I Come and You Are Asleep

Έρχομαι κι εσύ κοιμάσαι

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Songs οf Asia Minor

Lyrics

I come and you are asleep amid the white jasmine;
Wake up, wherever you might live and be, my bushy lemon tree.

My partridge from Livissi,
I am entangled in your nets.

The keys of my heart — take them and open;
there are rose gardens within — enter and walk about.

Come, and don’t think troublesome
the road to come and find me.

Translated by Mania Seferiades

Original Lyrics

Έρχομαι κι εσύ κοιμάσαι

Έρχομαι κι εσύ κοιμάσι μέσα στ’ άσπρα γιασιμιά·
ξύπνα, που να ζεις κι να ’σι, φουντουτή μου λιμουνιά.

Λιβισιανή μου πέρδικα,
στα δίχτυα σου μπερδεύτηκα.

Της καρτιάς μου τα κλειδάκια, πάρι τα κι άνοιξι,
κι έχει μέσα γκιούλ μπαξέδους,* κι έμπα κι σιργιάνισι.

Έλα, κι μην τη βαριθείς
τη στράτα να ’ρτεις να μι βρεις.


*γκιούλ μπαξέδους: πληθυντικός του γκιούλ μπαξές, τριανταφυλλόκηπος (από το τουρκικό gül bahçe)

Region: Asia Minor
Category: Love Song
Rhythm: 4 beats
Duration: 04:11

Recording information

Studio recording (1984).  Based on Nikos Karageorgiou’s 1982 field recording of the song in Nea Makri, Attica.

Credits

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Group from Nea Makri (Attiki)

Choir

Nikos Karageorgiou
Nikos Karageorgiou

Informant (source of the song)

See also

Songs of Asia Minor by Domna Samiou. Live recording from the concert ‘Songs of Asia Minor with Domna Samiou’ at the Megaron, the Athens Concert Hall, on 8/3/2005. Traditional songs from the western coasts of Asia Minor, Propontis, Constantinople, Pontus and Cappadocia.