Hymn to Liberty

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Ὕμνος εἰς τὴν Ἐλευθερίαν Ýmnos eis tīn Eleutherían English: Hymn to Liberty
National Anthem of	Greece Cyprus
Lyrics	Dionýsios Solomós, 1823
Music	Nikolaos Mantzaros
Adopted	1865

The Hymn to Liberty (Greek: Ὕμνος εἰς τὴν Ἐλευθερίαν Ýmnos eis tīn Eleutherían) is a poem written by Dionýsios Solomós in 1823 that consists of 158 stanzas, set to music by Nikolaos Mantzaros. In 1865, the first two stanzas officially became the national anthem of Greece and later also that of the Republic of Cyprus. According to the Constitution of the Republic Of Cyprus, the lyrics of the song shall not be used.

1 Lyrics
- 1.1 Greek originals
- 1.2 English Translations
2 Notes
3 External links

[edit] Lyrics

[edit] Greek originals

[edit] Polytonic orthography

Σὲ γνωρίζω ἀπὸ τὴν κόψι

Τοῦ σπαθιοῦ τὴν τρομερή,

Σὲ γνωρίζω ἀπὸ τὴν ὄψι,

Ποὺ μὲ βία μετράει τὴ γῆ.

Ἀπ’ τὰ κόκκαλα βγαλμένη

Τῶν Ἑλλήνων τὰ ἱερά,

Καὶ σὰν πρῶτα ἀνδρειωμένη,

Χαῖρε, ὢ χαῖρε, Ἐλευθεριά!^[1]

[edit] Monotonic orthography

Σε γνωρίζω από την κόψη

του σπαθιού την τρομερή,

σε γνωρίζω από την όψη

που με βία μετράει τη γη.

Απ’ τα κόκκαλα βγαλμένη

των Ελλήνων τα ιερά,

και σαν πρώτα ανδρειωμένη,

χαίρε, ω χαίρε, Ελευθεριά!^[1]

[edit] Transliteration

Se gnorízo apó tin kópsi

tu spathiú tin tromerí,

se gnorízo apó tin ópsi,

pu me vía metrái ti yi.

Ap' ta kókkala vgalméni

ton Ellínon ta ierá,

ke san próta andhrioméni,

khére, o khére, Eleftheriá!^[1]

[edit] English Translations

[edit] Literal

I recognize you from the dreadful

edge of the sword

I recognize you from the countenance

which surveys the earth with force

Risen from the sacred bones

of the Greeks

and, valiant as before,

hail, oh hail, liberty!

[edit] Poetic

I shall always recognize you

by the dreadful sword you hold,

as the earth, with searching vision,

you survey with spirit bold.

'Twas the Greeks of old whose dying

brought to birth our spirit free,

now, with ancient valour rising,

let us hail you, oh liberty!

[edit] By Rudyard Kipling (1918)

We knew thee of old,

O, divinely restored

By the lights of thine eyes,

And the light of thy Sword.

From the graves of our slain,

Shall thy valour prevail,

As we greet thee again,

Hail, Liberty! Hail!

[edit] Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c Last two verses are repeated 3 times in the national anthem.

[edit] External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Kipling excerpts

Greek Wikisource has original text related to this article:

All verses

The Greek Presidency - The website for the Presidency of the Hellenic Republic has a page about the National Anthem, including an instrumental file.
Instrumental MP3 - By the US. Navy Military band.
Michał Bzinkowski, Eleuthería e Thánatos!, The idea of freedom in modern Greek poetry during the war of independence in 19th century. Dionysios Solomos’ “Hymn to Liberty”