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PHOTO CREDIT: Above photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.

Υποφέρω
(Ipofero)

(I'm Suffering)

 

 

This page contains a translation into English of the lyrics to the popular Greek song "Ipofero" (Υποφέρω), which was sung by Despina Vandi. Also included is a pronunciation guide for the Greek lyrics so you can sing along if you like.

For more information about the laiko and rebetiko styles of music, see Introduction to Laiko / Rebetiko Music elsewhere on this web site.

Song lyrics are provided for educational purposes. If you like the song, please purchase either the album or a download from an authorized source.

About this Song

In 2005, the British electronica band Faithless released a remix of the song "Ipofero" as a B side on their album The Remixes Vol. 1. The remix was entitled "Μawahh", and a typing error credited the artist as "Faithless vs Despina Jandi", misspelling her surname.

There are some similarities in the chord progressions used in a German DJ mix called "Encore Une Fois" by Sash! and in "Ipofero". Some people speculate that perhaps "Encore Une Fois", which was released in 1997, may have provided inspiration to the Greek composer Fivos when he created "Ipofero".

ok sash i believe is 1997 - Ralf Kappmeier, Sascha Lappessen, Thomas Alisson ------ ipofero 2000 ---- and faithless brit group 2005? i cant make out who original composer is. The adapted Greek version was created by Fivos.

About Despina Vandi

Despina Vandi (birth name Δέσποινα Μαλέα) was born in Germany in 1969 to Pontian (Anatolian) Greek parents. (Pontus was a region of Turkey on the southern coast of the Black Sea populated by Greeks. Pontian people suffered from genocide policies of the Ataturk government after World War 1, and many fled Turkey as refugees.)

Vandi's family moved back to Greece when she was a child. She launched her singing career in Athens in the mid-1990's. In 2000, she released the single "Ipofero", which became the best-selling single of all time in Greece. She has won numerous awards, and today is known as the "queen of Greek music".

Despina Vandi

About Fivos (Phivos, Phoebus)

Fivos is the stage name for Evangelos-Phoebus Tassopoulos (Ευάγγελος Τασσόπουλος), the prominent Greek songwriter who wrote the music and lyrics for this song. His name is sometimes written as "Phivos" or "Phoebus". He is one of the most successful Greek songwriters of the 1990's and early 2000's.

Fivos was born in 1971. During his school years, he drummed in a band. He started writing songs while studying music at a conservatory, and signed his first contract with a record label at age 22. Over the next 10 years, his songs enjoyed spectacular success in Greece and Cyprus. He began to gain international recognition starting in 2001. In 2004, he signed a deal with Coca Cola to write the music that would be featured in Coca Cola's ads as part of their Olympics sponsorship, and in 2005 he created a new anthem for the Athens football team.

Song: Ipofero (I'm Suffering), 2000

Lyrics: Fivos

Music: Fivos

Original Artist: Despina Vandi

Has Also Been Recorded By:

  • Sash!, 1997 ("Encore Une Fois") - possibly
  • Panterite, 2001 ("Tancyvasht") in Bulgarian
  • Kosta Markov, 2002 ("Izgaryam") in Bulgarian
  • Jelena Karleuša, 2003 ("Jos Te Volim") in Serbian
  • Faithless vs Despina Jandi, 2005 ("Mawahh")
  • Magic De Spell, 2005
  • The String Theory Ensemble, 2015

Dance Style: Belly Dance with Club Beats

Album: Ipofero (Single)

Τραγούδι: Υποφέρω, 2000

Στίχοι: Φοίβος

Μουσική: Φοίβος

Πρώτη Εκτέλεση: Δέσποινα Βανδή

Άλμπουμ: Υποφέρω

 

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Lyrics

Numbers in parentheses refer to footnotes that appear at the bottom of the translation.

