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 #5: Lullaby — Νανούρισμα

Year: < 1969

Composer		Poet		Singer
Manos Loizos Μάνος Λοΐζος (1937 – 1982)		Lefteris Papadopoulos Λευτέρης Παπαδόπουλος (1935 – )		Mariza Koch Μαρίζα Κωχ (1944 – )

1st stanza

Music:

Lyrics:	*Pronunciation: ()**	Meaning:
Θα κεντήσω	θa kendíso	I will embroider
πάνω στου αλόγου σου τη σέλα	páno stu alóγu su ti séla	on the saddle of your horse
με διαμαντόπετρες σωρό	me δJamandópetres soró	with a heap of diamond stones
του φεγγαριού το πήγαιν’–έλα	tu feNgarJú to píJen éla	the coming-and-going of the Moon
στο πελαγίσο το νερό.	sto pelaJíso to neró	on the water of the open sea.
Αγόρι μου, αγόρι μου,	aγóri mu aγóri mu	My boy, my boy,
αγόρι μου, να σε χαρώ.	aγóri mu na se xaró	my boy, who gives me joy.

2nd stanza

Music:

Lyrics:	*Pronunciation: ()**	Meaning:
Θα κεντήσω	θa kendíso	I will embroider
στ’ ασημοπίστολά σου πλάι	st asimopístolá su plái	next to your silver pistols
της χελιδόνας το φτερό	tis CeLiδónas to fteró	the wing of the swallow
κ’ ένα σταυρό να σε φιλάει	c éna stavró na se filái	and a cross to keep guard over you
τις νύχτες που σε καρτερώ.	tis ñíxtes pu se karteró	during the nights that I wait for you.
Αγόρι μου, αγόρι μου,	aγóri mu aγóri mu	My boy, my boy,
αγόρι μου, να σε χαρώ.	aγóri mu na se xaró	my boy, who gives me joy.

3rd stanza

Music:

Lyrics:	*Pronunciation: ()**	Meaning:
Θα κεντήσω	θa kendíso	I will embroider
πάνω στο δίκοπό σου λάζο	páno sto δíkopó su lázo	on your double-edged sword
το βλέμμα σου το καθαρό	to vléma su to kaθaró	your crystal-clear look
αυτό το βλέμμα το γαλάζο	aftó to vléma to γalázo	this look that’s sky-blue
που δεν χορταίνω να θωρώ.	pu δen xorténo na θoró	which I never have enough of seeing.
Αγόρι μου, αγόρι μου,	aγóri mu aγóri mu	My boy, my boy,
αγόρι μου, να σε χαρώ.	aγóri mu na se xaró	my boy, who gives me joy.

(*) 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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