Stelios Kazantzidis - Ο Μπάρμπα Γιάννης (O Mparmpa Giannis) (English translation)

Stelios Kazantzidis – Ο Μπάρμπα Γιάννης

English translation

Greek

Original lyrics

Ο Μπάρμπα Γιάννης

Μπάρμπα Γιάννη γέρασες

Πολλές φουρτούνες πέρασες

Κι από κοντά μας ήρθε ο χάρος να σε πάρει

Εσύ που σαν αδέρφι μας

Δε χάλαγες το κέφι μας

Κάνε μου τώρα και μια τελευταία χάρη

Ένα γράμμα να μου στείλεις απ’ τον Άδη

Αν το φως είν’ πιο καλό απ’ το σκοτάδι

Φως υπάρχει εδώ πάνω

Μπάρμπα Γιάννη μου που λες

Μα το φως τι να το κάνω;

Πού `ναι μαύρες οι καρδιές

Μπάρμπα Γιάννη φίλες μου

Ένα μαντάτο στείλε μου

Και το μπουζούκι σου κι εκείνο περιμένει

Εδώ τα ίδια πράματα

Βάσανα πόνοι κλάματα

Στον κάτω κόσμο τέλος πάντων τι συμβαίνει

English

Translation#1#2

Uncle John

Uncle(barba) John(yιanni), you've aged (γεrasεs)

You went through many storms

And now the grim reaper (χάρος -> charos) came to take you away from us

You who (were close to us) like a brother,

(a brother who) never broke our mirth (κέφι-> kεfi -> the good mood we are in because we temporarily forgot the grimness of reality),

Grant me now one last favor

(Write and) Send a letter to me (down) from Hades (the place you are now)

(Tell me) Whether light is better than darkness

(Turns out) there is light up here,

dear Uncle John,

but what is light for,

when (the) hearts (of people) are black

Uncle John my friend,

(please) bring tidings to me

Your 'mpouzouki' (emblematic string instrument that is very common in this music genre) is waiting too. (to listen to the news)

Here, same story

Hardships, pain, crying

(Can you tell me) What is happening in the underworld after all?

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poetic

singable

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This is a poetic translation - deviations from the meaning of the original are present (extra words, extra or omitted information, substituted concepts).

Submitted by

Κωνσταντινος Αλεξοπουλος on 2024-03-06

Author's comments:

*This is a free translation that focuses to convey meaning more effectively. The theme of the song is heavy and its lyrics are praised for their simplicity and depth. It is a tribute to "Giannis Papaioanou" (Uncle John) that died in a car accident (1972, 59 years old). Giannis was the person to give prominence to the great "kazantzidis", lyrics are from "Pythagoras" a great composer of his times.

Translations of "Ο Μπάρμπα Γιάννης (O..."

English #1, #2

Bulgarian #1, #2

German

Transliteration

Turkish

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