Leonidas Kanaris: Sham el-Nessim (poem by C.P.Cavafy)
Leonidas Kanaris: Three Songs on poems by C. P. Cavafy
2. «Sham el-Nessim»
Michael Tranoudakis (narration), Daphne Panourghia (soprano),
Stella Tsani (violin), Lefki Kolovou (cello), Nicole Karali (Piano)
From cd: Leonidas Kanaris, ‘One night when…’ / subways (www.subways.com)
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Ο Αλεξανδρινός ποιητής Κωνσταντίνος Καβάφης (1863 — 1933) είναι ένας από τους κορυφαίους Έλληνες ποιητές με διεθνή ακτινοβολία. Τα 154 ποίηματά του με την ιδιότυπη – προσωπική γραφή, έγιναν αντικείμενο πολυάριθμων μελετών. Ιστορικές αναφορές, ανθρώπινες – φιλοσοφικές ανησυχίες και ερωτισμός είναι κάποια από τα στοιχεία που διαπλέκονται στο έργο τού μεγάλου ποιητή.
Το Σαμ–ελ–Νεσίμ (έτσι ονομάζουν οι Αιγύπτιοι την ανοιξιάτικη γιορταστική τους έξοδο στην εξοχή) ανήκει στα λεγόμενα 26 Αποκηρυγμένα ποιήματά του. Για την ακρίβεια, ποτέ δεν αποδέχτηκε την πατρότητα αυτών των ποιημάτων.
Τα τρία τραγούδια (σε ποίηση Καβάφη) γράφτηκαν το 2005 ως παραγγελία της Ελληνικής Κοινότητας Καϊρου, η οποία την ίδια χρονιά γιόρτασε τα 100 χρόνια από την ίδρυσή της, σε εορταστική ημερίδα στο Μέγαρο Μουσικής Αθηνών. Εκεί έγινε και η 1η εκτέλεση, από τους μουσικούς αυτής της ηχογράφησης.
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Born in Alexandria, Egypt, Constantinos P. Cavafy (1863 – 1933) is one of the most important Greek poets, renowned the world over. His 154 poems with his unique, personal way of writing, have become the subject of numerous studies. Human and philosophical concerns, historical references and eroticism are some of the elements which are intertwined in the work of the great poet.
Sham el-Nessim (the name Egyptians give to their annual spring excursion to the countryside) belongs to his so-called 26 Disowned Poems. To be precise, he was never accepted the authorship of these poems.
The three songs (on Cavafy’s poems) were written in 2005, at the request of the Greek Community of Cairo, which was then celebrating 100 years since its founding. They were first performed, by the musicians of this recording, at a celebration at the Athens Concert Hall.
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«Sham el-Nessim»
Our pale Egypt the sun with arrows full of bitterness and persistance
burns and beats, and with thirst and sickness it tires it.
Our sweet Egypt in a laughing feast gets drunk, forgets, adornes itself
and rejoices and the tyrranical sun ignores.
The happy Sham el-Nessim heralds the spring an innocent feast into the country.
The whole of Alexandria moves, and so do its thick roads.
The happy Sham el-Nessim wants to celebrate the good Egyptian
and he becomes a camper.
The celebrating armies come out of everywhere Gambari and idle Mahmudia are full.
Mex, Moharembey, Ramlee are full and everyone shall get the most of this wonderful countryside as crowds of joyful people arrive in orderly, quiet happiness.
For the Egyptian retains his seriousness even in the feast;
He decorates his turban with flowers, yet his face remains true despite humming a little tune, the joy he has in his mind is little shown in his moves.
Our Missiri does not have lavish green, satisfying streams or fountains tall mountains with vast shadows. But it has magical flowers, sparkles that fell from the torch of Ptah, offering an unknown scent, smells by which nature itself would faint.
In a circle of fans, a renowned singer with a sweet voice is warmly applauded in his trembling voice pains of love are sighing,his song bitterly complaining against the light-headed Fatma or the cruel Emine against the devious Zenap.
With the shading tents and the cold sorbet the heat and dust are drawn away
The hours flee like moments, like hurried horses in a flat valley and their bright mane over the idly-lain feast the happy Sham el-Nessim turns golden.
Our pale Missiri the sun with arrows full of bitterness and persistance burns and beats, and with thirst and sickness it tires it.
Our sweet Missiri in a laughing feast gets drunk, forgets, adornes itself and rejoices and the tyrranical sun ignores.