Lyrics Menousis - Irene Papas

Menousis (original)

O Menousis, o Mpirmpilis ki o Memet agas
Sto krasopoulo pigenan
Gia na fan na pioun
Ki pou trogan
Ki pou pinan
Ki pou glentagan
Kapios epiase kouventa
Gia tis omorfes
-Omorfi gineka pou' xis, vre Memet aga
-Pou tin ides?
Pou tin kseris
Ke ti mologas?
— Xthes tin ida
Sto pigadi
Ki evgaze nero
Ke tis zitisa filaki
Ke mou to' dose
O Menousis, methismenos
Pai tin esfakse
To proi
Ksemethismenos
Pai tin eklapse
— Siko, papia m'
Siko, xina m'
Siko ki alakse
Na se doun ta palikaria
Ke na xeronte

Menousis (translation)

Menousis, Mpirmpilis, and lord Memet—their names like banners in a spent wind,
Would haunt the tavern’s dusky glow,
To heap their plates, to flood their souls with wine,
Where bread broke like dawn on their hungry tongues,
Where cups rang deep as cavern bells,
Where revels rose—a storm of laughter in the shadows,
Someone spun a thread of talk,
Of beauties sketched in golden smoke,
—A woman fair as moonlit wheat you keep, Memet agha,
—Where did you see her shimmer?
How do you know her fragrance,
And what unfolds your secret tongue?
—Yesterday I saw her,
By the stone-browed well,
Drawing water—her arms pale as morning mist,
I begged her for a kiss—
And she gave it, soft as falling petals,
Menousis, blinded by the grape,
Went and spilled her scarlet,
At dawn,
Sobered to the ache of ruin,
He wept beside her silence,
—Rise, my little duck,
Rise, my wild swan,
Rise, and change—
Let the young blades see you,
And let them gladden in your light