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For the larceny of fire

from En Tafo by En Tafo

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lyrics

At the dawn of man in Mikoni
Men and gods gathered to arrange the part of sacrifice for each
An ox was brought and split in two
Prometheus was to decide which was for man and which for Zeus

First part for man, titan arranged the ox’s flesh he veiled
Under it’s skin and for the gods, bones under shining fat veiled

Zeus: ‘Ιαπετιονίδη, πάντων αριδείκετ’ ανάκτων, ώ πέπον,
‘ως ετεροζήλως διεδάσσαο μοίρας.
(Son of Iapetos, renowned more than all the lords, oh friend,
how inequitable you divided the shares.)

Prometheus: Ζεύ κύδιστε μέγιστε θεών αιειγενετάων,
τών δ’ έλε οπποτέρην σε ενί φρεσί θυμός ανώγει.
(Zeus glorious, greater than all the eternal gods,
take from these two whichever your soul desires.)

So he said and Zeus with his undecaying thought
Took the white fat and what’s underneath he sought
Anger rose in his mind, rage came in his soul
When he gazed upon the bare bones, deceit in whole

From that day the breed of men upon the altars burn
Bones of sacrifices for immortal gods concern

Zeus: ‘Ιαπετιονίδη, πάντων πέρι μήδεα ειδώς,
ώ πέπον, ούκ άρα πω δολίης επελήθεο τέχνης.

(Son of Iapetos, your thoughts are above everybody
my friend, you did not forget your devious tricks.)

So said the god, his memory had
Αlways deceit he knew of this fraud
Never again he wouldn’t give, fire to men now they should live
Under the darkness, the cold, the exigencies
Prometheus couldn’t stand watch them suffering

Τώ δέ Προμηθεί εις μέν την ακρόπολιν
Tήν τού Διός οίκησιν ουκέτι ενεχώρει εισελθείν
Είς δέ τό τής Αθηνάς καί Ηφαίστου οίκημα τό κοινόν
Λαθών εισέρχεται καί κλέψας τήν τε έμπυρον
Τέχνην τήν τού Ηφαίστου
Καί την άλλην τήν τής Αθηνάς δίδωσιν ανθρώπω
(So Prometheus entered the acropolis, where Zeus lives
Sneaked in the common house of Athena and Hephestus
And he stole the fiery art of Hephestus
And the art of Athena, and he gave them to man)

But everyone in the universe knew
Unwise it was to act against Zeus
They would receive bad to even good
Mortals and Prometheus would surely lose

Δήσε δ’ αλυκτοπέδησι Προμηθέα, δεσμοίς αργαλέοισι
Μέσον διά κίον’ ελάσσας
(And he tied Prometheus with bitter torturing bonds
In the middle of a column)

Sent upon him a divine eagle
Agonizing pain was his doom
Every day was eating his liver
But the night it grew by the moon
As the years were passing in torture
Another plague was sent upon man
A virgin beauty admired but hollow
Was the day war among them began

Θαύμα δ’ έχ αθανάτους τε θεούς καί θνητούς
‘Ως είδον δόλον αιπύν, αμήχανον ανθρώποισιν
Ανήκεστον κακόν έστιν
(And they admired, the immortal gods
And the mortal humans
When they saw the sharp malice, overcoming men
And it is incurable evil)

ΑΝΗΚΕΣΤΟΝ ΚΑΚΟΝ ΕΣΤΙΝ

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from En Tafo, released May 2, 2011

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