Hymn to Freedom

The Hymn to Freedom (Ύμνος εις την Ελευθερίαν, Imnos is tin Eleftherian) is a poem written by Dionýsios Solomós in 1823 that consists of 158 stanzas. In 1865 the first two stanzas officially became the Greek national anthem, set to music by Nikolaos Mantzaros. The Hymn to Freedom is also the national anthem of the Republic of Cyprus.

1 Lyrics
2 See also
3 External links

Lyrics

Greek original

Σε γνωρίζω από την κόψη

του σπαθιού την τρομερή,

σε γνωρίζω από την όψη

που με βία μετράει τη γη.

Απ' τα κόκαλα βγαλμένη

των Ελλήνων τα ιερά,

και σαν πρώτα ανδρειωμένη,

χαίρε, ω χαίρε, Ελευθεριά !

Greek original in traditional spelling as written by Solomos

Σὲ γνωρίζω από 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, ὦ χαῖρε, Ἐλευθεριά!

Transliteration

Se gnorízo apó tin kópsi

tou spathioú tin tromerí.

Se gnorízo apó tin ópsi

pou me via metráei ti gi.

Ap' ta kókkala vgalméni

ton Ellínon ta ierá

kai san próta andreioméni

khaíre, o khaír' eleftheriá.

Phonetic Transcription

ˌse̞ ɣno̞ˈrizo̞ aˌpo̞ tiŋ-ˈgo̞p͡si

ˌtu spaˈθçu tin-ˌdro̞me̞ˈri

ˌse̞ ɣno̞ˈrizo̞ aˌpo tin ˈo̞p͡si

ˌpu me̞ ˈvʝa me̞ˈtrai ti ˈʝi

ˌap-ta ˈko̞kaˌla vɣalˈme̞ni

ˌto̞n e̞ˈlino̞n ˌta ie̞ˈra

ˌce̞ sam-ˈbro̞ta ˌanðrioˈme̞ni

ˈçe̞re̞, o̞ ˌçe̞r-e̞ˌle̞fθe̞ˈrʝa

Literal English translation

I recognize you from the awesome

Edge of your 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!

Poetic English translation

I shall always recognise you

by the dreadful sword you hold,

As the earth, with searching vision,

will rule, 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!

A different English translation by Rudyard Kipling (1918)

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!