ADD: The White Rose of Athens by Nana Mouskouri

Subject: The White Rose of Athens by Nana Mouskou
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Feb 26 - 12:51 PM

Can anyone find any early english translations of this song's origins? I would love to know anything about the history of the song, if anybody knows anything. Thanks!

Subject: RE: The White Rose of Athens by Nana Mouskou
From: Robert B. Waltz
Date: 07 Feb 26 - 01:52 PM

I can't help you based on the information given, but -- do you mean Nana Mouskouri?

Subject: RE: The White Rose of Athens by Nana Mouskou
From: Reinhard
Date: 07 Feb 26 - 02:09 PM

Robert, the name was probably truncated due to the limited length of the input field.

This is a DeepL translation of parts of the Weiße Rosen aus Athen article from the German Wikipedia:

Weiße Rosen aus Athen is a pop song that became a number one hit in Germany in 1961. The song was composed by Manos Hadjidakis and written by Hans Bradtke.

In June 1961, Wolfgang Müller-Sehn's documentary film Traumland der Sehnsucht (Land of Dreams and Longing) was screened at the Berlin International Film Festival. The leading actress in the film, which won the Silver Bear, was the Greek singer Nana Mouskouri. She sang several songs composed by her compatriot Manos Hadjidakis, including the folk song adaptation San Sfyrixis Tris Fores (If You Whistle Three Times). The record company Fontana Records had a German-language version of this song produced.

Completely different from the original, lyricist Hans Bradtke created a song of longing: “Weiße Rosen aus Athen, sagen dir, komm recht bald wieder, sagen dir auf Wiedersehn.” The German lyrics were also sung by Nana Mouskouri, who, although already a star in Greece, was still relatively unknown to German audiences. Fontana produced the song Weiße Rosen aus Athen in July 1961 at the Hansa recording studio in Berlin's Hotel Esplanade and released it that same month on single No. 261 264.

In the USA, the record company Riverside released the German original in 1962 under the English title The White Rose of Athens. The songwriting team Norman Newell / Archie Bleyer also adopted this title for an English version of the lyrics. The US record company Cadence was the first to produce this version in February 1962 with the girl group The Chordettes. This version was also released in numerous other countries by various record companies. In the USA, there was also an instrumental version under the same title with the David Carroll Orchestra. The Newell/Bleyer lyrics version was also released by Fontana in the UK in March 1962 with Nana Mouskouri. This version was also distributed worldwide.

Subject: RE: The White Rose of Athens by Nana Mouskou
From: Robert B. Waltz
Date: 07 Feb 26 - 03:20 PM

Reinhard wrote: Robert, the name was probably truncated due to the limited length of the input field.

Ah. Thanks for the explanation. But I wasn't going to look until I knew who the singer was. :-) And I'm literal-minded. :-)

Subject: RE: The White Rose of Athens by Nana Mouskouri
From: Joe Offer
Date: 07 Feb 26 - 03:56 PM

Well, here's Nana Mouskouri singing "White Rose of Athens" in English:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5-6UQD4wL8


THE WHITE ROSE OF ATHENS
(Norman Newell / Manos Hadjidakis / Archie Bleyer)

'Til the white rose blooms again
You must leave me, leave me lonely
So goodbye my love 'til then
'Til the white rose blooms again

The summer days are ending in the valley
And soon the time will come when we must be apart
But like the rose that comes back with the spring time
You will return to me when spring time comes around

'Til the white rose blooms again
You must leave me, leave me lonely
So goodbye my love 'til then
'Til the white rose blooms again
'Til the white rose blooms again
You must leave me, leave me lonely

So goodbye my love 'til then
'Til the white rose blooms again
Goodbye 'til then
Goodbye 'till then
Goodbye 'til then

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Norman Newell / Manos Hadjidakis / Archie Bleyer
The White Rose of Athens lyrics © Kassner Associated Publishers Ltd., Edward Kassner Music Co. Ltd, Edition Ed Kassner Musikverlag, Kassner Ed Co Musikverlag

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nana_Mouskouri
Mouskouri became well known throughout Europe for the song "The White Rose of Athens", recorded first in German as "Weiße Rosen aus Athen" as an adaptation of her Greek song (San sfyríxeis tris forés, "When you whistle three times"). It became her first record to sell over one million copies.

Subject: add: Weiße Rosen aus Athen
From: Joe Offer
Date: 07 Feb 26 - 04:12 PM

And the German version:

WEIßE ROSEN AUS ATHEN

Weiße Rosen aus Athen
Sagen dir Auf Wiedersehn
Der Tag erwacht
Die Sonne, sie kommt wieder
Und wieder kommt nun auch
Der Abschied für uns zwei
Nun fährt dein Schiff
Hinaus mit Wind und Wogen
Doch es sind Grüße
Aus der Heimat mit dabei

Weiße Rosen aus Athen
Sagen dir komm recht bald wieder
Sagen dir Auf Wiedersehn
Weiße Rosen aus Athen

Weiße Rosen blüh'n an Bord
In der weiten, weiten Ferne
Blüh'n für dich allein so schön
Weiße Rosen aus Athen

Im fernen Land
Wo keiner auf dich wartet
Da seh'n die Sterne in der Nacht
Ganz anders aus
Dort ist die Welt so fremd
Und du bist einsam
Darum begleiten dich heut'
Blumen von zu Haus

Weiße Rosen aus Athen
Sagen dir komm recht bald wieder
Sagen dir Auf Wiedersehn
Weiße Rosen aus Athen

Auf Wiedersehn
Auf Wiedersehn

(Musik: Manos Hadjidakis / Text: Hans Bradtke)