Ὁ Ὕμνος εἰς τὴν Ἐλευθερίαν
(Hymn To Freedom)
Σὲ γνωρίζω ἀπὸ τὴν κόψη
τοῦ σπαθιοῦ τὴν τρομερή,
σὲ γνωρίζω ἀπὸ τὴν ὄψη,
ποῦ μὲ βία μετράει τὴ γῆ.
Ἀπ᾿ τὰ κόκαλα βγαλμένη
τῶν Ἑλλήνων τὰ ἱερά,
καὶ σὰν πρῶτα ἀνδρειωμένη,
χαῖρε, ὢ χαῖρε, Ἐλευθεριά!
Dionysios Solomos
1
I know you
Betrayed and blunted
Pushed and punished
Thy glory; dirt
2
Brave bones cooked in ignominy
Black olives dipped
In even blacker shame
I know thee O Ellada!
3
The bitter Goddess
Her shield broken
Her owl fled
Her helmet clouded in awful Nothingness
4
Great ancient cities
Strangled by today’s corrupt silence
Children only born
For a sad stamp on their abandoned passport
5
Thermopylae Missolonghi
Names covered by the burnt grass
Heroes ashamed to show their bloodied faces
In this murdered country
6
Yet freedom is still alive
If half buried
Its browned marble fingers
Screaming towards the burning skies
7
Poets and Philosophers
Stand at the long remembered shore
Rattling their impossible chains
The wine dark sea moans and turns away
8
The blood of invasion, war,
And civil war
The corpse of thy lost brother
Knocks wailing at his sister’s door
9
Do not seek foreign hands
For they will not lift you up
But crush you into false forgiveness
Pouring salt upon your self-inflicted wounds
10
See the golden doors
Unopened
See the glistening bolts
Calling for your withered grey hands
11
The daggers have been
Carefully chosen
The poisons mixed
With spice
12
Mouths dipped in wrath
Eyes blinded by lucre
Hands bit by demagogues
Feet bound and thrown into the pit
13
The ghost walks here
Unnoticed
Haunting the fortresses
Of yesteryear
14
Life has become a deadly stone
The sun a flaming remonstrance
The hills a womb of fire
Monks throwing their silver crosses
From the darkening cliffs
15
Your children struggle
With your tame refusals
And ask:
What is glory? What is death?
16
And the old women
Slowly carry their aching bones
From the emptying villages
Crying for freedom
17
And the tourists fill
The forced emptiness
With idiotic photographs
And dementedly plastic flowers
18
And the earth opened up and cried:
Where is our king?
Where our heroes?
Where the sword to cut Clotho’s string?
19
Yet the blessed land
Places its soft holy hand
Covered by the afternoon shadows
Upon your bending shoulders
20
And the stars wept
Their silent martyrdom
Upon the islands of the Ioanian
As the dark blue waves lept in desperate prayer
21
And in each newspaper
And television show
And every movie
Is written: false freedom
22
And the four corners of power
And the four peaks of plenty
Laughed on Wall Street
And planned on Twitter
23
And the cowardly lions
Stick their heads out
From their cold showers
Asking for free shampoo and a towel
24
And Russia is a liar
And America a banker
And China a thief
And Greece a widow
25
And the Aegean
Is criss crossed by pirates
And no captain is called
And no fleet is manned
26
And from the clouds
Swoops down the Eye
That will not see the crime
But will claw the fish
27
And the skeletons
Play cards
On your table of dreams
Drinking from cups filled with your blood
28
And others’ curses
Have turned you to stone
Cracked and speechless
Unable to feed or to love
29
The silver white foam flows at your feet
The sea winds try to bring you home
But all your companions have been lost
Inside the cannibal caves of Capital
30
And Olympus looks down
In fury at thy chains
Impotently lamenting
The death of Zeus and the memory of Chronos
31
And the wind
And the rain
And the hail
All are undone
32
And the devil
Holds a knife
And the devil
Made a plan
33
And the leaves washed in blood
And the stones angry that they are stones
And the pebbles rolling against the tides
And the fishing boats with no where to go
34
And the child is torn from her mother
And the father renounces the son
And the sister buries the brother
In a miserable unmarked grave
35
Hermes stumbles upon a hard message
His wand in flames
His winged feet above the sinking waves
The honorable sleeping on dirty streets
Lined with pissed on newspapers
36
The eye is filled with lightning
The hand with cold ash
My lips are forgetting
All that talk about love
37
The streets are filled with men
Who have forgotten pity
The churches filled with women
Humming their household pain
38
Misfortune has seeded bodies
Torture has eaten minds
The whip hides behind the parliament
As the clouds blush beyond the earth
39
No rifle can strike
No sword cut
No bomb drop
Upon this cursed lie
40
The castle is shut
