Born on 10th February … Read Full Bio ↴Candan Erçetin (b. 1963) is a Turkish singer.
Born on 10th February 1963 in Kırklareli, she studied at Galatasaray Lisesi, and completed her tertiary education at Istanbul University with a degree in Archaeology.
Erçetin was a member of the group Klips ve Onlar which represented Turkey at the Eurovision Song Contest 1986. She has released several music albums, including one in French. Erçetin has also starred in many musicals, most notably "Yıldızların Altında". Her best-known songs are: "Gamsız hayat", "Elbette", "Onlar yanlış biliyor", "Yalan", and "Melek". She continues giving history of music lessons at her high school, Galatasaray Lisesi.
Le Meteque
Candan Erçetin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
De Juif errant, de pâtre grec
Et mes cheveux aux quatre vents
Avec mes yeux tout délavés
Qui me donnent l'air de rêver
Moi qui ne rêve plus souvent
Avec mes mains de maraudeur
De musicien et de rôdeur
Avec ma bouche qui a bu
Qui a embrassé et mordu
Sans jamais assouvir sa faim
Bu akþam çok efkarlýyým
Kalbim neden kan aðlýyor
Bunu bir bilsen sevgilim
Güneþ solgun gündüz gece
Ýçimde sen bir bilmece
Izdýrabý heceliyor
Sensiz yalnýz sensiz içim
Gözyaþlarým yaðmur gibi
Yanaðýmý ýslatýyor
Kollarým bekliyor seni
Öpsem öpsem ellerini
Yine de sana hasretim
Dudaklarýmda bir ateþ
Avuçlarýmda alevsin
Sensiz yalnýz sensiz içim
Ýlahýmsýn sevdiðimsin
Sen benim herþeyimsin
Avec ma gueule de métèque
De Juif errant, de pâtre grec
Et mes cheveux aux quatre vents
Je viendrai, ma douce captive
Mon âme sur, ma source vive
Je viendrai boire tes vingt ans
Et je serai prince de sang
Rêveur ou bien adolescent
Comme il te plaira de choisir
Et nous ferons de chaque jour
Toute une éternité d'amour
Que nous vivrons à en mourir
Et nous ferons de chaque jour
Toute une éternité d'amour
Que nous vivrons à en mourir
The lyrics of Candan Erçetin's song Le Meteque describe the identity crisis of a person with a diverse background. The lines "Avec ma gueule de métèque, De Juif errant, de pâtre grec, Et mes cheveux aux quatre vents" mean "With my mug of a mixed breed, Of a wandering Jew, and a Greek shepherd, And my hair, everywhere blown by the winds." The singer's physical features are the result of the conflicting cultural and genetic roots that contribute to his/her sense of identity. The "eyes all faded" and "hands of a plunderer and a troubadour" illustrate a sense of weariness and restlessness, which suggests that the person has been searching for a place where he/she truly belongs.
The second stanza of the song, sung in Turkish, expresses emotional pain caused by the absence of the person whom the singer loves. The singer describes feeling lonely without the loved one, and the tears that flow down the cheeks act like raindrops, soaking the face. The sense of longing is evident in lines like "My arms are waiting for you/I'd kiss your hands again and again/I'm still longing for you." The last stanza in French brings hope as the singer assures the loved one that they will have eternal love together. They will make each day an eternity of love, which they will live until they die.
Line by Line Meaning
Avec ma gueule de métèque
With my face of a foreigner
De Juif errant, de pâtre grec
Who has Jewish and Greek heritage
Et mes cheveux aux quatre vents
And my wild hair
Avec mes yeux tout délavés
With my faded eyes
Qui me donnent l'air de rêver
That make me look like I'm dreaming
Moi qui ne rêve plus souvent
Even though I don't dream often
Avec mes mains de maraudeur
With my thieving, musician, and wandering hands
De musicien et de rôdeur
From being a vagabond musician
Qui ont pillé tant de jardins
That have stolen so much from gardens
Avec ma bouche qui a bu
With my mouth that has drunk, kissed, and bitten
Qui a embrassé et mordu
That has kissed and bitten
Sans jamais assouvir sa faim
But never satisfied its hunger
Bu akşam çok efkarlıyım
Tonight I'm very melancholic
Kalbim neden kan ağlıyor
My heart is bleeding, I wonder why
Bunu bir bilsen sevgilim
If only you knew about this, my love
Güneş solgun gündüz gece
The sun is weak, day and night
İçimde sen bir bilmece
You are a mystery within me
Izdırabı heceliyor
Counting the agony
Sensiz yalnız sensiz içim
Without you, I'm alone inside
Gözyaşlarım yağmur gibi
My tears fall like rain
Yanağımı ıslatıyor
Wetting my cheeks
Kollarım bekliyor seni
My arms are waiting for you
Öpsem öpsem ellerini
If only I could kiss your hands
Yine de sana hasretim
Still, I long for you
Dudaklarımda bir ateş
A fire burns in my lips
Avuçlarım'da alevsin
My hands burn with desire
İlahımsın sevgilimsin
You are divine, my beloved
Sen benim her şeyimsin
You are everything to me
Je viendrai, ma douce captive
I will come, my sweet captive
Mon âme sur, ma source vive
My soul, my living source
Je viendrai boire tes vingt ans
I will come to drink from your youthful energy
Et je serai prince de sang
And I will be a prince of our love
Rêveur ou bien adolescent
A dreamer or an adolescent
Comme il te plaira de choisir
As you please to choose
Et nous ferons de chaque jour
And we will make every day
Toute une éternité d'amour
An entire eternity of love
Que nous vivrons à en mourir
That we will live until our death
Contributed by Claire E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.