MANCHESTER, NH – Celebrating the various countries from which Manchester residents once called home is always a joyful time outside City Hall. Flags are raised, a proclamation is read, and people often recall with pride an historic moment of freedom or independence.
Such was the case on March 25 – Greek Independence Day – an annual remembrance of the day, in 1821, when Greek revolutionaries began their fight for freedom from authoritarian rule.
Mayor Jay Ruais delivered a proclamation and the Greek flag was raised watch the video above) as several of those from the Greek community sang the “Hymn to Liberty,” which is the Greek National Anthem.
Inspired by the Greek War of Independence, the “Hymn to Liberty,” was written in 1823, first as a poem by Dionysios Solomos to honor the struggle of Greeks for independence after centuries of Ottoman rule. It was set to music by Nikolaos Mantzaros in 1828.
The words recount the misery of the Greeks under the Ottomans and their hope for freedom and detail different events of the war. It was adopted as the national and royal anthem of Greece in 1864.
The following is the literal translation of the first eight lines of the “Hymn to Liberty,” from the first edition of 1825.
recognize you by the fearsome sharpness,
of your sword,
I recognize you by your face
that hastefully defines the land
From the sacred bones,
of the Hellenes arisen,
and valiant again as you once were,
Hail, o hail, Liberty!