Hymn to Liberty

The Hymn to Freedom was written by Dionysios Solomos in 1823, and consists of 158 stanzas. Music was composed by Nikolaos Mantzaros, and in 1865 the first two verses officially became the Greek national anthem.

With Greek characters:

Σε γνωρίζω από την κόψη,
του σπαθιού την τρομερή,
Σε γνωρίζω από την όψη,
που με βια μετράει τη γη.
Απ' τα κόκαλα βγαλμένη,
των Ελλήνων τα ιερά,
Και σαν πρώτα ανδρειωμένη, χαίρε,
ω χαίρε Ελευθεριά.

With Latin characters:

Se gnoriso apo tin kopsi,
Tou spathiou tin tromeri,
Se gnoriso apo tin opsi,
Pou me via metra tin yi.
Ap' ta kokala vialmeni,
Ton Ellinon ta iera,
Ke san prota andriomeni,
Haire, o haire, Eleftheria!

English Translation by Rudyard Kipling in 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!