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Cupids playing with a lyre_ Roman fresco from Herculaneum_edited_edited_edited_edited_edit

Τα ήσυχα βράδια

Greek

Ακόμα κι αν φύγεις
για το γύρο του κόσμου
θα ’σαι πάντα δικός μου
θα ’μαστε πάντα μαζί

Και δε θα μου λείπεις
γιατί θα ’ναι η ψυχή μου
το τραγούδι της ερήμου
που θα σ’ ακολουθεί

Τα ήσυχα βράδια
η Αθήνα θ’ ανάβει
σαν μεγάλο καράβι
που θα ’σαι μέσα κι εσύ

Και δε θα σου λείπω
γιατί θα ’ναι η ψυχή μου
το τραγούδι της ερήμου
που θα σ’ ακολουθεί

Τα ήσυχα βράδια
θα περνάει φωτισμένο
της ζωής μου το τρένο
που θα ’σαι μέσα κι εσύ

English

Even if you leave
to go around the world
you’ll always be mine
we’ll always be together

And I won't be missing you
because my soul will be
the song of the desert
that will be following you

In the quiet evenings,
Athens will light up
like a big ship
that you’ll also be in

And you won't be missing me
because my soul will be
the song of the desert
that will be following you

In the quiet evenings,
the train of my life
will be passing by, lit up
with you inside it

ακόμα και

The phrase means ‘even’, although it literally translates to something totally different.

e.g.

Ακόμα και οι σύντροφοί σου σε πρόδωσαν. – Even your comrades betrayed you.

Ακόμα κι αν βρέξει, θα βγούμε. – Even if it rains, we’re going out.

Note that you cannot negate ακόμα και to mean ‘not even’. This expressed by ούτε καν.

e.g.

Ούτε καν οι φίλοι της δεν ήρθαν. – Not even her friends came.


γύρος

The noun means ‘round’, and it is used in several contexts such as a game round, a tour, or a route that runs along the perimeter of an area. Jules Verne’s book “Around the World in 80 days” in Greek is «Ο Γύρος του Κόσμου σε Ογδόντα Ημέρες». The Greek dish γύρος has this name because it is cooked spinning on a skew. However, the name was given through Turkish döner kebab, which comes from the verb dönmek meaning ‘to turn’.


μου λείπεις

The verb [λείπω – λείψω] means ‘to be absent, to be away’ and it is quite common in everyday life.

e.g.

Δεν είναι εδώ, λείπει σε ταξίδι. – She’s not here, she’s away on a trip.

Θα λείψω για δέκα λεπτά. – I’ll be away for ten minutes.

In the structure μου λείπεις it has the same meaning, and the phrase could be literally translated as ‘you are away from me’. The syntax pattern is the same as in μου αρέσει.

e.g.

Μου αρέσει. – I like it. (Ιt appeals to me)

Μου λείπει. – I miss it. (Ιt is away from me)

The structure can also be used to express a lack.

e.g.

Δε μου λείπει τίποτα. Τα έχω όλα. – I’m lacking nothing. I have everything.

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