Eleftheria Arvanitaki / Ελευθερία Αρβανιτάκη

Friends for years, and as I saw you
speaking and laughing
without wanting to I wondered
how you kiss

Deep kiss which startled us
and time stopped
your eyes half open
and in my body midnight,
with our first kiss

Don’t look,
don’t ask to know where it will take us
whether to good or bad
that kiss

Friends for years and we avoided
the kiss on the mouth
one look, one touch
and it was a lot for us

(translation: Eva Johanos)

Today, as if i were you, my love,
hold me like noone’s ever held you before.
I heard you, voices of the wind, speaking
my name and a prayer three times.

A tear rolled down to the edge of my lips,
the first kiss is flowing on the stream,
inside of it I saw you flowing, too.
Do not remember me if you’re not here.

Give to me, as if you’re here, my love,
give me what you have never been bestowed with.

A tear rolled down to the edge of my lips,
and if the smile falls on earth,
she takes it along with her sight,
throws it forward and it differently it all begins.

Έφτασε ένα δάκρυ στων χειλιών την άκρη,
κι αν το χαμόγελο πέφτει στη γη,
με την ματιά της το παίρνει αυτή,
το ρίχνει εμπρός κι όλα αρχίζουν αλλιώς.

The beast of desire does not eat, does not drink
does not rest.
It’s hungry for you, it’s thirsty for me
and is waiting.

I want you by my side
my sleepless guardian
with the kiss, with the sword,
to kill the dragon
and come and save me
from my miserable life.

What I wouldn’t give
to make the round of your body again
even if I would be lost
into the hot lava and the icebergs.
If you love me, don’t say it to me
because I know you will deny me three times
What I wouldn’t give
to make the round of your body again
even if I would be drawn
in the wave that i was cooled with you.
If you love me, keep saying it to me
and for you I will deny
all the Ten Commandments.

In the night of the world
give me your hand,
my comfort,
the way to find, the way to live
my upward gradient. ..

Στη νύχτα του κόσμου
το χέρι σου δωσ’ μου,
παρηγοριά μου,
το δρόμο να βρούμε, τον τρόπο να ζούμε,
ανηφοριά μου.

Everything was taken by the summer
your wild hair in the storm
our rendez-vous one o’clock
The summer took everything away
your black eyes the kerchief
the little church with the burning lamp
The summer took everything away
and the two of us hand in hand

Everything was taken by the summer
with the half-finished conversations snuffed out
the ship’s sails torn up
Into the sea foam into the seaweed
It took everything, took it away
the oaths that trembled in the air, the wind
Everything was taken by the summer
and the two of us hand in hand

I told you about the clouds
I told you about the eyes swollen with tears
About the marks left by our hands
On the little tables that were wet
In the open and in secret
I told you about the clouds
About you and about me

I told you with the waves
I told you with the dark
With the dog and with the lantern
With the coffee and the woman dealing cards
In a whisper, and shouting out
I told you with the waves
I told you in the night

I told you at midnight
I told you the moment you didn’t speak
When with my mind, only a little, I touched you
And it lit on fire, the dress you were wearing
From a close distance, and from far away
I told you at midnight
With the stars you were looking at

(translation: Eva Johanos)

Σου το ‘πα τα μεσάνυχτα
σου το ‘πα τη στιγμή που δε μιλούσες
που με το νου μου μόνο λίγο σ’ άγγιζα
κι άναβε το φουστάνι που φορούσες.
Από κοντά κι από μακριά
σου το ‘πα τα μεσάνυχτα.
Με τ’ άστρα που κοιτούσες.

I cannot live a minute without you
My love, it was destined to be.

I want to stay with you
I want to become your shadow
To alleviate every wound
That hurts you…

To close my eyes
And die when you kiss me
I want to stay with you
For ever…!

I feel you, I adore you, and I desire you
And if I ever lose you, I will go crazy.

I want to stay with you
I want to become your shadow
To alleviate every wound
That hurts you…

To close my eyes
And die when you kiss me
I want to stay with you
For ever…!

I’m so bored at this coast
where the sun is drying me out.
I’m not a desert, i’m not an island
nor aμ I Helen
and you knew it.

