Michalis Terzis / Μιχάλης Τερζής

I love you, in the language of the bird, of the nightingale
and translated, all of it, into my dazzled mind

I love you, I love you, in my awe-struck mind
I love you, I love you, in my awe-struck mind

I love you with all the stars of my deep heaven
stand up my love, being, in my dazzled mind

I love you, I love you, in my awe-struck mind
I love you, I love you, in my awe-struck mind

Σ’ αγαπώ σ’ αγαπώ στο θαμπό μου το νου
σ’ αγαπώ σ’ αγαπώ στο θαμπό μου το νου

There, the moon went back
they set, also, the Pleiades
It is midnight, it is midnight
It is passing, it is passing, the hour
And I am sleeping alone

(translation: Eva Johanos)

Filly from Thrace, you look at me and disappear.
Don’t think me an idler, and pay me no mind.
Learn, how I can, if I want put a bridle on you,
and holding your reins take you to the moon.

Now in the meadows you play, you wander free,
how do you not have an intelligent rider to control you.
Learn, how I can, if I want put a bridle on you,
and holding your reins take you to the moon.

(translation: Eva Johanos)

Τώρα στους λειμώνες παίζεις, λεύτερη γυρίζεις,
τι δεν έχεις καβαλάρη ξύπνιο να σ’ ορίζει.
Μάθε, πως μπορώ, αν θέλω να σου βάλω χαλινάρι,
και τα γκέμια σου κρατώντας να σε πάω στο φεγγάρι.

(Ancient Greek:)
Τίκτει δε τε θνατοίσιν
ειρήνα μεγάλα
πλούτον μελιγλώσσων
τα’ αοιδάν άνθεα…

(Modern Greek)
Wealth and the most beautiful
sweet songs
gifts for the mortals
from the great peace*
(translation: Eva Johanos
*the goddess Eirini)

Τα πλούτη και τα πιο όμορφα
γλυκά τραγούδια
δώρα για τους θνητούς
απ’ τη μεγάλη ειρήνη

Crazy moon, old enchantress
Like a ghost on the plains of Macbeth
Who eats broken glass
And the dogs sate themselves with emeralds

The Boat for other gardens sets out
Loudspeakers disperse the “Cumparsita”**
Your off-the-shoulder dress hungers
Everything will happen this evening, this night

In the open seas off of Syros, the wave that bays
On the knife’s edge of the weather
Of the salt world

Shadows in Hades ~clothes of the water ~
Bombed dark landscape ~
One season of the world, of the salt
And the mask of one Carnival***

Cathedral, parade, shouts
And the Band with the brass in the snow
Ancient writers, parchment
Of my art they will become the Daemons****

Bitter Islands, seashells of the soul
Feelings that live in formaldehyde
A pistol shot at the edge of life
A last letter that begins “In Ermoupolis!”

(translation: Eva Johanos
*Ermoupolis ~ the beautiful and historically significant capital of the island of Syros in the southern Dodecanese, founded by refugees and revolutionaries during and after the War of Independence in 1821
**La Cumparsita ~ “Tango’s most famous song”
***Απόκριας or Carnival is similar to the Catholic celebration of Mardi Gras
****Δαιμόνοι ~ more than one meaning, ambiguous:
as the ancients are mentioned, there is more of a positive meaning, companion spirit, as opposed to the Judaio-Christian idea of “demons”)

Πικρά Νησιά κοχύλια της ψυχής
Αισθήματα που ζουν μεσ’ τη φορμόλη
Μια πιστολιά στην άκρη της ζωής
Γράμμα στερνό που αρχίζει Εν Ερμουπόλει..!

The angle of the tightrope walker
is surrounded by anguish
in the utopia of life
and insecure balance.

He places Ninou in his mind
and all the thought tires him
he admired her for the value
she had in tightrope walking.

Duo Nino and a Half
in leaping you had the gold
but the dance floor* won you
and you became a real artist.

And if we lost you early
you will always tightrope walk
on the wings of the angels
in the squares and in the streets.

In the glance of the tightrope walker
the cheating appears as truth
but the magic of miracles
hides a secret cause.

He places Ninou in his mind
but his soul sighs;
He always admired Marika
who left a dowry to song.

(translation: Eva Johanos
*In 1944 the great singer “Marika Ninou” (birthname Evangelia Atamian) met her second husband, the acrobat and juggler Nino Nikolaidis; together with her son, they made up an artistic acrobatic trio, the “Duo Nino and a Half.” Marika, however, was destined for a legendary singing career, although she tragically died very young, at 35.)

(*Το 1944 η μεγάλη τραγουδίστρια Μαρίκα Νίνου γνώρίσε τον δεύτερο άντρα της, τον ακροβάτη και ζογκλέρ Νίνο Νικολαΐδη. Μαζί με τον γιο της αποτελούσαν ένα καλλιτεχνικό ακροβατικό τρίο, το «ντούο Νίνο και μισό,» αλλά η μεγάλη αγάπη της Μαρίκας ήταν το τραγούδι.)

With your white foot you step into the sea.
Red like the pomegranate the mouth you kiss.

You take me and make me dizzy, like the sweet wine,
when you bend and touch me, you, my April.
On the eve of Saint John’s day we’ll light fires
so that reversals will become ash in the smoke.*

Crazy the summer in the uncombed hair.
I will hold your hand, golden orange tree.

You take me and make me dizzy, like the sweet wine,
when you bend and touch me, you, my April.
On the eve of Saint John’s day we’ll light fires
so that reversals will become ash in the smoke.

In your white hand the Peloponnese,
a golden coin at midday, Skiathos and Alonisos.

You take me and make me dizzy, like the sweet wine,
when you bend and touch me, you, my April.
On the eve of Saint John’s day we’ll light fires,
the world is a fishing lantern and we are starlight.

(translation: Eva Johanos
*Αγιάννη ~ referring to celebrations on June 23rd, the eve of the religious celebrations for Saint John (ΑιΓιάννη), involving ancient solar fire rituals of banishing negative influences.)

Με παίρνεις με ζαλίζεις σαν το γλυκό κρασί,
σα γέρνεις και μ’ αγγίζεις Απρίλη μου εσύ.
Ανήμερα τ’ Αγιάννη θ’ ανάψουμε φωτιά,
ο κόσμος πυροφάνι και ’μεις αστροφεγγιά.