THIS HUMOROUS POEM BY Georgios Souris could be a jab at a person’s unexpected path to becoming a cook in the army.
First the
port poet informs us that we or he or
somebody will become a cook and will be forced to wash meat and feed the
masses. He also so also tells us that
this will happen in the army.
But things are not simple because there is pressure. We are informed that whether we already know how to cook or not, we will be forced to do it even in peaceful times otherwise we go to prison.
Now the poets talk in the first person and
says that his mind twists and turns and he is desperately asking for help and
is ready to get it even from the almanac where sometimes recipes were printed.
Finally the poet calls upon his
muse to come and help him with
the cooking.
The poem narrated in Greek: (Don't forget to enable the english subtitles)
Let's get down to the poem and it's translation in English:
(Τhe Greek spelling is that which the poet uses. Some words are written differently nowadays)
|
COOKERY
You will become a cook, to wash meat and feed the people... That's a surprise! Everything will happen to you, and everything you'll learn in the regular army.
Don't say a word, either you know or not how to cook, You'll become a cook even in time of peace, or else you'll be left in prison.
Oh, what a great tragedy my mind again twists and turns. Give me some instructions From the almanac of Mr. Petala's.
Leave the madness, and come near me, My desirable muse, and join me, and make rice and cook with the poet.
|
ΜΑΓΕΙΡΙΚΗ Μάγειρας θὰ γίνης, κρέατα νὰ πλύνης καὶ φαγεῖ νὰ
δίνης ... ῎Αλλο 'ξαφνικό ! Ὅλα θὰ τὰ
πάθης, κι᾿ ὅλα θὰ
τὰ μάθης εἰς τὸ τακτικό. Λέξι μὴ προφέρης, ξέρεις ἢ δὲν ξέρεις τὴ μαγειρική, μάγειρας θὰ γίνης κι᾿ ἐν καιρῷ
εἰρήνης, εἰδ᾽ ἀλλοιῶς θὰ μείνης μές ᾿στὴ φυλακή. Συμφορὰ μεγάλη τὸ μυαλό μου πάλι στρίβει καὶ χαλᾷ. Κάμετέ μου
μία κἂν διδασκαλία ἀπ᾿ τὸν
καζαμία τοῦ κὺρ Πεταλᾶ. ῎Αφησε τὴν τρέλλα, καὶ κοντά μου ἔλα, Μοῦσα ποθητή, νὰ μὲ συντροφέψης, ρύζι νὰ παστρέψης καὶ νὰ μαγειρέψης μὲ τὸν ποιητή. |
Analysis:
The poem was written in Greece in the 1880s. it’s written in rhyme and even modern Greeks can grasp the humor in it even though we don’t know the exact circumstances to which the poet refers to.
It certainly has to do with becoming a cook in the army. And leaves us with the understanding that this is actually an unwelcome path and maybe not as easy as one would think because the person is forced to do it and there will be consequences if he doesn’t.
(Now, I don’t know if this is a personal experience of Souris. I couldn’t find any information. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t…, but anyway that is not the important part)
The poem has four stanzas, and each of them has four lines thus creating a simple and concise structure. This alongside with the rhyme (in Greek) makes the poem easy to read and pleasant to the ear.
There are several elements that contribute to the poems humor
- The unexpectedness of having to become a cook
- The consequences of not being able to cook
- The consequences of declining the position
- The contrast between the seriousness of the situation and the poet’s searches for even lighthearted instructions such as those found in an almanac (in Greece it is very common to have a small recipes in the almanacs. Either that or prayers and such.)
I believe that the poem could be a satirical commentary on how tasks are assigned in the military and it probably has to do with the general frustration one feels when there is a war raging. ( in Greece the military service is compulsory and I think that this was the case in the 1880s as well.)
The final stanza is very interesting as the poet calls on his muse. He asks of her to leave the craziness behind. Like asking her to forget all about the army, and having to become a cook for the army, and imploring her to help him with his cooking. Now, he may be talking about a yearning for something more creative to take his mind off the mundane tasks. Like cooking a poem with the muse’s help, at the same time he must make rice.
Well, that’s my take on it but I’m no expert and I have no definite knowledge of the specific situations of the time. Ultimately, if there is a double meaning to the poem it helps to add depth and humor to it and allows us to see the poet’s tendency to satirizing everything and everyone.