Greek Lyrics

Pronunciation

English Translation

Μου λείπεις

mou lipis I miss you

Μου λείπεις

mou lipis I miss you

Μου λείπεις

mou lipis I miss you
     
Σ' αγαπώ S' agapo I love you
Σ' αγαπώ S' agapo I love you
Σ' αγαπώ S' agapo I love you
Σ' αγαπώ S' agapo I love you
     

Μου λείπεις

mou lipis I miss you

Μου λείπεις

mou lipis I miss you

Μου λείπεις

mou lipis I miss you

Μου λείπεις

mou lipis I miss you

Μου λείπεις

mou lipis I miss you
     

Μου λείπεις

mou lipis I miss you

Μου λείπεις

mou lipis I miss you

Μου λείπεις

mou lipis I miss you
     
Σ' αγαπώ S' agapo I love you
Σ' αγαπώ S' agapo I love you
     
Σ' αγαπώ S' agapo I love you
Σ' αγαπώ S' agapo I love you
     

Μου λείπεις

mou lipis I miss you

Μου λείπεις

mou lipis I miss you
     

Αποφάσισα να αλλάξω

apofasisa na alaxo I decided to change

εντελώς στη' ζωή

endelos sti' zoi [my] life completely,

και να κόψω κάθε είδους

ke na kopso kathe idous and to cut all kinds [of]

με εσένα επαφή

me esena epafi contact with you.

ανακάλυψα πως ήσουν

anakalipsa pos isoun I discovered you were

η πηγή του κακού

ee pigi tou kakou the root of evil,

γιατί σ' όσα λάθη είχα και αν υπήρχες παντού

yati s' osa lathi iha ke an ipirhes pantou because in every one of my mistakes, you were there, everywhere. (1)
     
     

Μα εγώ

ma ego But I,
σ' αγαπώ, σ' αγαπώ, σ' αγαπώ
s' agapo, s' agapo, s' agapo I love you, I love you, I love you,
και γι' αυτό
ke yi' afto and [because of] this
δε' μπορώ, δε' μπορώ, δε' μπορώ
de' boro de' boro de' boro I can't, I can't, I can't
να σε ξεχάσω na se xehaso forget you.
     

Και μου λείπεις

ke mou lipis And I miss you

Και μου λείπεις

ke mou lipis and I miss you

Και μου λείπεις

ke mou lipis and I miss you
Και υποφέρω ke ipofero and I'm suffering.
     

Υποφέρω, υποφέρω, υποφέρω, υποφέρω πολύ

Ipofero, ipofero, ipofero, ipofero, poli
I'm suffering, I'm suffering, I'm suffering, I'm suffering a lot
     

Έχεις φύγει, έχεις φύγει

ehis fiyi, ehis fiyi You have gone, you have gone,
έχει μείνει η ζωή μου μισή ehi mini ee zoi mou misi my life has been left in half.
     

Υποφέρω, υποφέρω, υποφέρω, υποφέρω πολύ

Ipofero, ipofero, ipofero, ipofero, poli
I'm suffering, I'm suffering, I'm suffering, I'm suffering a lot
     

Έχεις φύγει, έχεις φύγει

ehis fiyi, ehis fiyi You have gone, you have gone,
έχει μείνει η ζωή μου μισή ehi mini ee zoi mou misi my life has been left in half.
     

Τι ν' αυτό που με τραβάει

ti n' afto pou me travai What is it that pulls me
κοντά σου τόσο πολύ
konda sou toso poli so close to you,
Και σε σένα ke se sena and to you?
     

άνευ όρων έχω παραδοθεί

aneou oron eho paradothi I have surrendered myself unconditionally to you (2)
     

Σ' αγαπώ, σ' αγαπώ, σ' αγαπώ, σ' αγαπώ

S' agapo, s' agapo, s' agapo, s' agapo. I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you.
     

Και γι' αυτό δεν μπορώ, δεν μπορώ, δεν μπορώ

ke yi' afto den boro, den boro, den boro And for this reason I can't, I can't, I can't.
     
Και υποφέρω ke ipofero And I'm suffering.
     

Υποφέρω, υποφέρω, υποφέρω, υποφέρω πολύ

Ipofero, ipofero, ipofero, ipofero, poli
I'm suffering, I'm suffering, I'm suffering, I'm suffering a lot.
     

