"Τα Παιδιά του Πειραιά" ("The Children of Piraeus") by Manos Hadjidakis

My last night in Athens, Greece, at a taverna with live music.
This is one of the songs I recorded. (Sorry for the bad sound and possibly bad video. I just set the camera on the table so I could watch through my eyes and not the camera lens.)

It was written by the amazing Greek composer Μάνος Χατζιδάκις (Manos Hadjidakis).

____________________
English translation:

From my balcony I send
One, two, three and four kisses to the world
Over the docks of Piraeus fly
One, two, three and four seagulls, I am told

How much I'd love to have
One, two, three and four boys, proud and fine
And when one day they grow up
They'll be manly and strong
For this precious port of mine

And when I come out of my door
There is no one in the world, there is
No one I don't love
And every night I close my eyes and I
Sleep and I know
I'll dream of them just like before

Jewels around my neck
A good-luck charm I carry
Because the night falls and I long
To find a perfect stranger
And seduce him with my song

So much I've tried
I've never found a port
To captivate my heart
As Piraeus does

And when the night falls
The air is filled with songs
With tunes and sounds and laughter
Bursting with life and youthful calls
______________
And in Greek:

Aπ' το παράθυρό μου στέλνω
ένα δύο και τρία και τέσσερα φιλιά
που φτάνουν στο λιμάνι
ένα και δύο και τρία και τέσσερα πουλιά

Πώς ήθελα να είχα ένα και δύο
και τρία και τέσσερα παιδιά
που σαν θα μεγαλώσουν όλα
θα γίνουν λεβέντες για χάρη του Πειραιά

Όσο κι αν ψάξω, δεν βρίσκω άλλο λιμάνι
τρελή να με 'χει κάνει, όσο τον Πειραιά
Που όταν βραδιάζει, τραγούδια μ' αραδιάζει
και τις πενιές του αλλάζει, γεμίζει από παιδιά

Aπό την πόρτα μου σαν βγω
δεν υπάρχει κανείς που να μην τον αγαπώ
και σαν το βράδυ κοιμηθώ, ξέρω πως
ξέρω πως, πως θα τον ονειρευτώ

Πετράδια βάζω στο λαιμό, και μια χά-
και μια χά-, και μια χάντρα φυλακτό
γιατί τα βράδια καρτερώ, στο λιμάνι σαν βγω
κάποιον άγνωστο να βρω

Όσο κι αν ψάξω...

___________

Enjoy! :)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Traditional
• Greek
• Music
• Bouzouki
• Hadjidakis

[afterglow80]

I love how the bouzouki player just lights a cigarette, all casually, in the middle of the song. Hahaha

[Brad208]

Those are quite the kind lyrics. I like it.

[afterglow80]

:) I agree!

[magolabcom]

This beautiful music has just arrived in Brazil, the remix version of DJ Aroma ft. Katerina will be the hit of summer 2012.

Thanks Manos Hadjidakis.

André Luiz - DJ Mago.

[hcjmev1983]

beautiful.thanks for the translation.

[sirenrose666]

That's so cool that you got to go to Athens. That place your in looks really nice. It reminds me of 2 things, the live bands that play here in Austin and the movie Shirley Valentine.