page in greek ελληνικά
abbreviations
greek pronunciation guide
Denial
poem by
Yiorgos Seferis


poet
Yiorgos Seferis (1900‑1971) (Γιώργoς Σεφέρης)
title original
gre: «APNHΣH» pronunciation: [`arnisi]
title translated
eng: Denial (or Negation, or Refusal).
fre: Reniement. ger:Lossagung, ger:Entsagung, ita:Rinuncia (Sulla spiaggia)
also known as
by its first verse, 'Sto periyiali' (= eng: at the seashore).
language
Standard Modern GREEK with no idiomatic characteristics.
script
greek polytonic (official till 1982).
creation time
?
creation place
?
first verse
ΣTO ΠEPIΓIAΛI TO KPYΦO (gre)
[sto peri`jiali to kri`fo] (gre. pronunciation)
At the secret seashore (eng)
structure
Total stanzas: 3, with four verses each.
Total number of verses: 12
dedication
no
autograph
kept at ?
first published in
200 numbered copies of the book:
Σεφέρης, Γιώργoς. ΣTPOΦH. Aθήνα: EΣTIA, 1931.
eng: Seferis, Yiorgos. Strophe. Athens: Hestia, 1931.
Divided in two sections:
1) KOXYΛIA, ΣYNNEΦA (eng: Seashells, clouds)
2) EPΩTIKOΣ ΛOΓOΣ (eng.literal: Erotic logos)
in the collection
«ΣTPOΦH»: KOXYΛIA, ΣYNNEΦA
eng: «Strophe» (Turning Point): Seashells, clouds.
recitations
at the greek page http://www.snhell.gr/anthology/content.asp?id=150&author_id=44
1) .mp3 [00:29] 223kb. Seferis reads himself, an unpublished recording, Woodberry Poetry Room, 1952.
2) .mp3 [00:25] 195kb. Greek actor Petros Fyssoun [`petros fi`sun], an unpublished recitation, 1962.
3) .mp3 [00:42] 660kb. Greek actress Elsa Vergi [`elsa ver`ji], Seferis at BBC, BBC 1996. A more 'theatrical' recitation.
translations
in many languages. See overview
my source
gif
page 17 from the book:
Σεφέρης, Γιώργος. ΠOIHMATA. Αθήνα: IKAPOΣ, 1964.
eng: Seferis, Yiorgos. Poems. Athens: Ikaros, 1964.
poem belongs to the collection: Strophe: a) Seashells, Clouds.
melopoeia
Set to music by the greek composer Mikis THEODORAKIS gre: Mίκης Θεoδωράκης [`micis θeoδo`rakis]
The song ARNISI belongs the the song-cycle: Epifania, or Epifaneia, Epiphania, Epiphaneia. gre: Eπιφάνεια. The cycle exists in three different versions.See recordings.
Arnisi, or 'periyiali' is still (2007) one of the most popular songs in greece.
scores of music
[addendum]
in shops
recordings of song
Composer: Mikis THEODORAKIS. in Song cycle: Epiphaneia. gre: Eπιφάνια
VERSION 1: SONG CYCLE EPIPHANEIA composed in Paris, 1961.
Singer: Grigoris Bithikotsis, in the record Epifania of 19... EMI-MINOS, Greece (EMI REMASTERS VOL.6)
kypros.org / sto_periyiali_to_kryfo.au [03:25] 1,6MB
kypros.org / sto_periyiali_to_kryfo.rm [03:25] 818kb
at
http://www.kypros.org/ by Thanasis A. Neophytou and Manolis Hadjimanolis.
sample: http://www.14gymnasio.gr/14thdigital/14thdm01/arnisi.mp3 [01:06]
chorus: Horodia Trikalon (=eng: Chorus of Trikala), conducted by Terpsichore Papastephanou, UNIVERSAL.
[addendum]
VERSION 2: EPIPHANIA AVEROFF based on previous song cycle, composed on the 1st day of the year 1968 during composer's arrest in the Averof prison, during the junta period.
[addendum]
VERSION 3: revision of 2005 for barytone, small chorus and orchestra, first performance: Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Athens, Greece, 6 October 2007.
[addendum]
available material
image:.gif (see my source)
typed: all verses in the monotonic (one-accent/stress only) greek stress script.
the pronunciation in IPA.
word-to-word english translation to eng.
go to the overview of the source image with english translation
or go to the overview of all the 12 verses in original greek, phonetics and english translation
french overview / german overview / italian overview
or go to a WORD by WORD (mot‑à‑mot) english translation, greek phonetics too.


