Çadirimin Üstüne (Also Known as Rompi Rompi) Lyrics Translation into English

(Rain Dripped On My Tent)

This page contains the song lyrics to "Çadırımın Üstüne" (sometimes called "Rompi Rompi" or "Rampi Rampi"), an old Turkish folk song. It is the song that bands usually play for a dancer who requests a song with a 9/8 rhythm. Some international folk dance clubs do a line dance to this music, and it's appropriate for the folk dance karsilama.

Below are three verses and three different choruses. You'll find that different musicians choose to record different verses, and they also may vary in how they use the choruses. For example, on Omar Faruk Tekbilek's Gypsy Fire album, only the first and third verses are used. For the chorus, instead of singing all four lines of Chorus 1 below, they sing two lines of Chorus 1, then two lines of Chorus 2. They don't use Chorus 3 at all. However, on John Bilezikjian's recording of this song on his Sirocco album, the only chorus he uses at all is Chorus 3. That's simply the way things go with old, old, popular folk songs in any culture, and Turkish folk songs are no exception. Many variations arise, and musicians perform the variations they like best.

Song lyrics are provided for educational purposes. If you like the song, please purchase either the album or a download from an authorized source.

Lyrics

The word "Rompi" is a nonsense word, something like "tra-la" in English songs.

According to Turkish linguistic rules, Rompi could not be a Turkish word - the vowels don't match together. (Turkish has a system of vowel harmony we lack in English). Therefore, it may have been borrowed from another language.

Turkish Lyrics

English Translation

Verse 1:

Çadırımın üstüne şıp dedi damladı

It dripped on my tent

Çadırımın üstüne şıp dedi damladı

It dripped on my tent

Allah canımı almadı almadı

God didn't take my life yet.

Allah canımı almadı almadı

God didn't take my life yet.

Veresiye vere vere, kalmadı kalmadı

Selling on credit, nothing is left.

Veresiye vere vere, kalmadı kalmadı

Selling on credit, nothing is left.

Allah canımı almadı almadı.

God didn't take my life yet.

Allah canımı almadı almadı.

God didn't take my life yet.

Chorus 1:

Hey! Rompi Rompi Rompi Rompi

Şimdi de geldi konak vakti

Now it's the time to rest.

Hey! Rompi Rompi Rompi Rompi

Şimdi de geldi konak vakti

Now it's the time to rest.

Verse 2:

Sür sür cezveler kaynasın kaynasın

Put cezve on the stove, let it boil, let it boil

Sür sür cezveler kaynasın kaynasın

Put cezve on the stove, let it boil, let it boil

Halime' nin göbe-gi oynasın oynasın

Let Halime's navel jiggle

Halime' nin göbe-gi oynasın oynasın

Let Halime's navel jiggle

Veresiye vere vere, kalmasın kalmasın

Let's sell on credit, let's have nothing left

Veresiye vere vere, kalmasın kalmasın

Let's sell on credit, let's have nothing left

Allah canımı almasın almasın

Let God not take my life

Allah canımı almasın almasın

Let God not take my life

Chorus 2:

Hey! Rompi Rompi Rompi Rompi

Şimdi de geldi içmek vakti

Now it's the time to drink.

Hey! Rompi Rompi Rompi Rompi

Şimdi de geldi içmek vakti

Now it's the time to drink.

Verse 3:

Sürülü de cezveler kaynasın kaynasın

Cezve is on the stove, let it boil, let it boil

Sürülü de cezveler kaynasın kaynasın

Cezve is on the stove, let it boil, let it boil

Rafiye'nin kolları oynasın oynasın

Let Rafiye's arm dance

Rafiye'nin kolları oynasın oynasın

Let Rafiye's arm dance

Yarın salı çarşıya varayım varayım

Tomorrow is Tuesday, I'll go to the bazaar

Yarın salı çarşıya varayım varayım

Tomorrow is Tuesday, I'll go to the bazaar

Yarime de bir potin alayım alayım

I'll buy shoes for my love.

Yarime de bir potin alayım alayım

I'll buy shoes for my love.

Chorus 3:

Hey! Rompi Rompi Rompi Rompi

Rompi Rompi maşallah

Rompi Rompi Allah be praised!

Hey! Rompi Rompi Rompi Rompi

Rompi Rompi maşallah

Rompi Rompi Allah be praised!

Verse 4 (from the 21st Century):

Çadırımın üstüne puff daddy damladı,

Puff Daddy is falling on my tent

Çadırımın üstüne puff daddy damladı,

Puff Daddy is falling on my tent

Jay-z hummer'ı almadı, almadı.

Jay-Z couldn't buy a hummer.

Jay-z hummer'ı almadı, almadı.

Jay-Z couldn't buy a hummer.

Eminem rapçilerin yıldızı, yıldızı;

Eminem is the star of rap

Eminem rapçilerin yıldızı, yıldızı;

Eminem is the star of rap

Alem usher'a kalmadı, kalmadı

Usher's brand didn't last.

Alem usher'a kalmadı, kalmadı

Usher's brand didn't last.

Insert Favorite Chorus

Verse 5:

Domatesin çekirdeği kırmızı kırmızı,

The tomato seeds are red,

Domatesin çekirdeği kırmızı kırmızı,

The tomato seeds are red,

Kızlar bu dünyanın yıldızı yıldızı,

Girls are the stars of the world.

Kızlar bu dünyanın yıldızı yıldızı,

Girls are the stars of the world.

Domatesin çekirdeği sapsarı sapsarı,

Tomato seeds are yellow,

Domatesin çekirdeği sapsarı sapsarı,

Tomato seeds are yellow,

Erkekler bu dünyanın şapşalı şapşalı,

Boys are the stupidest things in the world.

Erkekler bu dünyanın şapşalı şapşalı,

Boys are the stupidest things in the world.

Where to Get Recordings of this Song

Ti' Fotia Pou 'Hees Anapsi (The Fire You Turned On). Translation for the Greek lyrics to the Greek version of this song.

About the Translator

Many, many thanks to Gunsu Temirer, who did this translation for the first three verses of this popular Turkish song! Gunsu was born in Turkey, and now lives in the United States.

Many, many thanks to Shivaun, who provided verses 4 and 5 along with their translations as well as the introductory comments providing background on the word "rompi". She heard children singing verses 4 and 5 in the school yard.

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Çadırımın Üstüne Şıp Dedi
or, Rompi Rompi

(Rain Dripped On My Tent)

Listen to MP3 Clips of This Song