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 #2: The Little North Wind — Του μικρού βοριά

Year: 1964

Composer		Poet		Singer
Mikis Theodorakis Μίκης Θεοδωράκης (1925 – )		Odysseas Elytis Οδυσσέας Ελύτης (1911 – 1996)		Dora Yannakopoulou Ντόρα Γιαννακοπούλου (1937 – )

1st stanza

Music:

Lyrics:	*Pronunciation: ()**	Meaning:
Του μικρού βοριά παράγγειλα	tu mikrú vorJá paráNGila	The little north wind, I implored
να ’ναι καλό παιδάκι.	ná ne kaló peδáci	to be a nice young boy.
Μη μου χτυπάει πορτόφυλλα	mí mu xtipáⁱ portófila	Not to be hitting my doors
και στο παραθυράκι.	ce sto paraθiráci	and on the small window.
Γιατί στο σπίτι π’ αγρυπνώ	Jatí sto spíti p aγripnó	For in the house where I lie awake
η αγάπη μου πεθαίνει.	i aγápimu peθéñi	my love is close to dying.
Και μέσ’ στα δάκρυα την κοιτώ	ce més sta δákria tin citó	And through the tears I look at her
που μόλις ανασαίνει.	pu móLis anaséñi	while she’s barely breathing.

Γεια σας περβόλια, γεια σας ρεματιές	Jásas pervóLa Jásas rematCés	Farewell to orchards, farewell to ravines,
γεια σας φιλιά και γεια σας αγκαλιές.	Jásas fiLá ce Jásas aNgaLés	farewell to kisses and farewell to hugs
Γεια σας οι κάβοι κ’ οι ξανθοί γιαλοί	Jásas i kávi ci ksanθí JaLí	Farewell to headlands and to blond beaches
γεια σας οι όρκοι οι παντοτινοί.	Jásas i órci i pandotiñí	farewell to pledges for an eternity.

2nd stanza

Music:

Lyrics:	*Pronunciation: ()**	Meaning:
Με πνίγει το παράπονο	me pñíJi to parápono	I’m overwhelmed by grievance
γιατί στον κοσμο αυτόνα	Jatí stoN gózmo aftóna	because in this world
τα καλοκαίρια τα ’χασα	ta kalocérJa tá xasa	I missed the summers
κ’ έφτασα στο χειμώνα.	c éftasa sto Cimóna	and reached the winter.
Σαν το καράβι που άνοιξε	sán to karávi p^u áñikse	Like the ship that opened up
τ’ άρμενα κι αλαργεύει	t ármena c alarJévi	the sails and is departing
θωρώ να χάνουντ’ οι στεριές	θoró na xánund i sterJés	I watch the shores to be receding
κι ο κόσμος λιγοστεύει.	c o kózmos Liγostévi	and the world to be diminishing.

Γεια σας περβόλια, γεια σας ρεματιές	Jásas pervóLa Jásas rematCés	Farewell to orchards, farewell to ravines,
γεια σας φιλιά και γεια σας αγκαλιές.	Jásas fiLá ce Jásas aNgaLés	farewell to kisses and farewell to hugs
Γεια σας οι κάβοι κ’ οι ξανθοί γιαλοί	Jásas i kávi ci ksanθí JaLí	Farewell to headlands and to blond beaches
γεια σας οι όρκοι οι παντοτινοί.	Jásas i órci i pandotiñí	farewell to pledges for an eternity.

3rd part (ending)

Music:

Lyrics:	*Pronunciation: ()**	Meaning:

Γεια σας περβόλια, γεια σας ρεματιές	Jásas pervóLa Jásas rematCés	Farewell to orchards, farewell to ravines,
γεια σας φιλιά και γεια σας αγκαλιές.	Jásas fiLá ce Jásas aNgaLés	farewell to kisses and farewell to hugs
Γεια σας οι κάβοι κ’ οι ξανθοί γιαλοί	Jásas i kávi ci ksanθí JaLí	Farewell to headlands and to blond beaches
γεια σας οι όρκοι οι παντοτινοί.	Jásas i órci i pandotiñí	farewell to pledges for an eternity.

Here is a YouTube video tailored around this song. The singer in this version is Maria Farantouri:

(*) 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 ].

	previous song			next song

	Greek music contents			Greek lang. contents