Lyrics

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

Greek Lyrics	Pronunciation	English Translation
Άδεια θρανία, στην επαρχία	adia thrania, stin eparhia	Empty desks in the countryside —
που σε ματώνει	pou se matoni	that makes you bleed.
η ιστορία, ένα κοντάρι	ee istoria, ena kodari	The history, a pole (1)
σ' ένα μπαλκόνι	s' ena balkoni	on a balcony,
σκούρες οθόνες στα καφενεία	skoures othones sta kafenia	dark [television] screens in the coffee shops (2)
με τις ειδήσεις	me tis idisis	with the news.
θέλεις να τρέξεις, θέλεις να παίξεις	thelis na trexis, thelis na pexis	You want to run, you want to play,
να αγαπήσεις	na agapisis	to love.
Ένα ραδιόφωνο στο μαξιλάρι	ena radiofono sto maxilari	A radio on the pillow
ξυπνάει το σώμα	xipnai to soma	wakes up the body.
ο Μητροπάνος με τις κουρτίνες	o Mitropanos me tis kourtines	Mitropanos (3) singing about curtains (4)
σε κάνει λιώμα	se kani lioma	makes you wasted. (5)
πέντε χαράματα δε' λέει να φύγει	pende haramata de' lei na fiyi	5:00 am, it's not passing
απ' το μυαλό σου	ap' to mialo sou	from your mind. (6)
κλείνεις τα μάτια, είσαι επιτέλους	klinis ta matia, esi epitelous	You close your eyes, and you finally
ο εαυτός σου	o eaftos sou	are yourself.
Κραυγές απ' το σκυλάδικο	kravyes ap' to skiladiko	Shouting from the seedy Greek bouzouki nightclub, (7)
η νύχτα ένα τρελάδικο	ee nihta ena treladiko	the night like a madhouse,
ουρλιάζουν τα ηχεία	ourliazoun ta ihia	the speakers are screaming
μέσα στο πανδαιμόνιο	mesa sto pandemonio	in the uproar.
σε κυνηγάει τ' όνειρο	se kinigai t' oniro	The dream is chasing you,
Ελλάδα επαρχία	Ellada eparhia	Greece countryside.
Κραυγές απ' το σκυλάδικο	kravyes ap' to skiladiko	Shouting from the seedy Greek bouzouki nightclub, (7)
η νύχτα ένα τρελάδικο	ee nihta ena treladiko	the night like a madhouse,
ουρλιάζουν τα ηχεία	ourliazoun ta ihia	the speakers are screaming
μέσα στο πανδαιμόνιο	mesa sto pandemonio	in the uproar.
σε κυνηγάει τ' όνειρο	se kinigai t' oniro	The dream is chasing you,
Ελλάδα επαρχία	Ellada eparhia	Greece countryside.
Μια εφηβεία	mia efivia	Young people
στην επαρχία τσαλακωμένη	stin eparhia tsalakomeni	in the crumpled countryside, (8)
και μια παιδεία	ke mia pedia	and an education
που σου κουνιέται βαριεστημένη	pou sou kouniete variestimeni	that bores them.
ανοίγεις μπύρες στο πανηγύρι	aniyis bires sto paniyiri	You open beers at the paniyiri, (9)
που δε' σου πάει	pou de' sou pai	which doesn't suit you.
τα ξαναρίχνεις στην παντρεμένη	ta xanarihnis stin padremeni	You hit on the married woman again,
που σου τη' σπάει	pou sou ti' spai	the one you find annoying [but you hit on her anyway].
Μπαίνεις στο ίντερνετ	benis sto internet	You get on the Internet,
για να ξεφύγεις, να ταξιδέψεις	ya na xefiyis, na taxidepsis	to escape [from daily life], to [mentally] travel.
θέλεις το σώμα σου και την ψυχή σου, να τα ξοδέψεις	thelis to soma sou ke tin psihi sou, na ta xodespis	You want to spend your body and your soul
κι ένα κανάλι να χαριεντίζεται	ke ena kanali na hariedizete	and a sexually provocative channel
μ' ένα Νομάρχη	m' ena Nomarhi	with a Prefect.
πόσο κοντά μου νιώθω	poso konda mou niotho	How closely I relate to
την Πρέβεζα του Καρυωτάκη	tin Preveza tou Kariotaki	Kariotakis' (10) "Preveza." (11)
Κραυγές απ' το σκυλάδικο	kravyes ap' to skiladiko	Shouting from the seedy Greek bouzouki nightclub, (7)
η νύχτα ένα τρελάδικο	ee nihta ena treladiko	the night like a madhouse,
ουρλιάζουν τα ηχεία	ourliazoun ta ihia	the speakers are screaming
μέσα στο πανδαιμόνιο	mesa sto pandemonio	in the uproar.
σε κυνηγάει τ' όνειρο	se kinigai t' oniro	The dream is chasing you,
Ελλάδα επαρχία	Ellada eparhia	Greece countryside.
Κραυγές απ' το σκυλάδικο	kravyes ap' to skiladiko	Shouting from the seedy Greek bouzouki nightclub, (7)
η νύχτα ένα τρελάδικο	ee nihta ena treladiko	the night like a madhouse,
ουρλιάζουν τα ηχεία	ourliazoun ta ihia	the speakers are screaming
μέσα στο πανδαιμόνιο	mesa sto pandemonio	in the uproar.
σε κυνηγάει τ' όνειρο	se kinigai t' oniro	The dream is chasing you,
Ελλάδα επαρχία	Ellada eparhia	Greece countryside.
Άδεια θρανία, στην επαρχία	adia thrania, stin eparhia	Empty desks in the countryside —
που σε ματώνει	pou se matoni	that makes you bleed.

1. This mention of a pole might be referring to the Greek flag. Many homes fly Greek flags on their balconies, especially during major national holidays. Many years ago, it was a criminal offense to not have your flag hanging from the balcony!
2. In particular, this is where the older Greek men go to hang out, play cards, play backgammon, gossip, watch sports, or drink ouzo.
3. This refers to Dimitris Mitropanos, a famous Greek singer in the folk style of music. The lyrics for some of his songs are translated on this web site, including Exafanisi, Ta Ladadika, and S' Anazito Sti Saloniki.
4. This refers to the love song "Gia Na S'Ekdikitho" by Dimitris Mitropanos. The lyrics mention curtains.
5. Here, the word "wasted" is American slang for "drunk".
6. This is saying the song is stuck in your mind, like an earworm.
7. A bouzouki is a Greek musical instrument which dates back to ancient times. It originated with the Greeks in Asia Minor, the land mass known today as Turkey. Greeks lived there in large numbers until the early 20th century. The Greek refugees from Asia Minor brought the bouzouki with them to Greece, and they were the founders of the Greek musical genre known as rebetiko. In the early 20th century, the nightclubs where musicians gathered to play bouzouki music were often hashish dens, and closely associated with the neighborhoods of prostitution.
8. "Crumpled" or "wrinkled" here means they're outside of their comfort zone.
9. Paniyiria are festivals in Greece and the diaspora, often but not always associated with a saint's day observance.
10. Kostas Kariotakis (Κώστας Καρυωτάκης) was a Greek poet and essayist who was born in the late 1800s. Tragically, he committed suicide. Many modern renowned singers have made songs out of his poetry.
11. Preveza is a region in the Epirus region of northern Greece. It is also the title of a famous poem by Kostas Kariotakis which was written in despair because Kariotakis opposed the corruption he was seeing during his work in Preveza.

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.

Related Articles

The Paniyiria: Greek Festivals. Introduction to the paniyiria celebrations.

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.