THE
CANARY
Konstantinos Konstantinidis – Amphiktyon
Our sweet canary has flown away,
and left us in deep sorrow;
now empty stands the dressing room
of the people’s diva —
her fate sealed at the Odeon.
Our great goddess has taken flight,
sailing high in the seventh heaven,
beside divine singers and composers,
to sing upon Olympus for the gods.
Silenced now that tender, vibrant voice,
that once became a nightingale, then a canary;
a life filled with songs,
each time different — from rebetiko
to light folk melodies.
A phenomenon — Marinella, unique,
the grand lady of the staff,
the beloved of the Greek people;
our own Marinella —
forever gone from our lives,
yet dwelling within our souls.
You leave behind thousands of songs,
never the same, never repeated;
you will always be near us,
driving away our sadness,
bringing back our joy.
Companion of Stelios Kazantzidis
and of many voices in folk song —
yet you made a revolution:
you revived the light folk genre,
your voice rising to the heights.
You could have become a diva
of the art song,
yet you chose not to abandon the people.
Everything you achieved —
through worth and tireless work;
a noble lady in your presence,
yet a simple soul in your neighborhood.
You never played the diva,
though you could have become one;
that is why the people honored you
and loved you —
repaying your great work as a singer.
Marinella, you will always live in our hearts,
for you were authentic — truly one of us;
you gave us joy,
and we sing you from our youth
to our old age.
Beside the Sacred Rock
you breathed your last,
as if you imitated the voices of angels;
yet your heart could not endure,
and your knees gave way.
You had the grace of a goddess —
like the sun you shone upon the stage,
like the moon you glowed;
and Orpheus
with the muse Erato
came to take you —
but even Hades envied you.
Now, as you travel in another realm,
ascending to the seventh heaven,
farewell, our beloved Marinella —
your homeland will one day honor you as you deserve.
(31/3/26)
Amphiktyon – Major General (ret.) Konstantinos Konstantinidis
Writer, Member of the Society of Greek Writers
http://www.amphiktyon.blogspot.com
http://www.amphiktyon.org
