# Φραγκοσυριανή



## lentulax

Νο Greek will believe that I am asking this question about the best-known song in Greek , but I've searched the net without success for a translation . The first two stanzas are ok , but , though the last two at first sight seem simpler , I can't make head nor tail of their syntax or meaning . I type them below , omitting the repetition of the last two lines of each stanza :

Θα σε πάρω να γυρίσω
Φοίνικα , Παρακοπή
Γαλισσά και Ντελαγκράτσια
και ας μου 'θει συγκοπή

Στο Πατέλι , στο Νιχώρι
φίνα στην Αλυτινή
και στο Πισκοπιό ρομάντζα
γλυκιά μου Φραγκοσυριαν'η

'ας μου 'ρθει συγκοπή' Ι suppose means something like 'may I fall down in a faint' or 'may I be struck down by a heart attack' (!) , but even if it does it gets me no nearer piecing together the rest of it .

Mike


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## anthodocheio

lentulax said:


> The first two stanzas are ok , but , though the last two at first sight seem simpler , I can't make head nor tail of their syntax or meaning .


 
First of all. Φοίνικα, Παρακοπή, Γαλισσά (or Γαλησσά) , Ντελαγκράτσια, Πατέλι, Νιχώρι (or Nυχώρι), Αλυτινή (or Αληθινή) and Πισκοπιό, I suppose you know they are just names of places.

So,

Θα σε πάρω να γυρίσω
*1*, *2* 
*3* και *4 *
και ας μου 'θει συγκοπή

Στο *5*, *6* στο 
φίνα στην *7*
και στο *8* ρομάντζα
γλυκιά μου Φραγκοσυριανή

So, actually there is not much to understand. After all, it's just a song. those lines doesn't make much sense to me either.



> 'ας μου 'ρθει συγκοπή' Ι suppose means something like 'may I fall down in a faint' or 'may I be struck down by a heart attack' (!) , but even if it does it gets me no nearer piecing together the rest of it .
> 
> Mike


Well, it might want to say "fall into a swoon" but actually, 
you know, syncope?
It's when your heart stops for an instance and causes the 
_spontaneous loss of consciousness caused by insufficient blood to the brain _

You see?


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## lentulax

Ok , thanks . I am a bit disappointed , though - I know that nowadays the words of songs often make no sense (those in English , anyway) , but in this case , especially since the first two verses are perfectly comprehensible , I'd hoped the last two would be , too .

Mike


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## Tetina

lentulax said:


> Ok , thanks . I am a bit disappointed , though - I know that nowadays the words of songs often make no sense (those in English , anyway) , but in this case , especially since the first two verses are perfectly comprehensible , I'd hoped the last two would be , too .
> 
> Mike


 
Hi Mike.
Why you're disappointed? The song makes sense. These words you don't understand are place-names, as Anthodocheio explained. 
It's a love song - as most of the greek songs - and the guy would like to spend time and be with his sweet fragosyriani in all this places.


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## lentulax

Well , I still don't see how the words 'φίνα' , 'ρομάντζα' and 'και ας μου 'θει συγκοπή' fit into the list of places he'd like to take her to . How would you translate these two verses into English ?

Mike


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## Kevman

Is it not simply:
I will take you around
Φοίνικα, Παρακοπή,
Γαλισσά and Ντελαγκράτσια
even if (even though?) I swoon
(or else just plain and let me swoon...
Ah!: I don't care if I swoon!)

 In Πατέλι, in Νιχώρι
fine in Αλυτινή
and romance in Πισκοπιό
my sweet Φραγκοσυριανή
?


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## Tetina

Well...my explanation is this:


και ας μου 'ρθει συγκοπή= he is so much in love and happy to be around the island with his girl that he's hart is going to stop
φίνα στην Αλυτινή:in Alytini will nice (maybe amusing)
και στο Πισκοπιό ρομάντζα: in Piskopio it will be romantic


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## lentulax

I'll settle for that , then ; but you see my problem : in your translation you use two adjectives '(it will be) nice' and '(it will be) romantic' , whereas the Greek just drops an adverb (φίνα) and a noun (ρομάντζα) into the list of names .

Mike


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