National Anthem of Greece

The National Anthem of Greece is based on the 158-stanza poem "Hymn to Liberty" written by the poet Dionysios Solomos from the island of Zakynthos. The inspiration for this poem was the Greek Revolution of 1821, in which the Greeks rose up against the Ottoman Empire.

Throughout 1828, Nikolaos Mantzaros composed music for Solomos’s hymn, creating two versions: one for the entire poem and another for only the first two stanzas. King Otto rewarded him for both works (in 1845 and 1849), but he did not replace the then-official royal anthem with the Solomos/Mantzaros hymn. The royal anthem in use at the time consisted of music derived from a German march with lyrics glorifying Otto and his dynasty.

After the fall of the dynasty, the new King George I and the Greek people decided to adopt a national work that embodied both poetic and musical excellence. The Hymn to Liberty had already gained popularity among the public since the revolution and was frequently recited or sung at patriotic gatherings and celebrations. The first two stanzas of the hymn, set to Mantzaros’s music and titled the Hymn to Liberty, became the national anthem of Greece. This anthem is also used by the Republic of Cyprus.

Lyrics

The Greek lyrics of the anthem are as follows:

Σε γνωρίζω από την κόψη

του σπαθιού την τρομερή,

σε γνωρίζω από την όψη

που με βιά μετράει την γη.

Απ' τα κόκκαλα βγαλμένη

των Ελλήνων τα ιερά,

και σαν πρώτα ανδρειωμένη,

χαίρε, ω χαίρε, Ελευθεριά!

και σαν πρώτα ανδρειωμένη,

χαίρε, ω χαίρε, Ελευθεριά!

και σαν πρώτα ανδρειωμένη,

χαίρε, ω χαίρε, Ελευθεριά!^【1】 

The Turkish translation of the anthem’s lyrics, done by Betül Necip Niyazi, is as follows:

I recognize you from the edge

of the terrible sword,

I recognize you from the gaze

that measures the earth with force.

I recognize you from the sacred bones

of the Greeks, raised from the dust,

and as brave as ever, I cry out:

"Hail, hail, Liberty!"