The priests are dead
The little children cry
As they softly put their sly puppets to bed
41
The infected wounds
Sink into our backs
Mad clowns
Ride us like drugged mules
42
The night’s madness
Requires a brave lover’s oath
The midnight hour explodes
All that is left of the abandoned heart
43
And from a chorus of clever thieves
Comes the sound of a distant battle
Where Capital’s cannons besiege
The final fortresses of the soul
44
I hear the great word “Oxi”
Drown in the sea
I watch the proud Cretan
Wrestle hope to its knees
45
We have eaten and drunk too much
The virtuous maidens will not have us
The tombstones turn their face in disgust
Ashamed of our cheap lusts masquerading as fire
46
Show me the way to the war
Bring me the weapon greater than love
Arm me with the bow of Artemis
Fill me with the terrible battle cry of Ares
47
And the poor dogs of Hades
Ventured out into the night
Sniffing at brave corpses
Clutching bullying cold ideologies
48
Shadows appeared
Begging at the breast
No pity for the weak
No milk for the strong
49
The black cloth
Drapes our time
The neon casket carries
All of our hopes
50
And from the blood drenched earth
Arose a hypnotic song
Of fierce black teeth
And red-white stare
51
Pity the holy seeds of Our Lord
For they have not grown
The land is utterly barren
Faith not even a whispered word
52
And the stars hold hands
In mortuary silence
They are mournfully glad
That they are so distant from Man
53
The moon gives away its glow
To its new industrial master
Lovers tie a bow of steel
Silencing them forever
54
The cypresses undo their swaying spring gowns
Unafraid of the wild harshness of men
The cricket is ashamed of its tender smallness
Nothing so small shall ever inherit the earth it fears
55
The frogs have drowned in ponds of radioactive blood
The water lilies have all become bursting red
And the mutant fireflies angrily patrol
An apocalyptic dying world
56
And in the high afternoon smoke
Hesitating upon silver hooves
Come the innocent fauns
To gently bless the choking men
57
And no woman dare touch a man
And no man kiss a woman
As darkness convenes love
Behind the ruins of ancient emotions
58
And the chorus of decorated cowards
Shoot words over the ramparts
As the secret cannon of Bosses
Explode the magic tools of the workers
59
Each blow we receive
Is met with a whimper
Each slap to our face
Answered by a stupid smile
60
The soul sweats its reasons
The mind manufactures its mindless vacations
The body pleads for revelation
While the heart bleeds its mercy in the streets
61
Our chests are filled
With something forgotten
Our hearts held hostage
By a ferociously sleeping wisdom
62
No earth no sky
No sea no wind
Will ever find
The true Oracle of Ellada
63
Perhaps you worry
That no one will remain alive
But the fact is no one has ever lived
Since Salamis and Plataiai
64
There is nothing to offer
There is nothing left to burn
The altars remain empty
The skies uninterested in men
65
Brains splattered by electronic wizards
Bodies wracked by clever drugs
Souls emptied by senseless music
Eyes carefully taught to be forever blind
66
Death has become more subtle
Its invitations more discreet
A glass of wine rather than the guillotine
A loaded cigarette without the firing squad
67
In the beginning
Were the wise men
Myth dissolving into science
Now myth returning a new silence
68
Christianity
Gave fire to these islands
And now
The Dark rejoices at its feast
69
Who is brave enough
To tie his brother’s shoe?
Who is strong enough
To reopen his sore mouth?
70
Fear and terror
Have made your bed
What shall awake then
After this long night of dread?
71
And in the dawn
That is no dawn
You awake
Amidst the flowers of Nothingness
72
And the Goddess
Forgets to call
And the Boss
Straps on the iron
73
Her lips
In the shape of the Cross
Our blood dripping
Upon her clenched fists
74
Liberty Democracy
These great Greek gifts
Worm eaten and rotten
Only the schizophrenic bum
Now votes and cries: Freedom!
75
The vines have been drained of their wine
The olive trees picked clean
The goats have escaped into the invisible hills
And the shepherds have all been packed
Into strange military trucks
76
The laboratories pipe a melody
The statistician cages a city
The physicist builds a robot
To steal the soul of every citizen
77
Troy has been taken
The kings have returned
Innocents will be sacrificed
Innocents will be burned
78
O The Three Hundred!
Three Trillion Years
May pass
And never again see your number!
