Greece
Ύμνος εις την Ελευθερίαν
Imnos eis tin Elefterian
Hymn to Liberty
1823
1865
Dionysios Solomos
Nikolaos Mantzaros
🕊 Freedom ⚔ Battle / War 💪 Resilience |
Context
Written by Dionysios Solomos in 1823 during the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire. Set to music by Nikolaos Mantzaros in 1828, it was officially adopted in 1865. The full poem contains 158 stanzas, the longest anthem text ever written.
Lyrics
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!
Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals
Interesting facts
- • At 158 stanzas, the full poem is the longest anthem text in the world, though only the first two stanzas are sung
- • Shared as the national anthem of both Greece and Cyprus
- • Personifies Liberty as a figure emerging from the bones of ancient Greek heroes