Evridiki sings Tessera Tziai Tessera, a Cypriot Greek song which translates to “Four and Four”. The song is written and sung in the Cypriot dialect, which is quite different from the typical Greek language.
The song Tessera Tziai Tessera is allegoric, and refers to the invasion in Cyprus by the Turks in July 1974. The invasion ended up with the Turks occupying a large part of Northern Cyprus, establishing a country – state recognized officially only by Turkey.
It is a song about the sadness of death, about the women who lost their children during these freaky days and nights. The division still remains a thorn in the hearts of the Cypriots, but the songs written for this fact raise awareness.
What is interesting in this version of the song is the mixture of tradition with rock elements, which modernizes the song. Evridiki is anyway a denoted Cypriot singer.
Tessera Tziai Tessera – Evridiki – English Lyrics
Four and four become eight
Four brave men go to the war
Four brave men go to the war
They’re searching to find spring up to the mountain
And they found a pit of the hundred oaths
They threw lot to see who will go down
And the lot fell to the small kid
And the lot fell to the small kid
Tie me my brothers and I’ll go down,
In the pit to take out the water»
In the pit to take out the water»
And then his brothers tied him tight
And they take him down in the pit
Take me out my brothers ‘cause I found the water,
It’s red and black, but also it’s poisonous
It’s red and black, but also it’s poisonous
Until to pull him and to take him out,
The snakes almost ate him
The snakes almost ate him
Say to my mum to wear black clothes
Cause she won’t see again her little son
Cause she won’t see again her little son
Tessera Tziai Tessera – Evridiki – Lyrics in Greeklish
Tessera tziai tessera ginontai ohto…
Tessera pallikarka pasin ston polemon
Tessera pallikarka pasin ston polemon
Girevkoun navroun vrisin apano ston vounon,
Tzi iirasin enan lakkon ton ekato orkon
Eriksan to lagnin tous poios enna katevei
Tziai eppesen o kliros pas sto mitsin paidi
Tziai eppesen o kliros pas sto mitsin paidi
«Deste me aderkia mou tzi egio na katevo,
Mes’ to erimolatsiin na vkalo to neron»
«Mes’ to erimolatsiin na vkalo to neron»
Tziai totes t’ aderkia tou ton sfihtodesasin
Mes’ to erimolatsiin ton katevasasin
«Evkarte me aderkia mou giat’ iira to neron,
En kotsiinon tziai mavron, ma tziai farmatzieron»
«En kotsiinon tziai mavron, ma tziai farmatzieron»
Ospou na ton travisousin tziai na ton vkalousin,
Oi ofeis tziai ta fidkia ton misofaasin
Oi ofeis tziai ta fidkia ton misofaasin
«Na peite tis mannoulas mou sta mavra na ntithei
Giati ton gion tis ton mitsin en tha ton ksanadei»
«Giati ton gion tis ton mitsin en tha ton ksanadei»
Tessera Tziai Tessera – Evridiki – Greek Lyrics
Τεσσερα Τζιαι Τεσσερα – Ευριδικη – Ελληνικοι Στιχοι
Τέσσερα τζιαι τεσσέρα
κάμνουσιν οχτώ
Τέσσερα παλληκάρκα
πασίν στον πολεμό
Στο δρόμον που πηαίννασιν,
επεινάνασιν
Εκάτσασιν να φάσιν
μα εδιψάσασιν
Γυρεύκουν να βρουν βρύση
απάνω στο βουνόν
Τζι ήβρασιν έναν λάκκον
των εκατόν ορκών
Ερίξαν το λαχνίν τους
ποιος εννα κατεβεί
Τζιαι έππεσεν η μοίρα
πας το μιτσίν παιδίν
Δήστε με αδέρφκια μου
τζι εγιώ εννα κατεβώ
Μες το ερημολάτσιην
να φκάλω το νερόν
Τζιαι τότες τα αδέρφκια του
τον σφιχτοδέσασιν
Μες το ερημολάτσιην
τον κατεβάσασιν
Εφκάρτε με αδέρφκια μου
γιατί είδα το νερόν
Εν κότσιηνον τζιαι μαύρον
μα τζιαι φαρματζιερόν
Ώστι να τον τραβήσουσιν
τζιαι να τον φκάλουσιν
Οι όφεις τζιαι τα φίθκια
τον μισοφάασιν
Να πείτε της μανούλας μου
στα μαύρα να ντυθεί
Γιατί τον γιον της τον μιτσίν
δε θα τον ξαναδεί