Passage III – Yefiri – The bridge for voice & piano
poem: Yannis RITSOS
for soprano
duration around 3′
available versions: voice & harp, alto voice, whistle voice & organ
the « Passages » were composed from a series of paintings of Philippos Vazakas on the eternal theme of the door (this may be a window, a bridge, a narrow street …): an opening on the wide world; an invitation to discovery, curiosity, surprise, to overcome our fears, to trust in the « other », to knock on the door just to know who will open to me and look behind what hides to our eyes but also our minds and souls. Each of these pieces is written for an instrument or a particular combination as many variations on this eternal theme, I imagined them in the continuation of traditional music echoing the paintings that represent old wooden doors where time continues to pass.
Description
Γεφύρι
Η πόρτα αντικριστά στο παράθυρο.
Απ’ τόνα μέρος η θάλασσα.
Απ’ τ’ άλλο τα δέντρα.
Στη μέση ένας άνθρωπος
εκεί που φυσάει ο πρωϊνός αέρας,
μισός θάλασσα, μισός δέντρα.
Σε τούτο το μικρό γεφύρι
δεν περνάει ψυχή.
—
Yefiri
I porta antikrista sto parathiro.
Ap’ tona meros i thalassa.
Ap’ t’ allo ta dentra.
Sti messi enas anthropos,
eki pou fissaï o proïnos aeras,
missos thalassa, missos dentra.
Se touto to mikro yefiri
den pernaï psychi.
—
Pont
La porte en face de la fenêtre. (La porte face à la fenêtre.)
D’un coté la mer.
De l’autre les arbres.
Au milieu un homme,
là où souffle la brise matinale,
mi-mer, mi-arbres. (moitié mer, moitié arbres.)
Sur ce petit pont
il n’y a pas une âme qui passe.
—
Bridge
The door in front of the window
On one side the sea
On the other trees
between a man
where the morning breeze is blowing,
half-sea, half-tree.
On this little bridge
Even not a soul is passing.
