Tuesday, March 24, 2009

The Secret Life of Crabs



Probably my favourite Greek song is Ta Kavourakia, a touchingly sad yet somehow humorous tale about the anguish of a family of crabs when Mummy Crab abandons them to start an affair with a Sparos, a type of fish. I think it's an adorable song, and the first Greek song I ever knew the chorus to. I wonder what imagination it must take to sit and write a song about the emotions of a broken crab family.

The Little Crabs (Ta Kavourakia)

Two little crabs sit amongst the pebbles on the shore
Abandoned, anguished and they sob away the poor little things
Their mother Mrs. Crab has a hot date with Mr. Sparos in Rafina x2
And the little crabs keep sobbing, on the shore amongst the pebbles x2

Mr. Crab returns home in the evening and finds the house deserted,
He searches for his family and tears his hair out
He heads to Rafina to try to catch up with Mrs. Crab x 2
And the little crabs keep sobbing, on the shore amongst the pebbles x2

A rosey dawn breaks and Mr. Crab returns
Back to the coast but without his wife
She’s swimming in the shallows of Rafina with Mr. Sparos the all-nighter x2

And the little crabs keep sobbing, on the shore amongst the pebbles x2

In Greek:
Στου γυαλού τα βοτσαλάκια
κάθονται δυό καβουράκια
έρμα παραπονεμένα
κι όλο κλαίνε τα καϋμένα

Κι η μαμά τους η κυρία καβουρίνα
πάει τσάρκα με τον σπάρο στη Ραφήνα
κι όλο κλαίνε τα καβουράκιαστου γυαλού στου γυαλού τα βοτσαλάκια

Πάει ο κάβουρας το βράδυβρίσκει το τσαρδί ρημάδι
ψάχνει για τη φαμελιά του
και τραβάει τα μαλιά του

Βάζει πλώρη κούτσα κούτσα στη Ραφήνα
να πετύχει τη κυρία καβουρίνα
κι όλο κλαίνε τα καβουράκια
στου γυαλού στου γυαλού τα βοτσαλάκια

Το ξημέρωμα ροδίζεικαι ο κάβουρας γυρίζει
δίχως τη συμβία πάλι
κούτσα κούτσα στ' ακρογυάλι

Με τον σπάρο το ξενύχτη στη Ραφήνα
παίζει τώρα στα ρηχά η καβουρίνα
κι όλο κλαίνε τα καβουράκια
στου γυαλού στου γυαλού τα βοτσαλάκια

Don't you feel sorry for the little crabs? At the same time, doesn't this song make you smile?

English lyrics from: http://www.ikonband.com/lyrics/crabs.html

Greek lyrics from: http://www.greekmidi.com/songs/tsitsanis/takavourakia.html

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ε ρε γλέντια!!

Anonymous said...

Thanks to you, I had this song going round and round in my head for the past 2 days!

:-)

Jules Z said...

Thank you for posting the lyrics. My daughter loves the song and yiayia had been saying "Athena" instead of "Rafina" Love your blog!

Jules Z said...

Thank you for posting the lyrics. My daughter loves this song and yiayia had been singing "Athena" instead of "Rafina" Great blog!

Anonymous said...

This song touches my heart! (K)