How will i look after some time
you have scarred me
you hold me and i can’t escape
none of us will last
and you knew it.

I fall into the sea and i get wet again
and i still come close
By the waves i get the signals
that call me to the open sea.

I’m so bored at this coast
where you have imprisoned me.
I’m not the wind nor am I a sail
the wind doesn’t want to blow
and you knew it.

What will the visions that we live
look like after some time?
At the coast with the immortal water
we will both get lost
and you knew it.

Πώς θα μοιάζουν μετά από καιρό
οράματα που ζούμε
στην ακτή με τ’ αθάνατο νερό
κι οι δυο μας θα χαθούμε
και το ‘ξερες.

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)

Για ποιο ταξίδι κίνησες να πας
να με θυμάσαι και να μ’ αγαπάς
σου κλέβει η ανατολή μικρό φιλί

I wouldn’t want God to intervene here
even if I know, my light, that you obey him blindly
Bent over, I, on my knees, would ask of him
not to intervene in your confused hesitations

That he not bring you, not send you
not touch you at all
and finally if he did send you
that he send you here again

My empty arms, Christ!
my empty embrace, my Christ!
My empty arms, Christ!
my empty embrace

And if for me little angels do not exist
as soon as I see you they almost come true
Ah, I would collect them and I would beseech them
with their little flames that they stand by your side

That they shine for you so you walk
in the grace of beauty
like Christ on the lake
and that you return to me

I am dyed in love
and so you always were also
I believe in a path
where we will be together

And so let them burn, the torches
on the paths in the mountains
and she will always return
every moment forever

(translation: Eva Johanos
*This is Savvopoulos’s version of a Nick Cave song, “Into my arms.” This version stayed true to much of the spirit of the original, except that the title and refrain refer to “My empty embrace.”)

Δεν κατάλαβε πώς την έσφαξε
κι ό,τι αγαπούσε το έκαψε,
τα λιβάδια, τα κοπάδια,
τα τραγούδια, τα φιλιά
και κανείς δεν έβγαλε μιλιά.
Στάθηκε μπροστά στα χαλάσματα
κι έβαλε Θεέ μου τα κλάματα.
- Να ‘χα σπίτι και γυναίκα
και κοπάδια και σκυλιά
κι ύστερα τον πήραν τα πουλιά.

The sorrows (feel like) heavy bracelets
you didn’t tell me you love me
it’s my complaint my love, my loving lips
and I’d let my body die for it.

I don’t want people anymore around me, my light
upon my lips I’ve got spearmint
it’s my complaint take from me, claim from me
my arrow of oblivion.

I’m sending you with a letter
the blade of the moon
take it and turn it against me my love, my craze
even if your soul is weeping, smile at me.

Mountains high and you sight of the stars.
Misty rivers, fir-trees, laurels, myrtles.

Oh my fire, he who will witness my love
tell him to come to me in haste.
Oh my exile, my love, light and dawn
before the whole world cracks under the sigh of my heart.

Watery canyons, and you caves of dragons
Eagle’s wings and black nests of the winds.

Oh my fire, he who will witness my love
tell him to come to me in haste.
Oh my exile, my love, light and dawn
before the whole world cracks under the sigh of my heart.

You dear nightingale, alluring ash still burning
tell me which wine intoxicates his eyes

Oh my fire, he who will witness my love
tell him to come to me in haste.
Oh my exile, my love, light and dawn
before the whole world cracks under the sigh of my heart.

Την καρδιά μου, αχ φωτιά μου, όποιος δει
να του πει να ‘ρθει κοντά μου, μην αργεί.
Ξενιτιά μου, ερωτά μου, φως κι αυγή
πριν ραγίσει απ’ το σεβντά μου όλη η γη.

I will break cups for the words you spoke
and little glasses for the bitter little words
aman, aman don’t cry any more little one
aman, aman and you will have what you want

I break plates for your two
dark eyes

Last night I saw in my dream
that you had your hair thrown onto my neck
aman, aman don’t cry any more little one
aman, aman and you will have what you want

I break plates for your two
dark eyes

(translation: Eva Johanos)

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