KEMAL

Hark to the story of Kemal
a young prince of the East
descendant of Sinbad the Sailor
who thought he could change the world.
But bitter is the will of Allah
and dark the souls of men.

In the lands of the East once upon a time
the purse was empty and the water stale.
In Mosul and Bushehr on the old coconut tree
the children of the desert now cry bitter tears.

And a young man of an old and royal line
hears the lament and grows near.
the Bedouins look at him sadly
and he gives them an oath in Allah's name, that times will change.

When the lords heard of the lad's fearlessness
they set out with wolf's teeth and lion's skin
from Tigris to Euphrates, from the earth to the heavens
they hunt for the deserter, to capture him alive.

The horde descends upon him like rabid dogs
and takes him to the Caliph to place the noose [on his neck]
black honey and black milk he drank that morning
before he breathed his last on the gallows.

The Prophet awaits before the Gates of Heaven
with two elderly camels and a red horse.
They now go hand in hand and it's cloudy
but the star of Damascus kept them company.

In a month and a year they see Allah before them
and from his high throne he says to the simple Sinbad:
"my beaten smart-aleck, times do not change,
the world always moves on by fire and blades"

Goodnight Kemal, this world will never change.
Goodnight...

Οι πρωτότυποι αγγλικοί στίχοι:

KEMAL
Μartin Fulterman, Manos Hadjidakis

This is the story of foolish Prince Bass Fiddle and wise Jerry Kemal.
As you remember, last time, the Prince was found without a dime on the Ponce Valdez while Jerry watched from a tree...

In the land of Ali Baba near the Sea of Babalee,
Lived a man who played the zither with a pronoun on his knee.
He would dance among the fuzzy trees and bring the birds to life
And his name was Prince Bass Fiddle and he loved his ugly wife.
He would sing the songs of Lutvee in his very special way
And he puffed tea with his lumpy head and sleep all night and day.
With his turban and his leicester faced the thieves of Germany
But beware great Prince Bass Fiddle, you΄ll be hanging from a tree.

Fifty days and nights they waited for a sign from old Ratan
To pretend to wear the colours of the Emperor Charlie Chan.
So they strolled into the forest with a song and energy
To find bay leaves in the cauldron of the mad witch Betty Lee.
Came the answer from the leaf top that was found upon the ground
"Only time and Prince Bass Fiddle will repair your bellies round.
Search the highlands search the lowlands, cruise the Sea of Babalee,
But remember that your children need the food from filigree."

Then one day in Abalone came a messenger to say
That onion-head Bass Fiddle broke in half no more to play.
Will we loose our land of Lutvee to the bearded men of Cleaves?
Only miracles can save us and some tricks inside our sleeves.
From the sky there was an answer to the question of the plebes
"You will meet a tall dark stranger wearing black and blue cannives.
Who is Lucy, who is Nestor? We should only be there now.
Why it’s Aphrodite Milton and his keeper Prince Kemal.

Goodnight Kemal. Goodnight...