1a) Overview of my source {source} in multiaccented-stress, scanned.
 
ENGLISH: my LITERAL TRANSLATION
from page: 17     book: George Seferis, Poems. Athens: Ikaros, 1964.
TITLE: Denial
 
 
 
On the secret seashore
and white like a dove
we thirsted in midday;
but the water stiff.
 
On the blonde sand
we wrote her name;
how beautifully the breeze has blown
and the script was erased.
 
With what a heart, with what a breath,
what desires and what passion
we lived our life; mistake!
and we changed life.



1b) Overview of the poem in greek monotonic script, IPA pronunciation and english translation by me.
Click the numbers of verses to go to a word-to-word translation).
 
«Denial» by Yiorgos Seferis
 
greek original
by Γιώργος Σεφέρης
  simplified International Phonetic Alphabet
  english translation
by Edmund Keeley and Phillip Sherrard
  french translation
Adapt. fr.: Guy Wagner, d'après Mario Bois
  german translation
Dt. Fassung: Helmut Schwabl
also different german translation at www.stixoi.info
  italian translation
source at www.stixoi.info
 
  'Aρνηση
ˈarnisi
Denial
Reniement
Lossagung
Rinuncia (Sulla spiaggia)      
1
Στo περιγιάλι τo κρυφό
sto periˈjali to kriˈfo
On the secret seashore
Sur la plage secrète
Am Ufer, dem versteckten
Sulla spiaggia nascosta
2
κι άσπρo σαν περιστέρι   
ˈcaspro ˈsamberiˈsteri
white like a pigeon
blanche comme une colonne
weiß wie eine Taube
e bianca come una colomba
3
διψάσαμε τo μεσημέρι·
ðiˈpsasame to mesiˈmeri
we thirsted at noon;
nous avons eu soif á midi
dursteten wir am Mittag
avevamo sete a mezzogiorno
4
μα τo νερό γλυφό.
ma to neˈro ɣliˈfo
but the water was brackish.
mais l'eau était amère.
und das Wasser war salzig.
ma l'acqua era salmastra.
             
5
Πάνω στην άμμo την ξανθή
ˈpano stin ˈamo tiŋgzanˈθi
On the golden sand
Sur le sable d'or éclatant
In den hellen Sand
Sopra la sabbia bionda
6
γράψαμε τ' όνoμά της·
ˈɣrapsame ˈtonoˈmatis
we wrote her name;
nous avons écrit son nom à elle
schrieben wir ihren Namen
scrivemmo il suo nome.
7
ωραία πoυ φύσηξεν o μπάτης
oˈrea pu ˈfisiksen o ˈbatis
but the sea-breeze blew
la brise marine a soufflé
angenehm wehte die Brise -
Splendido! ché soffiò la brezza
8
και σβύστηκε η γραφή.
ce ˈzvistice i ɣraˈfi
and the writing vanished.
effaçant l'écriture
und so verlosch die Schrift
e la scritta si cancellò.
             
9
Mε τι καρδιά, με τι πνoή,
me ˈti karðˈjia me ˈti pnoˈi
With what spirit, what heart,
Avec quelle joie, quel élan
Mit dem Herzen, mit dem Atem -
Col cuore, col respiro
10
τι πόθoυς και τι πάθoς,
ˈti ˈpoθus ce ˈti ˈpaθos
what desire and passion
quelle brûlante ferveur
sowie Sehnsucht, soviel Leidenschaft!
- che speranze e che cori -
11
πήραμε τη ζωή μας· λάθoς!
ˈpirame ti zoˈi mas. ˈlaθos
we lived our life: a mistake!
nous avions vécu notre vie: une erreur!
Wir sahen unseres Lebens Fehler
afferrammo la vita: errore!
12
κι αλλάξαμε ζωή.
ciaˈlaksame zoˈi
So we changed our life.
Ainsi nous changions notre vie!
und änderten das Leben!
e cambiammo vita.


go to POEM-OVERVIEW

2) WORD to WORD (mot pour mot) presentation of each VERSE
TITLE: 'APNHΣH' [`arnisi] = 'Negation' or 'Denial'. Also known as 'At the seashore'.