79
Do not be afraid of the Turk
Despise not the German
The enemy is within
The parasite is yours
80
The Angel of Death
Has borrowed your boots
And has stolen your books
Chasing Socrates from the City
81
Have pity for the slaughtered
Even if well dressed
They have lost everything
Inside their rings of power
82
And you, Freedom,
Where do you walk?
Can you even breathe?
Where is your home?
83
In the mountains
By the waterfalls
Is a dance
Where the maidens call my improbable name
84
Their golden hair covers my lying face
Their lithe bodies caress my broken oaths
Their black eyes pierce my fleeting sight
With the wild cries of tortured memories
85
Yet now their breasts are flaccid
Their arms horribly sag
The milk of freedom soured
Liberty a sick dog led by an old insane hag
86
Pindar has left the games
Baudelaire has taken his seat
Rimbaud believes in the gun
While Verlaine watches in jealous disbelief
87
I do not say O Greeks
That you are not holy
On the contrary
You are the holiest of the unholiest
88
And Christ surely dreamed
Of your immaculate islands
When he preached paradise
And Satan surely feared to near them
89
The cross greets me here
Like an old friend
And like an old friend
I easily get drunk when listening to its stories
90
But Christ was wise
And offered no liberty on this Roman earth
Freedom was for after
In the promised land of the blessed dead
91
And covered by the incense of the church
And pleasantly devoured by chant
I find no earthly liberty here
Except for the sacred escape of pain
92
And the holy men on Athos
Want no women
And I agree
Desire is the Great Prison Key
93
And chariots flaming down from the rubied sky
And cherubim with deadly broken arrows
And terrible seraphim leading them with murderous light
And God holding them all shaking like loaded cosmic dice
94
And the light you seek
Is not from Man, nor from God
And Liberty but a beautiful dream
Broken on the ugly wheel of Necessity
95
And History is a fool’s light show
Hiding the treacherous dark
Demagogues as princes
Harlots as princesses
96
You shall not sink
You shall not rise
Rather you shall float
Amidst the infinite garbage
97
Maybe He was the Saviour
Maybe even God
But the audience was far too weak
To even stand up and clap
98
I am the Alpha and the Omega He said
But the winter crows said another thing
As Caesar raised his wine cup to his lips
While watching Him die of Eternal Thirst
99
I will anoint you with fire
I will arm you with the sword
I will I will I will
If you but follow me into Hell
100
He ate mountains like almonds
He drank seas like falerian wine
He gave birth to men like young mothers
Who was He? Who?
101
And I will pick through the winter ashes
To find your lost souls
None shall go astray
All will be as before
And there shall be no after
Amen
102
And someone asked: Is He singing?
And someone said: He is a poet
And another: No, He is a warrior
And His Mother said: Forgive Him, O Lord, Forgive Him
For I know not what I have done
103
And the earth moved not a little
And the sky remained bright
And the soldiers laughed and played dice
While His Mother cried and cried
His friends nowhere to be found
104
He walked upon the waters
He filled empty flasks with wine
He even called the dead back to the living
And yet the World went on as before
105
How shall I follow Thee?
Not in promises
Not in heaven
But here on earth like fire through the land
106
You taught me that death
Must sometimes be bought early
If you do not want to sell life
All of life to the Emporium of the Devil
107
Our enemies are legion
Their armies strong
We have no hope of winning
And yet, we fight on
108
The wild horses of the Lord
Trample upon fields of infinite pain
So much sacrifice so much hope
Blood. Flowers. And the Rain
109
Are you ready to die for a friend?
Then He lives
Are you ready to be extinguished for Love?
Then there He stands
He, indeed, has returned
110
The soldiers of Christ
Are truly free
They have conquered death
With Love
111
Hear the plea of Man
He longs to be free
But cannot
Give him then at least love
112
My enemies are fierce
My enemies are without pity
How can I love them?
O God, teach me the mystery of Thy Infinity
113
The shattered bodies
The broken bodies
The twisted bodies
How God? How?
114
The slain have stopped the tides
With their blood
The innocent have replaced the night
With their murder
115
The stones have witnessed such crimes
The earth has held such criminals
The sky has watched all of injustice
And You God? What did You see?
116
A holy relic silent in the church
Monks in meditation
The congregation heads bowed
The sun outside blessing the sea
117
And yet things are no better
Man melts with machine
And the Devil laughs within the circuitry
Where he has been patiently waiting
118
Do not hate, but understand
If this be not love
It is nevertheless the only way
To save it
119
And the people stood on the mountain and prayed
And He stood with them
A tempest all around them
Then He disappeared so as to become the greatest storm
120
Prophets bow before Him
Mighty kings uncertain
Evil pretends not to know Him
But secretly fears Him nonetheless
121
O See the joyous virgins!
