# The last voyage of Markos Vamvakaris



## Theseus (May 5, 2017)

What are the lyrics to this haunting song:-





I don't seem to find them anywhere. :mellow: And also the words of tribute by the speaker, if they can be transcribed by way of a favour? ;)


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## Palavra (May 5, 2017)

Είναι πικρός ό θάνατος
μά είναι κι ησυχία 
γιατί γλιτώνει το κορμί 
από την τυραννία


Death is bitter; it's also peace, because it spares the body from suffering.


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## Theseus (May 5, 2017)

Thanks, as ever. Pal. I found the whole short video clip very moving.


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## Neikos (May 6, 2017)

''And also the words of tribute by the speaker, if they can be transcribed by way of a favour? ;) ''

Hi, Theseus. If you mean the phrase after the lyrics, it says : "Να μου ζήσεις, Μάρκο μου."

Something like, "God bless you, Marco." or more literally "May you live long, Marco".


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## Theseus (May 6, 2017)

Thanks, Neikos, again! I meant the words spoken by the man at approximately 1 minute 18 seconds into the recording: one or two sentences.:)


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## JimAdams (May 6, 2017)

Hey, Theseus

The words are spoken by Yiannis Papaioannou, another famous musician / composer. He says: "Mε τον Μάρκο δουλέψαμε πολλά χρόνια, υπήρξε ένας απ΄τους πρωτοπόρους λαϊκούς συνθέτες και καλός συνάδελφος". 

"I've worked with Markos for many years, he was a pioneer as a folk music composer and a very nice partner".


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## daeman (May 6, 2017)

...
That's Giannis Papaioannou, presumably speaking to a reporter at Markos' funeral: «Με το Μάρκο δουλέψαμε πολλά χρόνια. Υπήρξε ένας απ' τους πρωτοπόρους λαϊκούς συνθέτες και καλός συνάδελφος». Six months later he was killed in a car accident.


As he wrote elsewhere about Markos and the old school:

«Oι σημερινοί τα βρήκανε έτοιμα. Ποτέ δεν ρωτήσανε να μάθουνε ποιοι αγωνιστήκανε, ποιοι κουραστήκανε γι’ αυτό το όργανο. Bρήκανε τραπέζι στρωμένο. Δρόμο ανοιχτό και οργώνουνε. Όλο κούνημα, μαγκιά και ιδέα. Oι φίρμες αυτές, οι μεγάλοι καλλιτέχνες, αυτοί που δεν ξέρουνε τι θα πει λαϊκό τραγούδι. Άμα τους βλέπω μου στρίβουνε τ’ άντερα. Άμα τους ρωτήσεις δεν ξέρουνε τι θα πει λαϊκό τραγούδι, γι’ αυτό. Bλέπω μερικούς απ’ αυτούς που τους γνώρισα αλλιώτικους πριν από χρόνια και με πιάνουν τα γέλια. Γελάω, δεν τους βρίζω. Γιατί μόνο για γέλια είναι όλοι τους. Άλλα περιβόλια είναι αυτοί. Στις Tζιτζιφιές ερχόντουσαν πολλοί από δαύτους και μας ακούγανε. Παρακαλάγανε να τους βάλω στο τέλος να πούνε κανένα τραγούδι. Eίχανε νταλκά να ανέβουνε στο πάλκο. Kαρπαζές τους βαράγανε οι άλλοι. Eντάξει, κι εμείς είχαμε νταλκά ν’ ανέβουμε στο πάλκο, αλλά εμείς έχουμε μάθει κι άλλα πράγματα, που αυτοί, τώρα που γίνανε φίρμες, δεν γουστάρουνε να τα ξέρουνε. Δηλαδή από την Πόλη έρχομαι και στη κορφή οι φίρμες! Πάω και βλέπω το Mάρκο πούναι άρρωστος, θυμόμαστε τα παλιά και κλαίμε. Άρρωστος, κανείς δεν πάει να τον δει. Ποιόνε, το Mάρκο; Tο δάσκαλο. Mήπως τα ίδια δεν θα κάνουνε κι εμένα; Kαι του Tσιτσάνη; Ποιος μας υπολογίζει.»

http://www.snhell.gr/testimonies/content.asp?id=124&author_id=88


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## daeman (May 6, 2017)

JimAdams said:


> Hey, Theseus ...



Hey, Jim! :up: Έλα έλα, έλα έλα, έλα έλα, να τα μιλήσουμε, με τον Μάρκο!


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## Theseus (May 6, 2017)

Thanks so much, Jim & 'Man. It makes such a difference to understand what people are saying in Greek: one of the main points for me of learning it. Thanks also, 'Man, for the long paragraph written by Giannis Papaioannou. Such talent destroyed in a moment. 
The whole of this thread has meant something more to me. Apologies for the delay in replying but yesterday the vet informed me that a recent test on my old spaniel shows that she has an inopérable thyroid cancer & on the very same day our new spaniel puppy arrived: it's the way the world goes. I know that it is only a comparison of the small with the great but poignant nonetheless.


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## Theseus (May 6, 2017)

Just a bit of translation: 


> Παρακαλάγανε να τους βάλω στο τέλος να πούνε κανένα τραγούδι. Eίχανε νταλκά να ανέβουνε στο πάλκο. Kαρπαζές τους βαράγανε οι άλλοι.


Does tis mean:-
They begged us to put them to the end to sing some song. They had the desire to go up on stage. The others dealt them blows...?!
The latter phrase is an idiom I don't know.


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## SBE (May 7, 2017)

Theseus, if you consider that καρπαζοεισπράκτορας means a person who is always a victim and lets others push him around, this should help you understand that the phrase καρπαζές τους βαράγανε οι άλλοι means that the others* treated them badly, did not take them seriously.

*The whole passage is typical of an old person who had some professional luck and tells anyone who is willing to listen all sorts of stories embellished with random claims and undetermined acts from some "others".


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## Theseus (May 7, 2017)

Thanks, SBE. I didn't quite understand the idiom and its context. Your note makes both clear. :)


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## daeman (May 7, 2017)

SBE said:


> ...
> *The whole passage is typical of an old person who had some professional luck and tells anyone who is willing to listen all sorts of stories embellished with random claims and undetermined acts from some "others".



Well, old age does that to people, particularly when they've touched greatness in their life, but I wouldn't say that Papaioannou had much luck in his life with all that he had been through, or in his profession with all that he contributed to rembetiko. It's easy to judge someone by a single paragraph in their autobiography, but it's better to know what one's talking about before judging.


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## SBE (May 7, 2017)

I was expecting the fans to disagree. 
However, I don't need to know one's autobiography to detect the cliche, especially since everyone in old age in Greece has some story to say about someone they helped professionally/ personally when all others wouldn't, who is then supposed to owe them- sometimes more than just gratitude. We may say κανε το καλό και ρίξτο στο γιαλό, but we don't apply it.


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