Tens of thousands of people across the Greek internet are streaming and downloading a new song, written especially for the age of the coronavirus and performed by a group of top traditional Cretan singers and musicians.
The song, which has more than 500,000 views on YouTube, is also streaming Spotify and iTunes with all proceeds from sales and downloads going to support the Athens General Hospital medical teams that are treating people with coronavirus.
In the traditional dialect of Crete, the song is poetically entitled “Ποιος είδε άνοιξη καιρό…” This can be loosely translated as “Who would expect in springtime,” although the English translation of the title, as well as the lyrics provided below, don’t compare to the beauty and emotion of the Greek version
The solidarity expressed by these singers and musicians is not only evident by the lyrics, but also with their own passion in singing their own parts, each of which was recorded on their smartphones and mixed into a single song.
English lyrics:
Who would expect in Springtime, deserted streets with locked windows and verandas without gatherings of people.
Who would expect in Springtime, weddings not blessed, candles not lit. May God forgive.
Who would expect in Springtime, churches without people and the priest alone, taking out the holy relics.
Who would expect in Springtime, separated families, the elders eating apart from the kids.
Who would expect in Springtime, doors not opening to the thirsty stranger passing by to get a drink.
Who would expect in Springtime, kids not laughing and girls not gathering flowers from the field.
Who would expect in Springtime, fear everywhere and I who watch all of this, God free us.
The participating musicians are Nikos Stratakis, Antonis Martsakis, Dimitris Spyridakis, Giorgos Stratakis, Kostas Saridakis, Nikos and Antonis Xylouris and Andreas Manolarakis.
The lyrics in Greek:
Ποιος είδε άνοιξη καιρό… σοκάκια ερημωμένα με παραθύρια σφαλιχτά κι αυλές δίχως βεγγέρα
Ποιος είδε άνοιξη καιρό… να μη βλογούνται γάμοι κεριά να μην ανάβουνε, ο Θεός να συγχωρέσει
Ποιος είδε άνοιξη καιρό… (ε)κκλησιές δίχως ανθρώπους κι αμοναχό του τον παπά, τα Άγια να βγάνει
Ποιος είδε άνοιξη καιρό… φαμίλιες χωρισμένες και να δειπνούνε χωριστά, οι γέροι απ’ τα κοπέλια
Ποιος είδε άνοιξη καιρό… να μην ανοίγουν πόρτες στον ξένο στο περαστικό να βρει να ξεδιψάσει
Ποιος είδε άνοιξη καιρό..να μην γελούν κοπέλια να μη μαζώνουν κοπελιές, λουλούδια απ’ τα χωράφια
Ποιος είδε άνοιξη καιρό.. το φόβο να πλανάται εγώ ‘μαι απού τα θωρώ Θε μου ξεμίστευγέ μας
Ποιος είδε άνοιξη καιρό.. το φόβο να πλανάται εγώ μαι απού τα θωρώ Θε μου ξεμίστευγέ μας
Watch the video on YouTube
Full credits and purchase links to download the song on Spotify, iTunes and from the website are available in the YouTube link. Special thanks to Stelios Taketzis for help with the translation of the title into English.
