Η λειτουργία (το τραγουδι)

[Theseus]

A few queries about this well-known song sung by Mary Linda:-

Στίχοι: Γιάννης Θεοδωράκης
Μουσική: Μίκης Θεοδωράκης
Πρώτη εκτέλεση: Μαίρη Λίντα

Στην εκκλησιά εμπήκα για να λειτουργηθώ,
αχ και σε θωρώ, γύρισ' ο κόσμος
άλλαξε η πλάση μου `φυγε το μυαλό.

Άγιε μου μεγάλη χάρη, άγιε μου παρακαλώ /Badly punctuated? Does it mean 'Holy God, my great joy?
χάρισέ μου χίλια μάτια για να την θωρώ,
χάρισέ μου χίλια χείλια για να την γλυκοφιλώ.

Στου Χερουβείμ απάνω, δυο μάτια σαϊτιές
μ’ άναψαν φωτιές, άλλαξ’ ο κόσμος /Two eyes like arrows have kindled my fires
γύρισ’ η πλάση κι είναι για να με κλαις. /I have no idea what this means.

Άγιε μου μεγάλη χάρη, άγιε μου παρακαλώ
χάρισέ μου χίλια μάτια για να την θωρώ,
χάρισέ μου χίλια χείλια για να την γλυκοφιλώ.

Στην εκκλησιά έμπηκα για να λειτουργηθώ,
αγάπησα αγαπώ, όλος ο κόσμος
είναι δικός μου φτάνει να σε θωρώ. /All the world is mine; it is sufficient just to see you..

Άγιε μου μεγάλη χάρη, άγιε μου παρακαλώ
χάρισέ μου χίλια μάτια για να την θωρώ,
χάρισέ μου χίλια χείλια για να την γλυκοφιλώ.

 

[sarant]

Άγιε μου μεγάλη χάρη prob. elliptic for Άγιε μου, μεγάλη η χάρη σου, στερεότυπος τρόπος να απευθύνεσαι σε αγίους.

μάτια σαϊτιές spot on

είναι για να με κλαις means I am in a pitiful state

the last one: All the world is mine provided (if only) I am looking at you.

 

[Theseus]

Thanks, Sarant. So είναι για να με κλαις is literally '(the situation) is so that you [i.e. one] would cry for me', δηλ. I am in a pitiful state. Is this an idiom? Or a phrase that makes sense in this sort of context?
[BTW I have come across a proverb whose meaning is unclear to me: 'Για χάρη του βασιλικού ποτίζεται κι η γλάστρα". I know that this is irrelevant to this context but you have asked me before on the particular topic of idioms & proverbs. Both are obscure in different ways, the first because literally translated it makes only vague sense & the second although easily translatable has no context to give it any real meaning. An additional point. When proverbs are quoted in Greece, is the proverb quoted in full or, as regularly now in English, in part or indeed only in a few words. For example,
'It was a complete shambles at the Christmas party: everyone in the kitchen was getting in the way of everyone else. You know what they say: Two many cooks....'

 

[Neikos]

Μαζί με τον βασιλικό...= Λέγεται όταν κάποιος επωφελείται από το καλό που τυχαίνει σε κάποιον άλλο.

A rising tide lifts all boats.

Το "είμαι για να με κλαις" είναι έκφραση, Θησέα. Επίσης, "είμαι για κλάματα".

 

[Theseus]

Thanks, Neikos! I understand it now. Another point: why is it Στου Χερουβείμ απάνω; Does it mean 'at the point in the liturgy when the Cherubikon is sung'...I don't understand the Στου rather than στα.

 

[sarant]

An additional point. When proverbs are quoted in Greece, is the proverb quoted in full or, as regularly now in English, in part or indeed only in a few words. For example,
'It was a complete shambles at the Christmas party: everyone in the kitchen was getting in the way of everyone else. You know what they say: Two many cooks....'

Yes, same in Greek. One might say Όπου λαλούν πολλοί κοκόροι... implying the second part... αργεί να ξημερώσει.

This is the exact Greek equivalent of the English proverb.

 

[Theseus]

Thanks, Sarant! Am I right on the Στου Χερουβείμ;:)

 

[SBE]

First, I have never heard this sonf before, so it is not very well known, and to be honest, I don't think it is at the same level as other songs on the same album, which is why it did not receive any playtime on radio when I was growing up in Greece (which was much later then when it was recorded, of course).
Second, I hear ΣΤΟ not ΣΤΟΥ, however it is not very clear and I think it's just a σαρδάμ of the singer. Στου does not make any sense as the cherubim are not male.

 

[Themis†]

Ναι, πρέπει να είναι "στο χερουβείμ απάνω", όχι "στου". Η κοπέλα παρομοιάζεται με άγγελο που έχει "μάτια σαϊτιές".

 

[daeman]

... as the cherubim are not male.

Τη βλέπω τη συζήτηση για το φύλο των αγγέλων. :inno:

Ας καταπιαστούμε με φτερά, καλύτερα:

 

[Theseus]

Thanks, SBE and Themis. I was perplexed by Στου and thought it was a variant of στο as κάτου can be for κάτω in some dialects. But στου it was in Κιθάρα and I have found that site generally reliable. So Στο Χερουβείμ επάνω means 'at the beginning of the Cherubic hymn' as a friend translated it for me. Thanks for the cartoons, 'Man. I presume that Καθιστό Ελάφι is a parody on the name Sitting Bull, the Great Native American, Sitting Bull, the Lakota holy man who led his people during their years of resistance to United States government policies....

 

[SBE]

I think it is a general parody of native American names, Theseus.