Ποιος τη ζωή μου
Greek
Ποιος τη ζωή μου, ποιος την κυνηγά
να την ξεμοναχιάσει μες στη νύχτα;
Ουρλιάζουν και σφυρίζουν φορτηγά
Σαν ψάρι μ’ έχουν πιάσει μες στα δίχτυα
Για κάποιον μες στον κόσμο είν’ αργά
Ποιος τη ζωή μου, ποιος την κυνηγά;
Ποιος τη ζωή μου, ποιος παραφυλά;
Στου κόσμου τα στενά ποιος σημαδεύει;
Πού πήγε αυτός που ξέρει να μιλά
που ξέρει πιο πολύ και να πιστεύει;
English
Who’s chasing after my Life
to get her alone at night?
Lorries howling and wheezing –
I’ve been caught like a fish in a net
For somebody in the world, it’s too late
Who’s chasing after my Life?
Who’s lurking for my Life?
Who’s taking an aim at the world’s alleys?
Where went the one who knows how to talk
and – even more so – believe?
ποιος τη ζωή μου, ποιος την κυνηγά
The sentence’s syntax is poetic, and in real life it would be: Ποιος κυνηγά τη ζωή μου;
ξεμοναχιάσει
Coming from μοναχός -ή -ό “alone”, ξεμοναχιάζω [κάποιον] means “to get alone [with someone] after strategically creating the right circumstances for it to happen”. It normally conveys romantic or malevolent intent.
The verb also exists in the passive voice: ξεμοναχιάζομαι. It usually means “to get alone with someone else [willingly]”, but rarely refers to receiving the action of ξεμοναχιάζω.
σφυρίζουν
The main meaning of σφυρίζω is “to whistle”, but the translation went for “to wheeze”, which is another meaning of the verb.
παραφυλά
On its own, φυλάω means “to guard” or “to keep [usually something precious]”. Do not confuse with φιλάω “to kiss”. Moreover, while παραφυλάω means “to lurk”, παραφιλάω means “to overkiss someone, to kiss someone excessively”.
στενά
As an adjective, στενός -ή -ό means “narrow, tight”. As a noun, στενό refers to a very narrow street – i.e., an alley –, but also a strait.