Οι παλίες αγάπες πάνε στον παράδεισο (Loves that grow old always go to heaven)!!

     Throughout music history there surely have been created some diamonds. Some songs are simply too great, too magical. There are some songs that are accepted by everyone no matter which style or audience they are targeting. There are cases where songs are being universally accepted. And this only happens because there surely are songs which are speak straight to the heart. No need for words, no need for explanation. It's pure, raw magical essence. Of course it always comes to the subjective idea of the listener. But let's admit that it works at least for the bigger percentage of the universal audience. The reason for this whole passage is because today I decided to write something different from my usual stuff. I decided to translate a song here in this very blog. A case like the above is the song I want to translate. It is a Greek song. A Greek love song to be exact. But not like the ones we are used to. It's about pain, desertion. It really is about the true faces of love. The two faces of love. The two sides of the same coin. I can't explain with words what this song means. And obviously the translation will be a bit "stiff" cause it would be impossible to capture the magic and all the real meanings of the Greek language and tradition and translate them completely into English without losing some of the magic. But I will try to do my best, cause in my opinion this is the best Greek song ever written and one of the best love songs ever written on this planet... Enjoy..




Οι παλιές αγάπες πάνε στον παράδεισο (Loves that grow old go to Paradise)



Άγονη πλήξη μιας ζωής, δίχως έρωτα
της ερημιάς μου τέρας,
της πόλης μου θηρίο
μη με φοβάσαι
αλλοπαρμένη έκφραση
οι τοίχοι σου θυμίζουν
τον πρώτο σου έρωτα
οι πιο πολλοι αδιάφορα κενοί,σε λυγίζουν όπου και να 'σαι
στα σκοτεινά δρομάκια
οι σκιές γλιστράνε επικίνδυνα
Στα ηλεκτρισμένα ξενυχτάδικα
οι γυναίκες μισοκρύβονται 

πίσω απ' τη λήθη
Στα κολασμένα παζάρια της λεωφόρου
οι αστυνόμοι οι πλούσιοι επαρχιώτες μηχανόβιοι
μάσκες ακάλυπτες μικρές
στο γύρο του θανάτου 

που τρεμοπαίζουν τον άγγελο ή τον δαίμονα
στις άκρες των δακτύλων τους,
ξημέρωμα Σαββάτου

Για τις παλιές αγάπες μη μιλάς
στα πιο μεγάλα θέλω κάνουν πίσω
δεν άντεξαν μαζί
και χάθηκαν μακριά
κρύφτηκαν στις σπηλιές χαμένων παραδείσων

Ό,τι αξίζει πονάει, κι είναι δύσκολο
για να μην υποφέρεις
φύγε μακριά μου,
κρύψου από μένα
δεν ξέρω αν φεύγεις, τώρα,
για το λίγο μου
ή αν αυτό που νιώθω ήταν πολύ
πολύ για σένα, πολύ για σένα

Για τις παλιές αγάπες μη μιλάς
στα πιο μεγάλα θέλω κάνουν πίσω 

δεν άντεξαν μαζί
και χάθηκαν μακριά
κρύφτηκαν στις σπηλιές χαμένων παραδείσων

Ό,τι αξίζει πονάει, κι είναι δύσκολο 

Infertile boredom of a life without love

The monster of my solitude

The beast of my lonely town

Don't be afraid of me!

With a strange expression

The empty walls remind you

Of your first love

Where most of them indifferent and empty

They finally break you wherever you are

In dark alleys

Shadows slip dangerously

In neon lit bars

Women hide in shame

Behind the veil of oblivion

In the hell bargains of the highway

Policemen and bikers

Little uncovered masks

Run around the circle of death

Playing angel and devil

On their fingertips

Saturday night's sunrise

Don't talk about loves that grew old

They back down to the greatest "wants"

They couldn't stand being together

And so they separated far

Hiding into caves of lost heavens

Whatever is really worth it hurts and it's difficult

If you don't want to suffer

Go away

Hide from me

I don't know if you're leaving now

For what was less

Or what I feel for you

Was way too much for you, 

way too much for you

Don't talk about loves that grew old

They back down to the greatest "wants"

They couldn't stand being together

And so they separated far

Hiding into caves of lost heavens

Whatever is really worth it hurts and it's difficult