Courage
Choreography: Lesley Laslett (UK)
Song: Ena to Helidoni
Lyrics (translated from Greek)
A solitary swallow and a costly spring,
For the sun to turn it takes a job of work,
It takes a thousand dead sweating at the Wheels,
It takes the living also giving up their blood.
God my Master Builder, you built me into the mountains,
God my Master Builder, you enclose me in the sea!
Magicians carried off the body of May,
They buried the body in a tomb of the sea,
They sealed it up in a deep well,
Its scent fills the darkness and all the Abyss.
God my Master Builder, you too among the Easter lilacs,
God my Master Builder, you felt the scent of Resurrection!
Wriggling like sperm in a dark womb,
The terrible insect of memory breaks through the earth
And bites the light like a hungry spider,
Making the shores glow and the sea radiant.
God my Master Builder, you girded me with seashores,
God my Master Builder, you founded me on mountains.
What does the song mean?
"Ena to Helidoni" translates to "One Swallow" in English. It's a phrase and the title of a well-known Greek poem and song, composed by Mikis Theodorakis with lyrics by Odysseas Elytis. The phrase symbolizes the beginning of spring and hope, but also, in the context of Greek history, represents the resilience and determination of the Greek people in their fight for freedom and independence.
Literal meaning: "Ena to Helidoni" literally means "one swallow".
Links:
The above information was sourced and summarised by Gail (Inverloch Circle Dancing group) from a number of sources on the internet.