O See the virtuous young and old delight!
Their numbers are slight
But O their light! Their light!
122
I know Thy countenance O Lord
Thou hast struck me with Thy terrible sword
Thou hast called to me in the frightening dark
Now I must serve Thee or Nothing be
123
By these blessed shores
Within these mystic islands
I hear Thy footsteps more closely
I feel Thy love as just behind my back
124
And upon these infinite waves
Floats Thy image
From water to the light
From light to the water
125
And every ship that comes into harbor
And every passenger that disembarks
I sometimes wonder
Will I, all of a sudden, see you among the tourists?
126
This light like no other
Is the color of Your love
This water unequalled
Is the Form of Your Covenant
127
You searched among the fishermen
You walked along the shores
This nation of fishermen
Must swim to You once more
128
The blue white sails pass by my sight
The ferries also
Christ
Do You still walk upon these waters too?
129
Many have died for You
Many alone for You have lived
What was their reward? What their recompense?
A body slain? A soul freed? Liberty revealed?
130
O Pantokrator!
I see this land suffer
I see its people cry
Have pity Have pity Great Lord!
131
And what grows
And what expands
Not even the sea knows
Nor the sky reflect
132
Who has sent you, Ellada
On this journey?
Who has kissed you on your forehead?
Who waits for you at the appointed station?
133
Who is your friend, Ellada?
Who your foe?
You must shatter the mirror, beloved
To find your hungry traitor
134
Do you seek the blessing?
Do you long for a Word?
Logos and Agape
Perhaps you have heard?
135
What Man hangs from the trees?
What Mother weeps in the barn?
What soldier plays Russian Roulette with the stars?
The ferry is waiting to take you to the young murdered heart
136
I have tasted bitter holiness
Upon these salty magic shores
I have seen The Holy Mother bathing
In the eternal blood of Her Son
137
He who does not fight
He who does not believe
Will be the least of the street dogs
Cursed at every door
138
What is it that I hear?
What is it that I see?
It is the thunderous curse of the Lord
It is the beautiful young dream slowly emerging from the sea
139
The Goddess puts her long golden fingers
Into my mouth
She violently grabs my waist saying:
You, Mortal, are the Destined Lover
140
And Greece spreads her beautiful green legs
And opens her watery arms
Softly whispering the name, Antigone,
The flames of Honor leaping from her breasts
141
Our knees shake
Our eyes weep
Our hands unsteady
But we will, together, strike the Monster
142
From the olive filled hills
From the icy mountain tops
From the sea its terrible storm
Awakes the impossible hero
143
The wolves wait for him
The snakes knowingly hiss
But the bluish porpoises swimmingly laugh
Around the future islands of bliss
144
The old witch smiles
Gold and rubies in her hands
The hero approaches
With a sword and a flower
145
The Sceptre is sleeping
Behind an ancient crumbling wall
Follow the tears of the maidens
Follow the call of the hawk
146
Your brother waits in prison
Your sister in the whorehouse
Set fire to this cursed place O Hero
Find the Cross inside your heart
147
Do not fruitlessly fight amongst yourselves
Make sweet peace
Do not let evil discord
Open the doors of ultimate defeat
148
For from Greek Blood
Not all that is precious
Has yet flowed
Thick is this blood, thicker than History
149
Embrace the World yet again!
You great teachers of Mankind
Your Wisdom awaits you
At the Gates of your lost Bravery
150
For your future Victory
Is the Victory of All
The cradle of our civilization
Yet hides the beautiful Man
151
Come down from your Cross!
Your mothers your fathers
Your brothers your sisters
Your sons and your daugthers
All are waiting for your terrible shout
152
The Eternal Sign within which you struggle
Is silently rising
You must give it voice
Fill the streets with its loud coming
153
Let those who mock
Let those who destroy
Know that you are coming
With a hammer and a cross
154
The blood of Christ
The blood of Martyrs
The blood of Partisans
The blood of Mothers
155
Do you not see the dark Icon
Of the centuries
Looking down at you?
Pray and you shall be healed
156
The city is in flames
Uncovering the ancient grave of Abel
Return O Cain, lay down your curse!
At the virgin steps of the Parthenon
157
Break your bloody chains!
Bury the unbelievers!
Your strength is unbreakable
Your belief eternal
O Ellada
You shall come again
Dan Corjescu teaches at the University of Tübingen’s “Studium Professionale” Program
