A poem (G.Aggelakas)

"Sitting a whole afternoon

on my old patched armchair

not expecting anyone to knock on my door

and no one to caress me

and no one to whip me

and no one tto accept me

and no one to reject me

I felt something coming

that could be happiness

So then I stood up to write down these words

and everything got lost."

["Καθισμένος ένα ολόκληρο απόγευμα
Στην παλιά μπαλωμένη μου πολυθρόνα
Μην περιμένοντας κανέναν να μου χτυπήσει την πόρτα
και κανέναν να με χαϊδέψει
και κανέναν να με μαστιγώσει
και κανέναν να με δεχτεί
και κανέναν να με απορρίψει
Ένιωσα να με πλησιάζει κάτι
που θα μπορούσε να 'ταν η ευτυχία
Τότε σηκώθηκα να σημειώσω αυτές τις λέξεις
Και όλα πήγαν στράφι"]

a poem by G.Aggelakas.

Welcome back and shall we have a great new season.

What is to me the drop (M.Hadjidakis singing Nikos Gatsos, 1972)

Nikos Gatsos

hat does it matter, the drop that shines on your forehead?

I know the thunder wrote its name on your lips
I know an eagle built its eyrie in your eyes
but here on this marshy bank there is one road only
only one treacherous road and you must cross it
you must soak in blood before time catches up with you
and you must cross to the other side to see your companions again
flowers birds deer
to find another sea another kindness...

Poetry by Nikos Gatsos, a part of the epic poem "Amorgos". Amorgos is one of the most beautiful islands in Greece with a strange mysterious landscape that captivates every visitor's mind. I guess this simplicity in sight along with the rich in sentiments land was what inspired Nikos Gatsos to write a huge surreal poem fundamentally mirroring the Greek culture and give it the island's name. Manos Hadjidakis composed music for this and sung it himself in 1972. This recording was only released 3 years ago.

What is to me the drop [Τι να μου κάνει η σταλαγματιά]

poem: Nikos Gatsos

music: Manos Hadjidakis

vocals: Manos Hadjidakis

Little before we announce the Manos Hadjidakis week "over" do remember previous posts with:

1. The stunning composition "When the clouds come", 1965

2. Manos and the New York Rock and Roll Ensemble performing again Nikos Gatsos' Kemal, 1969

"Amorgos" album cover

Candles (Konstantinos P. Kavafis, 1899)

A Christian worshiper holds a candle inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher during a Good Friday procession in Jerusalem's Old City.

April 2, 2010. (REUTERS/Baz Ratner)

Κεριά

Του μέλλοντος οι μέρες στέκοντ' εμπροστά μας
σα μιά σειρά κεράκια αναμένα -
χρυσά, ζεστά, και ζωηρά κεράκια.
Οι περασμένες μέρες πίσω μένουν,
μια θλιβερή γραμμή κεριών σβησμένων·
τα πιο κοντά βγάζουν καπνόν ακόμη,
κρύα κεριά, λιωμένα, και κυρτά.
Δεν θέλω να τα βλέπω· με λυπεί η μορφή των,
και με λυπεί το πρώτο φως των να θυμούμαι.
Εμπρός κυττάζω τ' αναμένα μου κεριά.
Δεν θέλω να γυρίσω να μη διω και φρίξω
τι γρήγορα που η σκοτεινή γραμμή μακραίνει,

τι γρήγορα που τα σβυστά κεριά πληθαίνουν.

Κωνσταντίνος Π. Καβάφης

Candles

Days to come stand in front of us,
like a row of burning candles -
golden, warm, and vivid candles.
Days past fall behind us,
a gloomy line of burnt-out candles;
the nearest are still smoking,
cold, melted, and bent.
I don't want to look at them: their shape saddens me,
and it saddens me to remember their original light.
I look ahead at my burning candles.
I don't want to turn, don't want to see, terrified,
how quickly that dark line gets longer,
how quickly one more dead candle joins another.

