The first foreign language tune to win the Best Song Oscar was Τα Παιδιά του Πειραιά (Ta Paidia Tou Piraia), which is Greek for “The Children of Piraeus.” In the U.S. the song was known as “Never On Sunday,” which is why I thought of it today. It was written by Manos Hadjidakis and performed in the 1960 movie Never on Sunday by Melina Mercouri. Mercouri got an Oscar nomination and won Best Actress at Cannes for her performance as the prostitute with a heart of gold.
Here is the Greek lyric, followed by an English translation. Following that is the lyric written for English singers by Billy Towne, the lyrics we heard in 1960. This was a very popular song in the U.S. with both instrumental and vocal covers.
Maybe it’s just me, but I’d say a little something was lost in translation.
(The links below are to iTunes samples. They will open web pages, not iTunes.)
Ap’ to paráthiro mu stélno éna dío
Ke tría ke tésera filiá
Pou ftánun sto limáni éna ke dío
Ke tría ke tésera puliá,
Pos thá thela na íha éna ke dío
Ke tría ke tésera pediá.
Ótan tha megalósun óla na gínun
Levéndis giá hári tu Pireá.
Óso ki an psáhno
Den vrísko álo limáni,
Tréli na m’éhi káni
Apó ton Pireá,
Pu ótan vradiázi,
Tragedia m’aradiázi
Ke tis peniés tu alázi.
Gemízi apó pediá.
Apó tin pórta mu san vgo
Den ipárhi kanís
Pu na min ton agapó,
Ke san to vrádi kimithó
Kséro pos, kséro pos
Pos tha ton onireftó.
Petrádia vázo sto lemó
Ke miá ha-, ke mia ha-,
Ke miá hándra filahtó
Giatí ta vrádia karteró
Sto limáni san vgo
Kápion ágnosto na vro.
Óso ki an psáhno
Den vrísko álo limáni,
Tréli na m’éhi káni
Apó ton Pireá,
Pu ótan vradiázi,
Tragedia m’aradiázi
Ke tis peniés tu alázi.
Gemízi apó pediá.
Pos thá thela na íha éna ke dío
Ke tría ke tésera pediá.
___________________________________
English translation:
From my balcony I send
One, two, three and four kisses to the world
Over the docks of Piraeus fly
One, two, three and four seagulls, I am told
How much I’d love to have
One, two, three and four boys, proud and fine
And when one day they grow up
They’ll be manly and strong
For this precious port of mine
And when I come out of my door
There is no one in the world, there is
No one I don’t love
And every night I close my eyes and I
Sleep and I know
I’ll dream of them just like before
Jewels around my neck
A good-luck charm I carry
Because the night falls and I long
To find a perfect stranger
And seduce him with my song
So much I’ve tried
I’ve never found a port
To captivate my heart
As Piraeus does
And when the night falls
The air is filled with songs
With tunes and sounds and laughter
Bursting with life and youthful calls
________________________
U.S. lyrics (to match the film, I guess):
Oh, you can kiss me on a Monday a Monday
A Monday is very very good
Or you can kiss me on a Tuesday a Tuesday a Tuesday
In fact I wish you would
Or you can kiss me on a Wednesday a Thursday
A Friday and Saturday is best
But never ever on a Sunday a Sunday a Sunday
Cause that’s my day of rest
Most any day you can be my guest
Any day you say but my day of rest
Just name the day that you like the best
Only stay away on my day of rest
Oh, you can kiss me on a cool day a hot day a wet day
Which ever one you choose
Or try to kiss me on a grey day a May day a pay day
And see if I refuse
And if you make it on a bleak day a freak day or a week day
Well you can be my guest
But never ever on a Sunday a Sunday the one day
I need a little rest
Oh, you can kiss me on a week day a week day a week day
The day to be my guest
________________
Melina Mercouri vocal from soundtrack
My mom used to sing that song to me (the US version). She liked show tunes so I have a lot of random bits of music running around the ol’ brain.