la Lettre à Yannis - Γράμμα στον Γιάννη Μπαξέ

"Ta Tragoudia tis Palias Polis" is a musical work of the important composer Nikos Mamangakis and a declaration of love to the old Rethymnon of the 20ies and 30ies and especially to the Rethymnian musicians of that time.
"Letter to Giannis Bakses" is one of the poems of the Rethymnian poet Giorgos Kalomenopoulos that were set to music by Mamangakis and sang by Michalis Tzouganakis in a very empathetic way.


Γιάννη. Τα «ξύλα» τα'κρυψες
Gianni ta "ksila" ta'kripses
Gianni. You have hidden "the woods"*

και γίνηκες σπετσέρης
ke ginikes spezeris.
and you have become a specialist.

Και τους γλεντζέδες τους παλιούς
Ke tous glentzedes tous palious
You pretend not to know

κάνεις πως δεν τους ξέρεις.
kanis pos den tous kseris.
the old musicians (and dancers) anymore.

Γιάννη. Σκίσε τις συνταγές
Gianni. Skisse tis sintages
Gianni. Shred the prescritions

και κάψε το κινίνο
ke kapse to kinino
and burn the quinine

Και πιάσε στα χρυσόχερα
ke piasse sta chrissochera
and hold with your golden hands

λαγούτο-μαντολίνο.
laouto-mantolino
the lute and the mandolin

Μ'αυτά τον πιο καλό γιατρό
M'ayta ton pio kalo giatro
With these you are better

εσύ τον παραβγαίνεις
esi ton paravgenis
than the best doctor

Γιατί ανθρώπινες πληγές
Giati anthropines pliges
As you are healing human wounds

μ'αυτά τα δυο τις γιαινεις
m'avta ta dio ti gienis
with these two.

Κι αν τύχει κι έρθω άρρωστος,
Ki an tichi kai ertho arostos
Should it happen that I come sick to you

μη μου συστήσεις χάπι,
mi mou sistisis chapi,
do not advice me pills

μα πιάσε το λαγούτο σου
ma piase to laouto sou
but take your lute

και μίλα μου γι'αγάπη.
ke mila mou gi'agapi.
And talk to me about love.

Τότες θα δεις από ψηλά
Totes tha dis apo psila
Than you will see from high above

δυο αστέρια να κυλήσουν.
dio asteria na kilissoun.
two stars falling down

Δυο αγαπημένων οι ψυχές,
Dio agapimenon i psiches
The souls of two beloved friends

να σε γλυκοφιλήσουν.
na se glikofilisoun.
will kiss you sweetly.

Ψυχές δυο φίλων που'φυγαν
Psiches dio filon pou' figan
Souls of two friends who left

σ'αγύριστο ταξίδι
S'agiristo taksidi
for a journey with no return.

Η μια θα'ναι του Ροδινού
I mia tha'ne tou Rodinou
One will be from Rodinos**

κι η άλλη τ'Αριστείδη.
ki alli t'Aristidi
and the other from Aristidis

Μια μαντινάδα μοναχή,
Mia mantinada monachi
One sole mantinada

Γιάννη, να πω μαζί σου
Gianni, na po mazi sou
Gianni, I would like to sing with you

και να θαρρώ πως τα κλειδιά
kai na tharo pos ta klidia
and I will have the feeling

κρατώ του Παραδείσου.
krato tou Paradisou
to hold the keys of paradise.

* "the woods" = the wooden music instruments.
** Baksevanis (called Bakses), Rodinos and Aristidis were Rethymnian musicians in the late 20ies and early 30ies.
Rodinos was an extraordinary and beloved lyra player and dyed 1934 at the young age of only 22. Also Aristidis dyed and Bakses married a woman with a pharmacy and worked in their pharmacy wihout playing anymore the lute.
One day Bakses got a letter from a friend who asked him to take his lyte and and play again...

The pictures are from the great photographers Elli Souyoultzglou (Nelly) and Fred Boissonnas who visited Crete in the first four decades of the 20th century. (Boissonas 1911 and 1920 and Nelly 1927 and 1937).

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Merci à Kritikomania : http://www.youtube.com/user/Kritikomania