An Old LP

"Weisse Rosen aus Athen ..."
Churning out in Kelly's shop, one September afternoon,
"She's got a distinctive voice, hasn't she?"
And me, newly independent, with my purse ready,
Eager and satisfied.
"Da faehrt ein Schiff"
That will take me home to my parents tomorrow,
Regretful yet excited.

"Strasse der hunderttausend Lichten" -
That will be Strand Street tonight, lights blazing in cafes and arcades,
Or maybe the Promenade, strings of red and yellow lamps shining.
Folks strolling, strutting, gossiping, laughing,
And me laughing next to them.

"Am Strand von Korsika" - is that anything like the beach here,
Shingle and seaweed
And cool black waves catching moonlight, splashing, sucking, slapping, grinding the pebbles?
And me, wild-haired, damp-footed, running
Joyfully.

"Was sind alle Rosen" - gentle, lyrical violins,
Green hills and solitude and wave-crashed crags where choughs clamour
And me treading the breezy Marine Drive
Brisk and curious.

"Alle Blumen dieser Welt" -
Well, no, just the ones in the Sunken Garden
And maybe a few in front of Aunty Ida's cottage,
Where we enjoyed lunch after the walk through fields,
Friendship and rediscovery.

"Die grosse Liebe ist vorbei" ... ? Not at all, only our youth.
Nana Mouskouri far away and maybe retired,
Rain pelting in the September night,
My grey-haired husband muttering in the next room
And me, in the brown armchair,
Grateful and excited.

[TRANSLATIONS:-
Nun faehrt ein Schiff - a ship sails;
Strasse der hunderttausend Lichten - city of 100,000 lights;
Am Strand von Korsika - on the beach at Corsica;
Was sind alle Rosen - what are all roses (as in, what's the point of all the roses in the world if you aren't there?);
Alle Blumen dieser Welt - all the flowers in the world;
Die grosse Liebe ist vorbei - the great love is over.]