Manolis Anagnostakis-translated by Manolis Aligizakis

Ἐπιτύμβιον

Πέθανες- κι ἔγινες καὶ σύ: ὁ καλός,
Ὁ λαμπρὸς ἄνθρωπος, ὁ οἰκογενειάρχης, ὁ πατριώτης.
Τριάντα ἕξη στέφανα σὲ συνοδέψανε, τρεῖς λόγοι ἀντιπροέδρων,
Ἑφτὰ ψηφίσματα γιὰ τὶς ὑπέροχες ὑπηρεσίες ποὺ προσέφερες.

Ἄ, ρὲ Λαυρέντη, ἐγὼ ποὺ μόνο τὄξερα τί κάθαρμα ἤσουν,
Τί κάλπικος παρᾶς, μιὰ ὁλόκληρη ζωὴ μέσα στὸ ψέμα
Κοιμοῦ ἐν εἰρήνῃ, δὲν θὰ ῾ρθῶ τὴν ἡσυχία σου νὰ ταράξω.

(Ἐγώ, μιὰ ὁλόκληρη ζωὴ μὲς στὴ σιωπὴ θὰ τὴν ἐξαγοράσω
Πολὺ ἀκριβὰ κι ὄχι μὲ τίμημα τὸ θλιβερό σου τὸ σαρκίο.)

Κοιμοῦ ἐν εἰρήνῃ. Ὡς ἤσουν πάντα στὴ ζωή: ὁ καλός,
Ὁ λαμπρὸς ἄνθρωπος, ὁ οἰκογενειάρχης, ὁ πατριώτης.

Δὲ θά ῾σαι ὁ πρῶτος οὔτε δὰ κι ὁ τελευταῖος

TOMBSTONE ENGRAVING

You also died and you became the special

good family man, the patriot

thirty six wreaths accompanied you

three funereal speeches by vice presidents

seven votes in favor of what you offered

 

ah, Lavrentis, only I knew what a bastard you were

what a sold out asshole, you lived a life time of lies

sleep in peace I won’t come to disturb your serenity

 

(I will exchange my whole life with priceless silence

and not with a reward your sorrowful corpse)

 

Sleep in peace as you were in life: the special

good family man, the patriot.

 

You’ll neither be the first nor the last one.

 

NEOHELLENIC POETRY-AN ANTHOLOGY, translated by Manolis Aligizakis, Ekstasis Editions, autumn, 2017

Manolis Anagnostakis//Μανώλης Αναγνωστάκης

Funereal

You passed too — and you too became: a good
fine man, a family man, a patriot
thirty six wreaths accompanied you, three speeches by vice-presidents
seven votes of approval for the superb service you offered

ah, Lavrentis, I only who knew what a scum you were
what a cheap bum who lived all your life in a lie
rest in peace, I won’t come to disturb your equanimity

(I shall try to exchange all my life with silence
with a heavy price and not only with my flesh as payment)

rest in peace as you have been all life-long: a good
fine man, a family man, a patriot.

You won’t be the first, not even the last.

Ἐπιτύμβιον

Πέθανες- κι ἔγινες και συ: ο καλός,
Ο λαμπρὸς ἄνθρωπος, ο οἰκογενειάρχης, ο πατριώτης.
Τριάντα ἕξη στέφανα σε συνοδέψανε, τρεις λόγοι ἀντιπροέδρων,
Ἑφτὰ ψηφίσματα για τις ὑπέροχες ὑπηρεσίες που προσέφερες.

Α, ρε Λαυρέντη, ἐγὼ που μόνο τὄξερα τί κάθαρμα ἤσουν,
Τί κάλπικος παρᾶς, μια ὁλόκληρη ζωὴ μέσα στο ψέμα
Κοιμοῦ εν εἰρήνῃ, δεν θα ῾ρθῶ την ἡσυχία σου να ταράξω.

(Ἐγώ, μια ὁλόκληρη ζωὴ μες στη σιωπὴ θα την ἐξαγοράσω
Πολὺ ἀκριβὰ κι ὄχι με τίμημα το θλιβερό σου το σαρκίο.)

Κοιμοῦ εν εἰρήνῃ. Ως ἤσουν πάντα στη ζωή: ο καλός,
Ο λαμπρὸς ἄνθρωπος, ο οἰκογενειάρχης, ο πατριώτης.

Δε θα ῾σαι ο πρῶτος οὔτε δα κι ο τελευταῖος.

~Μετάφραση Μανώλη Αλυγιζάκη, Translated by Manolis Aligizakis