Lyrics

Numbers in parentheses refer to footnotes that appear at the bottom of the translation.

Greek Lyrics	Pronunciation	English Translation
Δε' σε φοβάμαι κι ας μου λες	de' se fovame ke as mou les	I'm not afraid of you, (1) even if you tell me
κρατάω μαχαίρι	kratao maheri	I hold a knife.
έχω στα στήθια μου	eho sta stithia mou	I have on my bosom
τους στίχους του Σεφέρη	tous stihous tou Seferi	the lyrics of Seferi. (2)
έχω του Γκάτσου την Αμοργό	eho tou Gatsou tin Amorgo	I have Gatsos' Amorgo. (3)
έχω τον Κάλβο, τον Σολωμό	eho ton Kalvo, ton Solomo	I have Kalvo (4) and Solomo. (5)
δε' σε φοβάμαι	de' se fovame	I'm not afraid of you.(1)
Δε' σε φοβάμαι κι ας μου λες	de' se fovame ke as mou les	I'm not afraid of you, (1) even if you tell me
φύγε Μελίνα	fiye Melina	leave Melina. (6)
έχω έναν ήλιο φυλαχτό	eho enan ilio filahto	I have a sun amulet (7)
απ' τη' Βεργίνα	ap' ti' Vergina	from the Vergina (8)
έχω τον Όλυμπο	eho ton Olimbo	I have [Mount] Olympus, (9)
τον Υμμητό, το Παλαμίδι	ton Eemito, to Palamidi	Ymito, and Palamidi, (10)
την Kύρα της Ρω	tin Kira tis Ro	the Lady of Ro. (11)
δε' σε φοβάμαι	de' se fovame	I'm not afraid of you. (1)
Chorus	Chorus	Chorus
Δε' σε φοβάμαι	de' se fovame	I'm not afraid of you, (1)
Δε' σε φοβάμαι	de' se fovame	I'm not afraid of you, (1)
με την Ελλάδα εγώ ξυπνάω	me tin Ellada ego xipnao	I wake up with Greece,
και κοιμάμαι	ke kimame	and sleep [with Greece].
Chorus	Chorus	Chorus
Δε' σε φοβάμαι	de' se fovame	I'm not afraid of you, (1)
Δε' σε φοβάμαι	de' se fovame	I'm not afraid of you, (1)
με την Ελλάδα εγώ ξυπνάω	me tin Ellada ego xipnao	I wake up with Greece,
και κοιμάμαι	ke kimame	and sleep [with Greece].
Δε' σε φοβάμαι κι ας μου λες	de' se fovame ke as mou les	I'm not afraid of you, (1) and even if you tell me
φύγε σου λέω	fiye sou leo	[to] leave, I tell you
έχω μια θάλασσα	eho mia thalasa	I have one sea,
αγάπες στο Αιγαίο	agapes sto Eyeo	[I have many] loves in the Aegean. (12)
έχω στην Κτήτη ένα Θεό	eho stin Kriti ena Theo	In Crete, I have one God, (13)
ένα ακρωτήρι κι ένα σταυρό	ena akrotiri ke ena stavro	Akrotiri, and a cross. (14)
δε' σε φοβάμαι	de' se fovame	I'm not afraid of you. (1)
Δε' σε φοβάμαι κι ας μου λες	de' se fovame ke as mou les	I'm not afraid of you, (1) even if you tell me
φύγε απ' τη' μέση	fiye ap' ti' mesi	get out of the way.
έχω ένα δέντρο	eho ena dendro	I have a tree
στην Επίδαυρο φυτέψει	stin Epidavro fitepsi	that I planted in Epidavros. (15)
έχω μια ορχήστρα	eho mia orhistra	I have an orchestra,
κι ένα βωμό	ke ena vomo	and one vomo. (16)
έχω το λόγο μου, τον τραγικο	eho to logo mou ton trayiko	I have my reason, the tragic [one].
δε' σε φοβάμαι	de' se fovame	I'm not afraid of you. (1)
Chorus	Chorus	Chorus
Δε' σε φοβάμαι	de' se fovame	I'm not afraid of you, (1)
Δε' σε φοβάμαι	de' se fovame	I'm not afraid of you, (1)
με την Ελλάδα εγώ ξυπνάω	me tin Ellada ego xipnao	I wake up with Greece,
και κοιμάμαι	ke kimame	and sleep [with Greece].
Chorus	Chorus	Chorus
Δε' σε φοβάμαι	de' se fovame	I'm not afraid of you, (1)
Δε' σε φοβάμαι	de' se fovame	I'm not afraid of you, (1)
με την Ελλάδα εγώ ξυπνάω	me tin Ellada ego xipnao	I wake up with Greece,
και κοιμάμαι	ke kimame	and sleep [with Greece].
Chorus	Chorus	Chorus
Δε' σε φοβάμαι	de' se fovame	I'm not afraid of you, (1)
Δε' σε φοβάμαι	de' se fovame	I'm not afraid of you, (1)
με την Ελλάδα εγώ ξυπνάω	me tin Ellada ego xipnao	I wake up with Greece,
και κοιμάμαι	ke kimame	and sleep [with Greece].
Chorus	Chorus	Chorus
Δε' σε φοβάμαι	de' se fovame	I'm not afraid of you, (1)
Δε' σε φοβάμαι	de' se fovame	I'm not afraid of you, (1)
με την Ελλάδα εγώ ξυπνάω	me tin Ellada ego xipnao	I wake up with Greece,
και κοιμάμαι	ke kimame	and sleep [with Greece].

