hair
grammatical to the touch
hands laced

I want, on the day you leave
from the morning for you to laugh for me
and when you will open the door
for it to be like you love me

And how can I remember you
that it will be you
your laughter like the waters
a quiet word in the ear
and for us to win

(translation: Eva Johanos)

Και πώς μπορώ να σε θυμάμαι
και να ‘σαι εσύ
τα γέλια σου σαν τα νερά
μια ήσυχη λέξη στ’ αυτί
και να νικάμε

I am still spelling out the rhythm
if you are listening, on music I am flying to you
it is enough, a few charcoal glances
for a lifetime to pay homage to a couple of moments
Only the signs
of Love did we embrace,
to the heart one plunge is not enough
The other things are corals
that we didn’t reach yet,
love is virgin soil

I am spelling out aromas, shadows
if you are listening, I am listening to what you don’t say
it is enough, the prayer of one of your kisses
for the sun to come for an outing to the earth
Only the signs
of Love did we embrace,
to the heart one plunge is not enough
The other things are corals
that we didn’t reach yet,
love is virgin soil

(translation: Eva Johanos)

Συλλαβίζω αρώματα σκιές
αν ακούς, ακούω κι αυτά που δεν λες
φτάνει ένα φιλί σου προσευχή
να ‘ρθει ο ήλιος για μια βόλτα στη γη
Μόνο τα σημάδια
του έρωτα αγκαλιάσαμε,
στην καρδιά μια βουτιά δεν αρκεί
Τ’άλλα είναι κοράλλια
που ακόμα δεν τα φτάσαμε,
είναι η αγάπη απάτητη γη