March 25 is Greek Independence Day. The day Greece set into motion the revolution against the Ottoman Empire in 1821. One of my heroes of the Greek Revolution was Laskarina Bouboulina (google her- she was INCREDIBLE).
To all my fellow Greek compatriots – Χρόνια Πολλά! Ζήτω η Ελλάδα!
Wish I was back in the land of my birth for this day.
The Greek National Anthem – The Hymn to Liberty is so stirring (and I took a line from the long version anthem for my first novel “In the Blood of the Greeks” from Rudyard Kipling’s translated edition into English.) – See below the video for Kipling’s translated version.
Hymn of Liberty / Hymn to Freedom
Translated by Rudyard Kipling (1918)
We knew thee of old,
Oh divinely restored,
By the light of thine eyes
And the light of they 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!
