Interpretation of “Mother we planted naught” by George Dalaras
In this entry I interpret the meaning of a wonderful Greek song from the 1970s, performed by the legendary George Dalaras: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u13PkOIbSzo.
Below are the original lyrics, my translation of them, followed by my commentary.
Μάνα δε φυτέψαμε
Ερμηνεία: Γιώργος Νταλάρας
Στίχοι: Λευτέρης Παπαδόπουλος
Μουσική: Μάνος Λοΐζος
Έσπασε το κομπολόι, σκόρπισαν οι χάντρες
Πιάσανε το μοιρολόι ένα τσούρμο άντρες
Πιάσανε το μοιρολόι ένα τσούρμο άντρες
Έσπασε το κομπολόι, σκόρπισαν οι χάντρες
Μάνα δε φυτέψαμε ούτε ένα λουλούδι
κι ακριβοπληρώσαμε δυο σπυριά ζωή
Μάνα δεν τελειώσαμε ούτε ένα τραγούδι
Ήλιο ζητιανέψαμε κι έχουμε καεί
Έσβησε η ασετυλίνη, χίμηξε σκοτάδι
Βούλιαξε στη Μυτιλήνη το στερνό καράβι
Βούλιαξε στη Μυτιλήνη το στερνό καράβι
Έσβησε η ασετυλίνη, χίμηξε σκοτάδι
Μάνα δε φυτέψαμε ούτε ένα λουλούδι
κι ακριβοπληρώσαμε δυο σπυριά ζωή
Μάνα δεν τελειώσαμε ούτε ένα τραγούδι
Ήλιο ζητιανέψαμε κι έχουμε καεί
Mother we planted naught
Performance: George Dalaras
Lyrics: Lefteris Papadopoulos
Music: Manos Loizos
The koboloí [rosary] broke, the beads scattered
A crew of men began lamenting
A crew of men began lamenting
The koboloí broke, the beads scattered
Mother we did not plant a single flower
and paid dearly for two grains of life
Mother we did not finish a single song
We begged for sun and got burnt
The acetylene run out, darkness ensued
The last ship sunk at Mytiline
The last ship sunk at Mytiline
The acetylene run out, darkness ensued
Mother we did not plant a single flower
and paid dearly for two grains of life
Mother we did not finish a single song
We begged for sun and got burnt
What counts in life are our deeds, not our intentions. We can draw ambitious plans and talk big about our lofty standards. Those are easy as they go by unaccountable. The difficulty lies in enacting change, in bringing ideas to fruition. In the absence of tangible results, we do not capitalise on our past actions, throwing them to the wind. We also have nothing to show for and are thus forced to subsist either frugally and/or perennially unfulfilled.
Why should one bother planting a flower? It alone does not add much value to our life. Right? Such is a reductive approach that can only lead to inaction when applied consistently because no single action amounts to much in isolation. To plant a flower is to perform a minute step towards a more deliberate lifestyle; a life of affirmation and of an unflinching willingness to toil against stasis.
Small steps lead to grand results when they are consistent. Plant a flower today, another tomorrow, and so on daily. You will soon be rewarded with a beautiful garden, you will provide a food source for bees, and indirectly enrich your environment. At the same time, you will realise how your actions have a cumulative effect and so you will appreciate the value of commitment to a cause over the longer-term. This is a lesson for life, beyond gardening.
The greatest challenge is to escape inertia. This is because of the inappropriate method of trying to change too many things at once, being overwhelmed by the challenge or the sheer magnitude of our misplaced ambition, and ultimately falling back to old habits. Whereas the act of planting a flower requires minimal effort. Start small and stay small for as long as necessary. What matters is the regularity of the task, not the “wow factor” of your proclamations.
Plant a flower, friend. Slow and steady. Your mother will approve of it. As will the mothers yet to be, who will benefit from your efforts even if they never realise it. This is how societies are made. We find what others left behind as the culmination of their efforts. Those who plant naught shall suffer, as they beg for a drop of blue sky amidst the darkness.