Taverna Emborios - The Anthem - As Kasos does not have its own, the Greek national anthem

Of course Kasos does not have its own anthem but, as a Greek island, it accedes to the Greek National Anthem, which is known as the Hymn to Freedom. It was written by Dionysios Solomos in 1824 and consists of 158 stanzas. The music to it was composed by Nikolaos Mantzaros in 1828 and it officially became the Greek National anthem in 1864. The translation into English shown below was made by Rudyard Kipling in 1918. Kipling took a sample of Solomos’ verses between 1 and 16 and translated them freely, although he kept true to the spirit of the original. Generally speaking, when the anthem is sung, it is only the first 4 of the 158 stanzas that people normally know by heart, hence these also are reproduced below.

THE GREEK NATIONAL ANTHEM - Rudyard Kipling

We knew thee of old,
Oh, divinely restored,
By the lights of thine eyes
And the light of thy Sword

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From the graves of our slain
Shall thy valour prevail
As we greet thee again -
Hail, Liberty! Hail!

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And we saw thee sad-eyed,
The tears on thy cheeks
While thy raiment was dyed
In the blood of the Greeks.

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Long time didst thou dwell
Mid the peoples that mourn,
Awaiting some voice
That should bid thee return.

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Yet, behold now thy sons
With impetuous breath
Go forth to the fight
Seeking Freedom or Death.

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Ah, slow broke that day
And no man dared call,
For the shadow of tyranny
Lay over all:

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From the graves of our slain
Shall thy valour prevail
As we greet thee again -
Hail, Liberty! Hail!

THE GREEK NATIONAL ANTHEM - Dionysios Solomos

Σε γνωρίζω από την κόψη
Του σπαθιού την τρομερή,
Σε γνωρίζω από την όψη
Που με βία μετρά τη γη.

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Απ' τα κόκαλα βγαλμένη
Των Ελλήνων τα ιερά,
Και σαν πρώτα ανδρειωμένη,
Χαίρε, ω χαίρε, Ελευθεριά!

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Εκεί μέσα εκατοικούσες
Πικραμένη, εντροπαλή,
Κι ένα στόμα ακαρτερούσες,
Έλα πάλι, να σου πη.

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Aργειε νάλθη εκείνη η μέρα,
Και ήταν όλα σιωπηλά,
Γιατί τάσκιαζε η φοβέρα
Και τα πλάκωνε η σκλαβιά.

THE GREAT WAR OF INDEPENDENCE

The flag of the Great War of Independence

The above flag was used by the Greeks against the Ottoman occupation in the Great War of Independence which took place between 1821 and 1833. It was during this time that the Hymn to Freedom was written. The message on the white stripe reads: ELEFTHERIA E THANATOS (freedom or death) which was the main motto of the war.

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The Anthem - As Kasos does not have its own, the Greek national anthem