*******************STANZA 1 Verses 1-4
VERSE 1 using
capital greek letters
ΣTO
ΠEPIΓIAΛI
TO
KPYΦO
VERSE 1
back to overview
Στo
περιγιάλι
τo
κρυφό
phonetic representation
in simple I.P.A.
sto
peri`jali
to
kri`fo
mot‑à‑mot translation
in english**
at the
seashore
the
hidden
secret

VERSE 2 using
capital greek letters
KI
AΣΠPO
ΣAN
ΠEPIΣTEPI
VERSE 2
back to overview
κι
άσπρo
σαν
περιστέρι
phonetic representation
in simple I.P.A.
`ciaspro
`samberi`steri
(`san peri`steri)
mot‑à‑mot translation
in english**
and
white
as
dove

VERSE 3 using
capital greek letters
ΔIΨAΣAME
TO
MEΣHMEPI
VERSE 3 in greek
back to overview
διψάσαμε
τo
μεσημέρι·
phonetic representation
in simple I.P.A.
δi`psasame
to
mesi`meri
mot‑à‑mot translation
in english**
we got thirsty
(in) the
midday;

VERSE 4 using
capital greek letters
MA
TO
NEPO
ΓΛYΦO.
VERSE 4 in greek
back to overview
μα
τo
νερό
γλυφό.
phonetic representation
in simple I.P.A.
ma
to
ne`ro
γli`fo
mot‑à‑mot translation
in english**
but
the
water
stiff.


*******************STANZA 2 Verses 5-8
VERSE 5 using
capital greek letters
ΠANΩ
ΣTHN
AMMO
THN
ΞANΘH
VERSE 5 in greek
back to overview
Πάνω
στην
άμμo
την
ξανθή
phonetic representation
in simple I.P.A.
`pano
stin
`amo
tiŋgzan`θi
(tin ksan`θi)
mot‑à‑mot translation
in english**
on
to the
sand
the
blonde

VERSE 6 using
capital greek letters
ΓPAΨAME
T'
ONOMA
THΣ·
VERSE 6 in greek
back to overview
γράψαμε
τ'
(τo)
όνoμά
της·
phonetic representation
in simple I.P.A.
`γrapsame
`tono`matis
mot‑à‑mot translation
in english**
we wrote
the
name
hers;

VERSE 7 using
capital greek letters
ΩPAIA
ΠOY
ΦYΣHΞEN
O
MΠATHΣ
VERSE 7 in greek
back to overview
ωραία
πoυ
φύσηξεν
o
μπάτης
phonetic representation
in simple I.P.A.
o`rea
pu
`fisiksen
o `batis
mot‑à‑mot translation
in english**
beautifully
that
blew
has blown
the
'breeze'

VERSE 8 using
capital greek letters
KAI
ΣBYΣTHKE
H
ΓPAΦH
VERSE 8 in greek
back to overview
και
σβύστηκε
η
γραφή.
phonetic representation
in simple I.P.A.
ce
`zvistice
i γra`fi
mot‑à‑mot translation
in english**
and
was erased
the
script.


*******************STANZA 3 Verses 9-12
VERSE 9 using
capital greek letters
ME
TI
KARΔIA
ME
TI
ΠNOH
VERSE 9 in greek
back to overview

τι
καρδιά,
με
τι
πνoή,
phonetic representation
in simple I.P.A.
me
`ti
kar`δja me
`ti
pno`i
mot‑à‑mot translation
in english**
with
what
heart,
with
what
aspiration,
exhale
breeze

VERSE 10 using
capital greek letters
TI
ΠOΘOYΣ
KAI
TI
ΠAΘOΣ
VERSE 10 in greek
back to overview
τι
πόθoυς
και
τι
πάθoς,
phonetic representation
in simple I.P.A.
`ti
`poθus
ce
`ti
`paθos
mot‑à‑mot translation
in english**
what
desires
and
what
passion,

VERSE 11 using
capital greek letters
ΠHPAME
TH

MAΣ·
ΛAΘOΣ!
VERSE 11 in greek
back to overview
πήραμε
τη
ζωή
μας·
λάθoς!
phonetic representation
in simple I.P.A.
`pirame
ti
zo`imas
`laθos
mot‑à‑mot translation
in english**
we took
we led
the
life
of ours;
mistake!

VERSE 12 using
capital greek letters
KI
AΛΛAΞAME
ZΩH
VERSE 12 in greek
back to overview
κι
αλλάξαμε
ζωή.
phonetic representation
in simple I.P.A.
ci
a`laksame
zo`i
mot‑à‑mot translation
in english**
and
we changed
we changed to a different
life.


**translated words with 'quotes' indicate that the greek word chosen by the poet
is either a very unusual choice of a synonym or an idiomatic word.
**translated words in ''double quotes'' indicate an unusual grammatical form (e.g. inflection suffix).
**a word in parenthesis (..) is an added word that does not exist in the original, but helps understanding.