Giovan Tsaous / Γιοβάν Τσαούς

Five toughs in Peraia
went by the club
one said from the gang
I’m going to smoke an arghileh**

They went inside to smoke
they called the owner of the place over
fix us a nice fluffy arghileh
with toumpeki*** from Persia

To your health my handsome Antonaki!

You give him two five-cent pieces
we’ll pay for three
if our head fills up
we will prefer you

They smoked and it was the last drag
they called the waiter
they didn’t feel anything
it was straight toumpeki

To your health Giovan Tsaous!

You thought you were dealing with
some Romeos
you don’t have little kids here
nor junkies, either

Let’s go to Kounelaki’s place
I have a secret arghileh
let’s go, tough guys, to smoke it
so we don’t go to the club

You thought you were dealing with
some Romeos
you don’t have little kids here
nor junkies, either

If they close the clubs
of Kremydaros in Peraia
then I will carry
the rag rug to the cave

Oopa

(translation: Eva Johanos
*Peraia is a suburb of Thessaloniki, northern Greece
**arghileh- water pipe
***toumpeki- finely cut tobacco especially prepared for the arghileh)