Betty

Present

A song tribute to George Floyd.  

The song is on the lyrics of Nazim Hikmet, a Turkish poet. It refers to Paul Robeson. 

Composition/Production: Adamantios Anastasiadis

Vocals: Adamantios Anastasiadis, Adamantia Pilissa

Lyrics (In English}:

TO PAUL ROBESON

They don’t let us sing our songs, Robeson,
my songbird with the wings of an eagle,
my Black brother with the pearly smile,
they don’t let us sing our songs.

They are afraid, Robeson,
afraid of the dawn,
afraid to see, to hear, to touch –
afraid to cry like the rain washing a naked body,
afraid to laugh like sinking one’s teeth into a hard quince.
They are afraid to love, to love like Ferhad2
(surely you too must have a Ferhad, Robeson,
what is his name?)

They are afraid of the seed, of the earth
and of the running water
afraid to remember the hand of a friend,
asking no discount, no commission, no interest –
a hand that has never alighted
like a lively bird in the palms of their hands.
They are afraid of hope, Robeson, afraid of hope, hope!
They are afraid, my songbird with the wing of an eagle,
they are afraid of our songs, Robeson.

Στίχοι:

Δὲ μᾶς ἀφήνουν νὰ τραγουδᾶμε

Δὲ μᾶς ἀφήνουν Ῥόμπσον νὰ τραγουδᾶμε
δὲ μᾶς ἀφήνουν καναρίνι
πού ῾χεις φτερὰ ἀητοῦ
μαῦρε ἀδερφέ μου
δόντια ποὺ ἔχεις
μαργαριτάρια
δὲ μᾶς ἀφήνουν νὰ ψηλώσουμε φωνή.

Φοβοῦνται Ῥόμπσον
φοβοῦνται τὴν αὐγή,
ν᾿ ἀκούσουνε φοβοῦνται
καὶ ν᾿ ἀγγίσουν
φοβοῦνται ν᾿ ἀγαπήσουν
φοβοῦνται ν᾿ ἀγαπήσουνε σὰν τὸν Φερχὰτ
(Ἀλήθεια θὰ ῾χετε κι ἐσεῖς ἕναν Φερχὰτ
οἱ νέγροι πῶς νὰ τόνε λένε Ῥόμπσον;)

Φοβοῦνται τὰ γεννήματα
τὴ γῆς
τὸ γάργαρο νερὸ φοβοῦνται τῆς πηγῆς
φοβοῦνται
νὰ θυμοῦνται
καὶ τὶς χαρές τους
τὸ χέρι ἑνὸς φίλου δὲν ἔσφιξε ποτέ τους
τὸ χέρι τους
ζεστὸ
σὰν τὸ πουλὶ
χωρὶς νὰ θέλει σκόντα
προμήθειες
ἡ κάποια ἀναβολὴ
στὴ πλερωμή.

Φοβοῦνται τὴν ἐλπίδα
φοβοῦνται Ῥόμπσον νὰ ἐλπίσουν
φοβοῦνται καναρίνι
πού ῾χεις φτερὰ ἀητοὺ
φοβοῦνται τὰ τραγούδια μας
μὴ τοὺς τσακίσουν.

Ὀχτώβρης 1949

Diamantis

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