25 February 2012

On Vacation: There were four youths



This song by Nikos Gatsos was meant to be for the name-day of Theodoros Kolokotronis, but I have not been able to learn which Ag. Theodoros it was -- February 17 or March 3.


FOUR YOUNG MEN

There were four youths
Yiassou, Old Man of the Morea
You wrestled like a wild goat
teaching them constantly.

Swallows and swords
strung up in their hearts
high up over Karitaina
with the sun their neighbor.

There were four youths
Yiassou, Old Man of the Morea
no house held them
and time was on the march

Dark bitter years
on the bald heights
blood ran down
in the gorges.

When Easter came
they dressed like bridegrooms
and Death, the winged horseman,
rode behind.

There were four youths
Yiassou, Old Man of the Morea
no place held them
and time was on the march.

Road, road, and roads
it's written in the cards
they planted chrysanthemums
above the curse.

But when the time of orders came
like lightening on the earth
the ill-fated boys fell
like pine cones.

There were four youths
Yiassou, Old Man of the Morea
tell us if you saw them
 if you comforted them.





ΕΙΤΑΝ ΤΕΣΣΑΡΑ ΠΑΙΔΙΑ

Εἴταν τέσσερα παιδιὰ
γειά σου γέρο τοῦ Μοριᾶ
σάν ἀγρίμι πάλευες
κι ὅλο τὰ δασκάλευες.

Χελιδόνια καὶ σπαθιὰ
στὶς καρδιές τους ἀρμαθιὰ
πάνω στὴν Καρύταινα
μὲ τὸν ἥλιο γείτονα.

Εἴταν τέσσερα παιδιὰ
γειά σου γέρο τοῦ Μοριᾶ
σπίτι δὲν τά χώραγε
κι καιρὸς προχώραγε.

Χρόνια μαῦρα καὶ πικρὰ
στὰ βουνὰ τὰ φαλακρὰ
κι ἔτρεχαν τὰ ἅιματα
μέσ᾿ στὰ κλεισορέματα.

Κι ὅταν ἔφτασε ἡ Λαμπρὴ
στολιστῆκαν σὰ γαμπροὶ
πίσω τους κι ὁ θάνατος
καβαλάρης φτερωτός.

Εἴταν τέσσερα παιδιὰ
γειά σου γέρο τοῦ Μοριᾶ
τόπος δὲν τὰ κράταγε
κε ὁ καιρὸς περπάταγε.

Στράτα στράτα καὶ στρατὶ
ἔτσι γράφει τὸ χαρτὶ
πάνω ἀπὸ τ᾿ ἀνάθεμα
σπείραν χρυσάνθεμα.

Μὰ σὰν ἄστραπψε στὴ γῆ
τῶν καιρῶν ἡ προσταγὴ
πέσαν τὰ κακόμοιρα
σὰν κυπαρισσόμηλα.

Εἴταν τέσσερα παιδιὰ
γειά σου γέρο τοῦ Μοριᾶ
πέσ᾿ μας ἂν τὰ γνώρισες
κι ἂν τὰ παρηγόρησες.





Trans. DW.
Italian translation
Music, page 8.



 Drawing of Theodoros Kolokotronis  by Karl Krazeisen. 

For nearly all the poetry of Gatsos in Greek and English, go here.




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