Learning Greek with the Help of Greek Music

This page is part of the author’s set of pages on Learning Greek with Music, which in turn is part of the Greek language

If the reader landed on this page directly, and is unfamiliar with the project of learning the Greek language with the help of Greek music, they are advised to follow the previous link first, and learn the general issues (and caveats!) behind this idea.

A note on copyright issues:

To avoid violating copyrights, no whole songs are included, but excerpts only; specifically, only excerpts that contain whole stanzas. You will not be able to reconstruct the songs by stitching end-to-end their pieces — sorry! — due to the way I present the beginning and end of each piece (fade-in, fade-out). I apologize for having to do that, but without such precautions this page would not exist.

Song #8: Open Up Rock — Άνοιξε Πέτρα

Year: 1968

Composer		Poet		Singer
Mimis Plessas Μίμης Πλέσσας (1924 – )		Lefteris Papadopoulos Λευτέρης Παπαδόπουλος (1935 – )		Marinella Μαρινέλλα (1938 – )

1st stanza

Music:

Lyrics:	*Pronunciation: ()**	Meaning:
Άνοιξε πέτρα να κλειστώ,	áñikse pétra na kListó	Open up rock to hide me in
ήλιος να μη –	íLos na mi	sun so as not –
ήλιος να μη με βλέπει.	íLos na mi me vlépi	sun so as not to reach me.
Αντί για νύφη πρέπει – ω-ω!	andí Ja ñífi prépi	Rather than bride I must – oh, no!
πρέπει στα μαύρα να ντυθώ.	prépi sta mávra na diθó	I must dress up myself in black.
Άνοιξε πέτρα για να μπω,	áñikse pétra Ja na bo	Open up rock to let me in,
χάνω τον άντρα π’ αγαπώ.	xáno ton ándra p aγapó	I’m losing the man who I love.

2nd stanza

Music:

Lyrics:	*Pronunciation: ()**	Meaning:
Νύχτα κατέβα απ’ τα βουνά,	ñíxta katéva ap ta vuná	Night come down from the mountains,
νύχτα μαυρο–	ñíxta mavro	night, you black–
νύχτα μαυροφορούσα.	ñíxta mavroforúsa	night, you black-wearing woman.
Ο άντρας π’ αγαπούσα – ω-ω!	o ándras p aγapúsa	The man that I loved – oh, no!
τώρα γι’ άλληνε πονά.	tóra J áLine poná	now worries for another woman.
Νύχτα κατέβα απ’ τα βουνά,	ñíxta katéva ap ta vuná	Night come down from the mountains,
μέρα να μη με δει ξανά.	méra na mi me δi ksaná	day so as not to see me again.

3rd stanza

Music:

Lyrics:	*Pronunciation: ()**	Meaning:
Πάτε κορίτσια στο χορό	páte korítsCa sto xoró	Go girls to the dance,
κι αφήστε με –	c afíste me	and leave me –
κι αφήστε με μονάχη.	c afíste me monáCi	and leave me all alone.
Κόπηκα σαν το στάχυ – ω-ω!	kópika san to stáCi	I was cut like the stalk of wheat – oh, no!
και τώρα τρέμω σαν φτερό.	ce tóra trémo san fteró	and now I’m shivering like a feather.
Πάτε κορίτσια στο χορό,	páte korítsCa sto xoró	Go girls to the dance,
έχασα αυτόν που καρτερώ.	éxasa aftón pu karteró	I lost the one I had a hope for.

(*) For an explanation of the pronunciation symbols, see this page. The only deviations, for the sake of avoiding confusion, are:

the symbol L (instead of K) is used for the palatal lateral approximant,
ñ is used instead of #,
δ is used instead of D,
θ is used instead of T,
γ is used instead of +, and
G is used instead of ].

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