May (Edited)
Today is May 1st and this year the day carries multiple themes, stories and religious symbolism for people here in Greece because Great or Holy Saturday has coincided with May Day or International Workers’ Day, which commemorates the historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labor movement across the world. Whatever stories one embraces the day seems to be historically imbued with themes of death and mourning, but also rising, living and celebrating nature. One popular and well loved May Day poem / song with the title On a May Day you left me… was written by the poet Yiannis Ritsos after the tragic events in a major Greek city, Thessaloniki, in May, 1936, when the demonstration by tobacco workers on strike was drowned in blood by the dictatorship of Metaxas. Twelve people died and amongst them was a 25 year old man. The poet was inspired to write the poem after he saw a photo in the newspaper of a mother, like Mary thousands of years ago, mourning over the dead body of her son.
“You left me on a May Day / I’m losing you on a May Day / It was spring, son, which you loved / and you used to climb upstairs / To the sun porch and look out / and with never getting enough / with your eyes you milked / the light of the universe /……” (Μέρα Μαγιού μου μίσεψες / μέρα Μαγιού σε χάνω / άνοιξη γιε που αγάπαγες / κι ανέβαινες απάνω / Στο λιακωτό και κοίταζες / και δίχως να χορταίνεις / άρμεγες με τα μάτια σου / το φως της οικουμένης / ….)
In the prologue of his poem the poet wrote: Thessaloniki. May 1936. A mother, in the middle of the street, is lamenting her murdered child. Around her and above her, the buzzing and the breaking of the waves of the demonstrators – the tobacco worker strikers. She continues her lament / (Θεσσαλονίκη. Μάης τοῦ 1936. Μιὰ μάνα, καταμεσὶς τοῦ δρόμου, μοιρολογάει τὸ σκοτωμένο παιδί της. Γύρω της καὶ πάνω της, βουΐζουν καὶ σπάζουν τὰ κύματα τῶν διαδηλωτῶν – τῶν ἀπεργῶν καπνεργατῶν. Ἐκείνη συνεχίζει τὸ θρῆνο της).
May 1st is also a holiday rich in folklore and festivities that celebrate nature, fertility and spring in many cultures. Here in Greece it is customary to go out into nature and gather wildflowers and branches to weave garlands to hang on doors and garden gates. There are many folk songs sung in various parts of Greece, but I have chosen to end this short post with a few Japanese haiku about flowers. The plant in the photo below is called Tribulus Omanese and it is considered the national flower of Dubai, one reason being that yellow in this culture represents friendship.
Chiyo-ni: Morning Glories / Entwined in the bucket at the well / So, I beg for water
Kobayashi Issa: Without regret / they fall and scatter / cherry blossoms
Basho Matsuo: A lovely spring night / suddenly vanished while we / viewed cherry blossoms
Masaoka Shiki: Scatter layer / by layer, eight-layered / cherry blossoms
