Name: Liosane ta hionia / Λιώσανε τα χιόνια
Duration: P00H03M03S
Description: A remake of a traditional song of Epirus with the addition of own lyrics about the woman who stays behind when the men have to leave.

Liosane ta hionia / Λιώσανε τα χιόνια

from Afromantinades by Afromantinades, Lefteris Grigoriou, Dimitris Athanasopoulos

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about

A remake of a traditional song of Epirus with the addition of own lyrics about the woman who stays behind when the men have to leave.

lyrics

scroll down for english translation

Λιώσανε τα χιόνια βρε μπιρμπίλι μου
λιώσανε τα χιόνια τζοβαίρι μου
Τα χιόνια τα ‘λιωσε η βροχή
και γω κοιμάμαι η μαύρη μοναχή

Πάντα λέει την ιστορία αυτός που φεύγει
κι όχι εκείνη που στον τόπο πίσω μένει
είν’ η μάνα, η γυναίκα, η δασκάλα
η εργάτρια, η πλύστρα κι όλα τ’ άλλα
Όσο ο άντρας φεύγει και γεφύρια χτίζει
η γυναίκα το κενό του το γεμίζει
και μαθαίνει όλα τα πόστα να ρυθμίζει
να μετρά να κουβαλά και να φροντίζει

η γυναίκα που πίσω μένει

είν αυτή που μεστο χώμα ρίζα κάνει
και αντέχει τον αέρα που λυσάει
είν αυτή που πρέπει ν αντιμετωπίσει
όσα φέρνει ο χειμώνας και η δύση
Είν ́ η μάνα όπου ζει με την ελπίδα
και ανοίγει αγκαλιά στην καταιγίδα
περιμένει για να λιώσουνε τα χιόνια
και περνάν ένα και δυο και πέντε χρόνια

Λιώσανε τα χιόνια απάνω στα βουνά
και συ Λευτέρη μου είσαι στην ξενιτιά
Τα χιόνια τα ‘λιωσε η βροχή
και ‘γω κοιμάμαι η μαύρη μοναχή

English translation

The snow has melted my nightingale
the snow has melted my dear
Rain came and melted the snow
And me the the poor one, I am sleeping alone

The story is always told by the man who leaves
and not the woman who stays behind
she’s the mother, the teacher, the wife
the worker, the doctor and all the rest
While the man leaves and builds bridges
woman fills in his gap
and learns how to cover all the posts
to count to carry and to care

The woman who stays behind

Is the one who makes roots in the ground
and stands the wind that is blowing hard
is the one who has to face
whatever the winter and the sunset brings

Is the mother that lives with the hope
and opens her arms in the storm
she waits for the snow to melt
and two and five years pass by..

The snow has melted in the mountain
and you my Lefteris you are in the foreign land
Rain came and melted the snow
And me the the poor one, I am sleeping alone

credits

from Afromantinades, released December 10, 2023
music and lyrics – Dimitris Athanasopoulos / traditional

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about

Lefteris Grigoriou Athens, Greece

Lefteris Grigoriou is a teacher and performer based in Athens, Greece. He owns and runs the school Ta Krousta tis Taki, teaching african and greek percussion between others and performs with the group Afromantinades as well as Global Daoulia playing the Ngoni, djembe and bagpipes. ... more