The Greek National Anthem
1918
We knew thee of old,
Oh divinely restored,
By the light 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!
Long time didst thou dwell
Mid the peoples that mourn,
Awaiting some voice
That should bid thee return.
Ah, slow broke that day
And no man dared call,
For the shadow of tyranny
Lay over all:
And we saw thee sad-eyed,
The tears on thy cheeks
While thy raiment was dyed
In the blood of the Greeks.
Yet, behold now thy sons
With impetuous breath
Go forth to the fight
Seeking Freedom or Death.
From the graves of our slain
Shall thy valour prevail
As we greet thee again —
Hail, Liberty! Hail!
NOTE: Richard’s comment spurs me to note that this is Kipling’s translation, versification and expansion of Dionysios Solomos’ 1824 Greek text. It takes a poet to translate poetry, just as translation of any literary text takes some artistry and understanding of the originating “heart” (as I discovered in attempting to do so in Koine Greek classes). Imagine that last verse rendered—accurately, though tastelessly—as
From the resting place of our murdered
Your bravery will last
As we meet you again
Helloooooo freedom!
Blech. Sounds like something that would come out of modern academia, a sort of Ward Churchill plagiarism of real art.