A song for Mother's Day - about the boys just old enough to be shot but still young enough to think about their mothers. Markos wrote it after the Germans left in October 1944. This is a recording by Markos' son Stelios who, like Dalaras, leaves out the last two verses which Markos gave in the Autobiography: 'One that went down very well was a zebekiko called Chaidhari. Chaidhari was a prison camp where they assembled the prisoners. They took them there from Merlin Street and that’s where they killed them. We sang this a lot but I didn’t record it' (p.188)
| Chaidari Mother run as fast as you can Oh mother run quickly. From Chaidari’s prison block Run and set me free. Because I’m under sentence And I’m about to die, Only seventeen years old In iron chains I lie. They’ll take me from Sekeri Street To Chaidari today. Hour by hour I expect Charos to take me away. Mama just look at the sword Charos’ sharpened knife That he’ll be carrying in his hand As he takes each man’s life. Talk to the other mothers When you see me dead. With sufferings even greater Their poor hearts have bled. Tell them I saw their children In prison clothes ill-suited Manacled in iron chains Unjustly executed. | Χαϊδάρι Τρέξε μανούλα όσο μπορείς τρέξε για να με σώσεις κι απ’ το Χαϊδάρι μάνα μου να μ’ απελευθερώσεις. Γιατί είμαι μελλοθάνατος και καταδικασμένος δεκαεφτάχρονο παιδί στα σίδερα δεμένος. Απ’ την οδό του Σέκερη με πάνε στο Χαϊδάρι κι ώρα την ώρα καρτερώ ο Χάρος να με πάρει. Να δεις του Χάρου το σπαθί μανούλα που θα φέρνει και τη ζωή του καθενός μάνα πως θα την παίρνει. Κι όταν με δεις μάνα νεκρό να πεις στις άλλες μάνες γιατί πονέσανε κι αυτές με πίκρες πιο μεγάλες. Πως είδα τα παιδάκια τους στα σίδερα δεμένα με την κατάδικη στολή αδικοσκοτωμένα. |