EDITOR’S NOTE: It’s a rare phenomenon for a poem, a song, a statue, or any cultural artifact to express by its sole existence/performance the essence of the whole culture where it belongs… Such is the case of “Tzivaeri Mou” (meaning “my treasure” from the Turkish word “cehavir” for a “precious stone”)…
I have often said that Greek folk songs can be (almost equally in percentages) classified into three major thematic categories: Love songs, death songs, and emigration songs. The last two themes, especially the last one, are unique to Greek culture – at least by the extent of their various forms through the existing literature… You will not find 30% of death songs and 30% of immigration songs in any other culture…
But it’s one thing to analyze the literature and quite another to live its substance… And a wholly different, emotional beyond description, experience to hear your mother sing for you “Tzivaeri mou” every time you visit Greece…
Let me stop here before tears take me…
BELOW ENJOY THE SONG BY HARIS ALEXIOU AND THE LYRICS…
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Τζιβαέρι μου
Αχ! Η ξενιτιά το χαίρεται
Τζιβαέρι μου
Το μοσχολούλουδο μου
σιγανά και ταπεινά
Αχ! Εγώ ήμουνα που το ‘στειλα
Τζιβαέρι μου
Με θέλημα δικό μου
σιγανά πατώ στη γη
Αχ! Πανάθεμά σε ξενιτιά
Τζιβαέρι μου
Εσέ και το καλό σου
σιγανά και ταπεινά
Αχ! Που πήρες το παιδάκι μου
Τζιβαέρι μου
και το ‘κανες δικό σου
σιγανά πατώ στη γη
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