ζήσε Μάη μου να φας τριφύλλι

Greek

Alternative forms

• ζήσε Μάη μου (zíse Mái mou) (shortened version)
• ζήσε μαύρε μου να φας τριφύλλι (zíse mávre mou na fas trifýlli)
• ζήσε μαύρε μου να φας τον Μάη τριφύλλι (zíse mávre mou na fas ton Mái trifýlli)
• ζήσε μαύρε μου να φας τον Μάη τριφύλλι και τον Αύγουστο σταφύλι (zíse mávre mou na fas ton Mái trifýlli kai ton Ávgousto stafýli)

Etymology

Shortened version of ζήσε μαύρε μου να φας τον Μάη τριφύλλι (zíse mávre mou na fas ton Mái trifýlli) (literally, “live, my poor (donkey), till May when you can eat clover”), which is an idiom of agricultural origin (i.e. expressing disbelief that on a difficult winter a donkey can survive till May when clover will have sprouted again). Through loss of etymological transparency, the phrase acquired its modern form probably in the 20^th c. The shortened forms ζήσε Μάη μου να φας τριφύλλι and ζήσε μαύρε μου να φας τριφύλλι are the most common today.

The older phrase is of Byzantine Greek origin, as it is already recorded by Levinus Warner (mid-17^th c.). A calque of this phrase has also been inherited to Modern Turkish as ölme eşeğim ölme yaza yonca bitecek (literally, “don't die, my donkey, don't die, clover will sprout in summer”) or more rarely ölme eşeğim ölme çayır çimen bitecek, usually shortened to ölme eşeğim ölme.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈzi.se ˈma.i mu na fas tɾiˈfi.li/

Phrase

ζήσε Μάη μου να φας τριφύλλι • (zíse Mái mou na fas trifýlli)

1. (idiomatic) that'll be the day, that'll be the frosty Friday (said in disbelief that something is to happen until a very long time in the future or at all)