where can one find some Greek songs ?

[Philippe]

i mean, downloadable MP3.

it is always a good method to learn a language by listening to songs.
it is really hard to find anything Greek except some textbooks and classical writings, but they are too cold.

[modus.irrealis]

Just saw this post. You could try Byzantine chant? It's Koine Greek set to music, but I don't know if it's for everyone .

[LSorenson]

If you are into Christian Koine, there are a number of songs written out and a few a Capella at http://www.letsreadgreek.com/songs. There's even an Ode to Brett Farve sung to the Clash's Should I go Or Should I stay. I've got a number of other secular ones like Your So Vain, Like a Rolling Stone, and some others, but they are not at that site. It's hard getting the accents to match the rhythm -- many reworks, word changes, form changes, line flips, simplifications (English has many 1-2 syllable words) and alterations are sometimes necessary.

And then there is the pronunciation scheme -- I use Restored Koine (1st Century AD) pronunciation -- I wouldn't want to use Erasmian -- Restored Attic or Modern would work also. But with modern you have some vocalic syncracisms (ὑμεῖς = ἡμεῖς), κτλ.

The Classical Review, Fall 2009, is also supposed to have some songs in Greek. This is one of my favorite things to do, so I should keep a running list of all the songs I find and where they are. So I'll keep my eyes open. Until I can get a good singer and musician/pianist together, the best thing is to record yourself singing them and listen to them. My a Capella stuff is not for the weak of heart (I can hold a tune and thats about all).

[LSorenson]

Try this one

φιλεῖ σε, ναὶ, ναὶ, ναὶ
φιλεῖ σε, ναὶ, ναὶ, ναὶ

ἀπολωλυῖαν ἐφρονεῖς
ἀλλ' ἔχθες εἶδον αὐτὴν
καὶ ὑπὲρ σοῦ ἔτι φρονεῖ
καὶ μόνον ἐθελοῦσα ἐφη
ὅτι σε ἀγαπᾷ.
οἶδας τοῦτ' οὔκ ἐστι κακόν
δὴ σε ἀγαπᾷ.
οἶδας ὅτι ἂν ῇς εὐφραίνων

ἔλεγεν δὲ σε θλίβεσθαι
ὡστ' αὐτὴν ἂν ἀφρονεῖσθαι
ἀλλὰ νῦν ἐφη ἰδεῖν
σε μὴ αὐτὴν τρίβειν
σέ ἐφη ἀγαπᾷ.
οἶδας τοῦτ' οὔκ ἐστι κακόν
σέ ἐφη δὴ ἀγαπᾷ.
οἶδας ὅτι ἂν ῇς εὐφραίνων

φιλεῖ σε, ναὶ, ναὶ, ναὶ
φιλεῖ σε, ναὶ, ναὶ, ναὶ
ἔχων δ' ἀγάπην ὡς τὴν
οἶδας ὅτι ἂν εὐφρανθῇς.

οἶδας δεῖ τινα πράσσειν·
αὖ μόνον εἰκός ἐστιν.
ὕβρις σε κἂν ὑβριεῖ·
φαθί συγγνώμην μᾶλα ἔχειν.
σε ἀγαπᾷ.
οἶδας τοῦτ' οὔκ ἐστι κακόν
δὴ σε ἀγαπᾷ.
οἶδας ὅτι ἂν ῇς εὐφραίνων

[LSorenson]

Here's another one

εἰσέρχῃ αὖ εἰς τὸν συμπόσιον
ὡσεὶ ἐπὶ νῆά τινα ναύκληρος.
πέτασος τέ σοι ὄμμα κατακλίνουσα·
ταινία τέ σοι ἦν ὡς μάλα ξανθή.
ὄμμα ἓν εἶχες σὺ πρὸς κάτοπτρον
θεωρῶν σαυτὸν κῶλα ἀμπάλλειν.
πάντα κορασία γ' ἤλπιζόν σοι ἑταίρα,
καὶ

ὡς ὑπερφανὴς εἶ·
ὥστ' οἴῃ μέλισμα τοῦτό προσήκειν σοί.
ὡς ὑπερφανὴς εἶ·
ἆρα μὴν οἴῃ μέλισμα τοῦτο προσήκειν σοι.
οὔ φης· οὔ φης· οὔ φης·

ἐμὲ δ' ἔσχες προπέρυσι
ἔτι οὖσαν μάλιστ' ἁπλήν.
ἔλεγες δ' ἄμφω ἡμᾶς καλὸν ζύγον ὑπάρχειν,
καὶ οὑδέποτε με καταλιπεῖν.
ἄλλ' ἄφῃς ἅττα σοι φιλά ἦσαν
αὐτῶν δὲ ἐνά ἑμέ.
ἱμειρουσα δ' ἐφρονοῦν
νέφη γὰρ ἔνην πόσι μου.
νέφη γὰρ ἔνην πόσι μου. καὶ...

ὡς ὑπερφανὴς εἶ·
ὥστ' οἴῃ μέλισμα τοῦτό προσήκειν σοί.
ὡς ὑπερφανὴς εἶ·
ἆρα μὴν οἴῃ μέλισμα τοῦτο προσήκειν σοι.
οὔ φης· οὔ φης· οὔ φης·

ἤκουσα δε' εὖ ὅτι ἐς Συρακούσῃ ἤλθες
καὶ δήπου ὅδε ἵππος σοι ἐνικά
εἶτα ἀνέπλειες ἐς Αἰγύπτῳ
ἰδεῖν τὸν γνόφον ἥλιον κατακλύψαι.
καὶ δὴ πάρει οὗ δεῖ σε εἶναι
γε μὴν οὐκ μετὰ σκοκοῦ ἢ γυναίκος τοῦ φιλοῦ
γυναίκος τοῦ φιλοῦ, καὶ...

ὡς ὑπερφανὴς εἶ·
ὥστ' οἴῃ μέλισμα τοῦτό προσήκειν σοί.
ὡς ὑπερφανὴς εἶ·
ἆρα μὴν οἴῃ μέλισμα τοῦτο προσήκειν σοι.
οὔ φης· οὔ φης· οὔ φης·

[Markos]

ταινία τέ σοι ἦν ὡς μάλα ξανθή

Some people think you can't use Ancient Greek as a living language because it lacks certain vocabularly to express certain modern concepts. That this is patently untrue was just demonstrated by Mr. Sorenson, who just rendered the best line from the Carli SImon song "You're So Vain" into Ancient Greek. If you can say, "...your scarf, it was apricot.." in Ancient Greek, you can say anything in Ancient Greek.