Those Were The Days

Last night, my husband Mother and I went to our Church "Wine Tasting". A friend of ours was debuting his homemade wine (which was delish, I might add) and it was a night out with my Mom. We had a great time, won a huge cookie from Mrs. Fields....which I have to ask the diet gods "what are you thinking? You don't let me have baba ghonouj, but you feed me cookies???". I have to say that I am very proud of myself...I did not have one measly bit of that sugar laden, coma inducing, teeth rotting confection of sin. The jeans are fitting better already!

But, with all of the festivites of the evening, I would have to say that the most poignant moment was when the "band" (get this, accordian and violin...who knew) came by to serenade our table. They started to play one of my Mother's favorite songs, Those Were the Days (or for those of you Poles out there, To Byly Piekne Dni) by Mary Hopkin. My Mom always used to sing the Polish version by Halina Kunicka around the house, and when it came on Polish-American Program with Stan "Stash" Jasinski, it was a par-tay!

So, these wonderful musicians played on, and I could see that, as they progressed through the song, that my Mother was tearing up. Well, that sure as heck didn't help me out, because I started to cry too (apple doesn't fall far from the tree I might add). Not because I cry at the drop of a hat (because I do), but because the realization hit me that our life has been hard...really hard. The memories came back to me like a floodgate bursting at the seams...this song played for us, by a random band, bringing back memories of our hardest, most difficult moments in life. This, on top of being the last wine tasting that the Church was having because we are closing in May, and knowing that this could be the last wine tasting that my Mom and I go to (she doesn't help in this matter because she constantly tells me that she is on borrowed time...no guilt there at all!), was all too much to keep my composure. Damn it, I had really good make up too!

I included the lyrics for this song in English and in Polish with translation (at least as well as I can do it). The Polish and English versions both talk of lost youth, memories and that our dreams reamain the same...even though we do not. Although the Polish version speaks more to the discovery of oneself through love (and the loss therof), both versions are beautiful.


Lyrics for: Those Were The Days (English) as sung by Mary Hopkin

Once upon a time, there was a tavern
Where we used to raise a glass or two
Remember how we laughed away the hours,
Think of all the great things we would do

Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we'd choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way

Then, the busy years went rushing by us
We lost our starry notions on the way
If, by chance, I'd see you in the tavern,
We'd smile at one another and we'd say

Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we'd choose
We'd fight and never lose
Those were the days, oh yes, those were the days

Just tonight, I stood before the tavern
Nothing seemed the way it used to be
In the glass, I saw a strange reflection
Was that lonely woman really me?

chorus

Through the door, there came familiar laughter
I saw your face and heard you call my name
Oh, my friend, we're older but no wiser
For in our hearts, the dreams are still the same

chorus
La la la la la laLa la la la la laLa la la la la la



TO BYŁY PIĘKNE DNI sung by Halina Kunicka

NIE WIESZ NAWET ILE CI ZAWDZIĘCZAM,
BYŁAM SAMA - JAK TY BYŁEŚ SAM,
NIE UMIAŁABYM ODSZUKAĆ SZCZĘŚCIA,
A TY SPRAWIŁEŚ,ŻE SMAK JEGO ZNAM...

TO BYŁY PIĘKNE DNI,
PO PROSTU PIĘKNE DNI,
NIE ZNA JUŻ DZIŚ KALENDARZ TAKICH DAT.
WTEDY UCZYŁEŚ MNIE,
WYMAWIAĆ IMIĘ SWE,
WTEDY RZUCIŁEŚ DLA MNIE CAŁY ŚWIAT.
LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA
TO BYŁY DNI, NIEZAPOMNIANE DNI.

UCZUĆ TERAZ CZAS JUŻ NIE ODMIERZA,
MIŁOŚĆ NIE TRWA - TAK JAK DAWNIEJ - WIEK,
KILKU DNIOM SWE SZCZĘŚCIE SIĘ POWIERZA,
ONE MOGĄ NADAĆ ŻYCIU SENS...

JEŚLI JESZCZE KIEDYŚ SIĘ SPOTKAMY,
MOŻE W MOICH OCZACH BĘDĄ ŁZY,
BO NIE ŁATWO ŻYĆ JEST WSPOMNIENIAMI,
SŁOWEM " JA ",ZASTĄPIĆ SŁOWO " MY "...

Translation:

You don't know of my gratitude
I was alone, so were you
I would not have known how to seek out happiness
But you proved to me, that it's taste, I aready knew

Those were beautiful days
The most beautiful days
Today's calendar has long forgotten those days
Back then , you were teaching me
To speak my true name
It was then, you gave me the whole world.
la la
Those were the days, unforgettable days

To feel time now, it has no plans
Our love has gone, unlike in days before
Hundreds of days have passed, when our happiness was real
Only those days can make our lives, now, have sense

Chorus

If, in fact, one day we shall meet
Maybe in my eyes, there will be tears
Because it's not easy to live with our memories
with the word "I" replacing the word "we".