1. The literal translation for "Den se fovame," is "I'm not afraid of you." However, it also can mean "I'm not afraid for you," or "I'm not worried on your behalf."
2. The real surname for Yiorgis Seferis (Γιώργος Σεφέρης) was Seferiadis (Σεφεριάδης), and he was an important figure for the Greeks. Born in Smyrna in the early 1900's, he was a Greek diplomat and poet. Seferis became the first Greek to win a Nobel Prize.
3. Nikos Gatsos (Νίκος Γκάτσος) was a renowned lyricist and poet. During the Greek depression in 1943, he wrote a now-famous poetic six-piece work called Amorgos (Αμοργός). It became a book which told of the suffering and experiences people endured during the devastating Greek Depression. Gatsos wrote lyrics for major Greek artists, including "Kegome Kegome" sung by Sotiria Leonardou.
4. Andreas Kalvos (Ανδρέας Κάλβος) was a renowned Greek poet, born in 1792. His most famous work was called "Odes" (Ωδές).
5. Dionysus Solomos (Διονύσιος Σολωμός), born in 1798, was a famous poet of the Greek Revolution of 1821. He is known for his poem "Imnos Tis Eleftherias" (Ύμνος εις την Ελευθερία), published in 1823. The first two verses went on to become a part of the great Greek National Anthem, which became official in 1865. After the Cypriots were freed in 1966, they too adopted the same National Anthem as Greece.
6. This refers to the actress and singer Melina Merkouri, who received an Oscar nomination for her starring role in the movie Never on Sunday. One of her hit songs was "Ta Pedia Tou Pirea".
7. In Greece, the word filahto means wearing something protective to avoid evil eye, avoid spirits, or bring luck. Handra filahto refers to the evil eye bead or just wearing a blue or turquoise bead around a bracelet/necklace. There is also religious filahto which resembles a tiny pillow that is blessed and typically is pinned under your clothes. The Greek Orthodox church does not believe in the evil eye; however, many Greeks continue to wear these beads either for fashion or belief.
8. Vergina is a region in Greek Macedonia. The previous line of this song mentions the sun, which is featured on the flag associated with Greek Macedonia. It is blue with a yellow sun-like symbol, and is called the Sun of Veryina, which in Greek is Ilios Tis Veryinas (Ήλιο Της Βεργίνας). This ancient Greek symbol is also known as Astro Tis Veryinas ( Άστρο Της Βεργίνας), which means Star of Veryina.  Between 1992 and 1995, the Yugoslavian republic used the sun symbolism on the flag. This created a major outcry and problem among the Greeks and Cypriots.  After this, they took it down.
9. Mount Olympus is considered to be the highest mountain in Greece, the home of the 12 great Greek gods from the mythology of ancient Greece.
10. Palamidi Castle, which was built around the 1680's, is located near southern Greece's Peloponnesian town of Nafplio (Ναύπλιο). The castle was named after the figure in Greek mythology, Palamidis. He was the son of Nafplio and Klimeni (Κλυμένη).
11. The Lady of Ro is the name given to Despina Ahladioti (Δέσποινα Αχλαδιώτη), a proud Greek patriot born in 1890 on the Greek island of Meis. She relocated to the Greek island of Kastelorizo. Although she had no ties to the Greek government or military, every morning Ahladioti would display the Greek flag — in a time when some of the Greek islands were colonized by Italy. After she died, Ahladioti was laid to rest with complete military honors. Greek military bases were built in her honor in order to maintain her tireless work of protecting and raising the Greek flag on the island.
12. So the lyrics are saying she has one ocean, but multiple loves in the Aegean. This is most likely referring to the many Greek islands in the Aegean Sea.
13. This refers to Zeus (Ζεύς), the king of the gods in ancient Greek mythology. Zeus was born in Crete.
14. "Akrotiri" is a place name found in various parts of Greece. One of those places is a peninsula near the town of Chania, on the island of Crete. The former Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos (Ελευθέριος Βενιζέλος) is buried there. He was a leader of Greece in the early 20th century.
15. Epidavros is an ancient Greek town located in southern Greece's Peloponnese. According to mythology, it's where Asclepius, the son of Apollo and most important healer god of antiquity, was born. The town was the site of a large outdoor theater built in ancient times that seats up to 14,000 people.
16. A vomo was a large rock that ancient Greeks used as an altar for making sacrifices.

Translations of
Melina Aslinidou's Songs On This Site

Other translations of songs performed by Melina Aslanidou on this web site include:

Den Se Fovame (I'm Not Afraid of You). Political song protesting the European Union. Ellada Eparhia (Greece's Countryside). About the decay of Greece's smaller rural communities. Kegome Kegome (I'm Burning, I'm Burning). A modern version of the hit song from the movie Rembetiko.

Mesa Stin Agalia Sou (Inside Your Embrace) Nero Ke Homa (Water and Soil). Considered to be Pontian rap.

About the Translator

This page was contributed by Panayiota Bakis, who is happy to share her culture and music she grew up with! Here's how Panayiota describes her background: I always love engaging with intelligent like-minded people, especially artists. I love sharing anything and everything about my Hellenic culture and upbringing, especially music and dance. A conversation with me will bring you back to America's favorite Greek-American movie by Nia Vardalos called My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I love investigating Greek culture, history, music, and dance. Speaking of investigating, I think I missed my calling, I probably should have been an investigator. Instead, I use those skills to dig and dig and dig tirelessly, often times falling asleep on my laptop... just to find the truth. But, most importantly, accurate truth. For me personally, and other respectable folklorists, my culture and accuracy are very important. Each generation of ethnic born artists has a duty to do the best it can to pass down our traditions as was taught to us. We have been given this artistic gift to be the gatekeepers of our heritage and culture.