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The Hymn to Freedom (Hýmnos prós tḗn Eleutherián) is a poem written by Dionýsios Solomós in 1823 that consists of 158 stanzas. The music was composed by Nikólaos Mantzáros, and in 1865 the first two verses officially became the Greek national anthem. It continues to be used as the national anthem of Cyprus, although this would have been replaced by a new anthem, without words, unique to Cyprus, under the Annan Plan (rejected by Greek Cypriots on April 24, 2004).
Lyrics
Greek original
Σέ γνωρίζω
ἀπό τήν κόψη
τοῦ σπαθιοῦ
τήν τρομερή.
Σέ γνωρίζω ἀπό
τήν ὄψη
πού μέ βιά
μετράει τή γῆ.
Ἀπ’ τά
κόκκαλα
βγαλμένη
τῶν Ἑλλήνων τά
ἱερά
καί σάν πρῶτα ἀντρειωμένη
χαῖρε, ὦ χαῖρ’
ἐλευθεριά.
Transliteration
Sé gnorízo apó tḗn kópsē
toú spathioú tḗn tromerḗ.
Sé gnorízo apó tḗn ópsē
poú mé biá metráei tḗ gḗ.
Ap’ tá kókkala bgalmḗnē
tṓn Hellḗnōn tá hierá
kaí sán prṓta antreiōmḗnē
chaíre, ṓ chaír’ eleutheriá.
English translation
I shall always recognise you
By the magnificent 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!
We knew thee of old,
Oh, 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!
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