Out in Cyprus for 3 years in the early 90's, I got involved in archaeology, excavating with the Cyprus Dept of Antiquities & the WSBA Arch Soc.
At season end, there would be a dig party involving the full strata of Cypriot culture. The Dig Directors (professors), the professional forman & surveyors, the drivers, the students, the locally hired workforce, and the brit volunteers (us lot).
Everyone brought what they could to the table, and the Cypriot way is to finish up with a sing-song.
I remembered one of my Dad's old Flanders & Swann records, where Donald Swann sang a greek folk song and decided to learn and perform it.
It is 'similar' to Old MacDonald had a farm, in that it involves farmyard animals, you add one animal with every chorus, and you do the animal sound.
το κοκοράκι
Όταν θα πάω κυρά μου στο παζάρι
θα σ'αγοράσω ενα κοκοράκι
το κοκοράκι κικιρικικι να σε ξυπνάει καθέ πρωΐ
Enough of that, switching to phonetics:-
To Kokoraki (The Cockerel)
Otan tha pow, kiramou sto bazari
Tha sagarasso ena Kokoraki
To Kokoraki, ki-ki-ri-ki-ki!
Tha sepsig nigh ka theh prowee
Rough translation:-
Tomorrow, I will take you (my lady) to market
And I will buy you a cockerel
The cockerel will sing Ki-ki-ri-ki-ki
To wake you in the morning
Repeat and add animals:-
To petinari - Tchou tchou
E cotula - Ko Ko Ko
E artula - neow neow
To skilaki - gaff gaff
To arnaki - baa baa
To urunaki - oink oink
To graduraki - eeyore
By the time I was re-visiting Akrotiri as an ascoteer, I was known as 'To Kokoraki' and would perform at kebab houses - guaranteed extra free kokkinelli. Cynically, if you mix up the last two animals, and tell a greek taverna owner, in his own language, in song, that a Donkey goes 'Oink Oink' and a Pig goes 'Eyeore', they will roll about on the floor and give you even more kokkinelli.
Donald Swann's version:-
Random YouTube Greek version:-
Por sa skilaki parathiro, gaff gaff?
(The one with the waggerly tail)