Konstantinos P. Kavafis, 1899

A beautiful poem by Konstantinos P. Kavafis (bio here). Remember the one for the city that he also wrote. Very important guy.

Happy Easter and greets from a small Balkan city that is at its best this time of the year... When back to base, a very special song is coming.

The Shipwrecks (Miltos Sachtouris)

arthquakes in Haiti & in Chile. On all cases the Greek media were trying to make sure that no Greek was hurt, despite the incredible losses of human lives and the massive destruction in both areas. If all Greeks are ok, then there's no problem. Humanity can go further. How hypocrites can we be? How self-involved? Well, there is an answer. It's a poem, by the great Miltos Sachtouris.

Τα ναυάγια

Μακριά στον ορίζοντα γίνεται

ένα ναυάγιο,είναι πολύ μακριά

και δε γνωρίζουμε τους πνιγμένους,

τους φίλους και τους συγγενείς που

τους θρηνούν.

Αλλά κι εδώ κοντά γίνεται ένα άλλο

ναυάγιο,κι αλίμονο,ξέρουμε

τους πνιγμένους,καθώς και τους

φίλους και τους συγγενείς που τους θρηνούν.

Μ.Σαχτούρης

The Shipwrecks

Far beyond the skyline

there is a shipwreck, really far

and we neither know those that drowned

nor their friends and families

who weep.

But also here, nearby, there is another

shipwreck, and, alack, we do know

the drowned, as well as their

friends and families who weep.

M. Sachtouris

The City (Konstantinos P. Kavafis)

Kostantinos P. Kavafis at a 1983 postage stamp

Είπες· «Θα πάγω σ' άλλη γή, θα πάγω σ' άλλη θάλασσα,
Μια πόλις άλλη θα βρεθεί καλλίτερη από αυτή.
Κάθε προσπάθεια μου μια καταδίκη είναι γραφτή·
κ' είν' η καρδιά μου - σαν νεκρός - θαμένη.
Ο νους μου ως πότε μες στον μαρασμό αυτόν θα μένει.
Οπου το μάτι μου γυρίσω, όπου κι αν δω
ερείπια μαύρα της ζωής μου βλέπω εδώ,
που τόσα χρόνια πέρασα και ρήμαξα και χάλασα».

Καινούριους τόπους δεν θα βρεις, δεν θάβρεις άλλες θάλασσες.
Η πόλις θα σε ακολουθεί. Στους δρόμους θα γυρνάς
τους ίδιους. Και στες γειτονιές τες ίδιες θα γερνάς·
και μες στα ίδια σπίτια αυτά θ' ασπρίζεις.
Πάντα στην πόλη αυτή θα φθάνεις. Για τα αλλού - μη ελπίζεις -
δεν έχει πλοίο για σε, δεν έχει οδό.
Ετσι που τη ζωή σου ρήμαξες εδώ
στην κώχη τούτη την μικρή, σ' όλην την γή την χάλασες.

Κωνσταντίνος Π. Καβάφης (1910)

----------------------------------------------------------------

You said; "I will go to another land, I will go to another sea.

Another city will be found, better than this one.

Every effort of mine is condemned by fate;

and my heart is -- like a corpse -- buried.

How long in this wasteland will my mind remain.

Wherever I turn my eyes, wherever I may look

I see the black ruins of my life here,

where I spent so many years, and ruined and wasted."

New lands you will not find, you will not find other seas.

The city will follow you. You will roam the same

streets. And you will age in the same neighborhoods;

in these same houses you will grow gray.

Always you will arrive in this city. To another land -- do not hope --

there is no ship for you, there is no road.

As you have ruined your life here

in this little corner,

you've wrecked it now the whole world through.

Konstantinos P. Kavafis, 1910.

PS. Almost a month now, we have been trying to avoid the hard work that is needed for a song to be posted by giving quotes and... now a poem. To me, these might be even more precious than any song, but the main theme of the blog remains music. So stay tuned, since great ones are about to come soon!