περιτρόπου

[altan]

"Μιά μαντινάδα θα σού πώ να'ναι τού περιτρόπου
το χέσε κλάσε φάε πιέ νά η ζωή τ'ανθρώπου"

A greek friend of mine translated it as "Peritropos (hronos): bir ağacın yetiştiğinden doğramaya kadar zamanı" (the period of a tree from its plantation to cutting).

Is it right for you?

Thanks.

 

[nickel]

My guess, based on the original meaning of περίτροπος (rotating) and what the second line says: "and let it be about the rotation of time". But it's only a guess.

 

[altan]

I found that in Thomas Dix Hincks' lexicon:

περιτροπ -- : to turn round in a circle, to revolve, or to complete a revolution.

 

[nickel]

The ancient Greek verb is περιτρέπω and περιτροπέω is its Ionian form. The noun is περιτροπή (=turning round), which is the only word in the group in current use (εκ περιτροπής, in rotation, in turns). I suggest you use LSJ for ancient Greek.

http://stephanus.tlg.uci.edu/lsj/#eid=84902&context=lsj&action=hw-list-click

 

[AoratiMelani]

Θυμόμουν την αγγλική μετάφραση από την Αναφορά στον Γκρέκο, την βρήκα και σας την παραθέτω:

I'll sing you a song, as daintily as I can,
To shit, eat, fart, and drink, behold the life of man.

Όπως βλέπετε ο περίτροπος πήγε περίπατο, ποιητική αδεία.

 

[nickel]

Του ξέφυγε αυτό του Πίτερ Μπιν, ο οποίος, παρεμπιπτόντως, στα 85 του, έδωσε νέα μετάφραση του Ζορμπά:

http://www.amazon.com/Zorba-Greek-Nikos-Kazantzakis/dp/1476782814
http://neoskosmos.com/news/en/Kazantzakis-Zorba-the-Greek

 

[altan]

Thanks you all, friends.

 

[altan]

"as daintily as I can"
Unreasonable, isn't it?

 

[AoratiMelani]

It certainly isn't what you would call a literal translation. :)
I would call it an adaptation. That's why I mentioned "poetic licence". :)

 

[nickel]

Hi. Probably a misreading of περιτρόπου as something to do with manners (τρόπος).