Έχεις φύγει, έχεις φύγει

ehis fiyi, ehis fiyi You have left, you have left,
έχει μείνει η ζωή μου μισή ehi mini ee zoi mou misi [Only] half my life remains.
     

Υποφέρω, υποφέρω, υποφέρω, υποφέρω πολύ

Ipofero, ipofero, ipofero, ipofero, poli
I'm suffering, I'm suffering, I'm suffering, I'm suffering a lot.
     
Ααααααααααα

aaaaaaaaaaa

Aaaaaaaaaaa

     

Έχεις φύγει, έχεις φύγει

ehis fiyi, ehis fiyi You have left, you have left,
έχει μείνει η ζωή μου μισή ehi mini ee zoi mou misi [Only] half my life remains.
     

Mισή, μισή, μισή, μισή, μισή, μισή, μισή, μισή, μισή

Misi, misi, misi, misi, misi, misi, misi, misi, misi Half, half, half, half, half, half, half, half, half.
     

Υποφέρω

Ipofero I'm suffering,

Υποφέρω

Ipofero I'm suffering,

Υποφέρω

Ipofero I'm suffering,

Υποφέρω

Ipofero I'm suffering.
     

Υποφέρω

Ipofero I'm suffering,

Υποφέρω

Ipofero I'm suffering,

Υποφέρω

Ipofero I'm suffering,

Υποφέρω

Ipofero I'm suffering.
     

Υποφέρω

Ipofero I'm suffering,

Υποφέρω

Ipofero I'm suffering,

Υποφέρω

Ipofero I'm suffering,

Υποφέρω

Ipofero I'm suffering.
     

Υποφέρω

Ipofero I'm suffering,

Υποφέρω

Ipofero I'm suffering,

Υποφέρω

Ipofero I'm suffering,

Υποφέρω

Ipofero I'm suffering.
     

Υποφέρω

Ipofero I'm suffering.
     

Και υποφέρω, υποφέρω, υποφέρω, υποφέρω πολύ

Ke ipofero, ipofero, ipofero, ipofero, poli
And I'm suffering, I'm suffering, I'm suffering, I'm suffering a lot.
     

Έχεις φύγει, έχεις φύγει

ehis fiyi, ehis fiyi You have left, you have left,
έχει μείνει η ζωή μου μισή ehi mini ee zoi mou misi [Only] half my life remains.
     

Και υποφέρω, υποφέρω, υποφέρω, υποφέρω πολύ

Ke ipofero, ipofero, ipofero, ipofero, poli
And I'm suffering, I'm suffering, I'm suffering, I'm suffering a lot.
     
Ααααααααααα

aaaaaaaaaaa

Aaaaaaaaaaa

     

Έχεις φύγει, έχεις φύγει

ehis fiyi, ehis fiyi You have left, you have left,
έχει μείνει η ζωή μου μισή ehi mini ee zoi mou misi [Only] half my life remains.
     

Υποφέρω

Ipofero I'm suffering.
  1. Literally, "in all mistakes I had, you were there everywhere".
  2. "Aneou oron" comes from ancient Greek. It means "unconditionally".

 

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Translations of
Despina Vandi's Songs On This Site

Other translations of songs performed by Despina Vandi on this web site include:

 

 

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About the Translator

This page was contributed by Panayiota Bakis, who is happy to share her culture and music she grew up with! Here's how Panayiota describes her background:

I always love engaging with intelligent like-minded people, especially artists. I love sharing anything and everything about my Hellenic culture and upbringing, especially music and dance. A conversation with me will bring you back to America's favorite Greek-American movie by Nia Vardalos called My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

I love investigating Greek culture, history, music, and dance. Speaking of investigating, I think I missed my calling, I probably should have been an investigator. Instead, I use those skills to dig and dig and dig tirelessly, often times falling asleep on my laptop... just to find the truth. But, most importantly, accurate truth. For me personally, and other respectable folklorists, my culture and accuracy are very important. Each generation of ethnic born artists has a duty to do the best it can to pass down our traditions as was taught to us. We have been given this artistic gift to be the gatekeepers of our heritage and culture.

Panayiota

 

 

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