Cretan Anthem

Kritikos Ymnos

English: Cretan Anthem
Κρητικός Ύμνος
National anthem of Cretan State
Lyrics	Ioannis Polemis
Music	Dionysios Davrangas
Adopted	1898
Relinquished	1908
Audio sample
Duration: 46 seconds.0:46 file help

The Cretan Anthem (Greek: Κρητικός Ύμνος, Kritikos Ymnos) was the national anthem of the Cretan State. It was adopted in 1898 and it was sung to the tune of the Greek national anthem, originally composed by Nikolaos Mantzaros and adopted by Dionysios Davrangas, with new words by the poet Ioannis Polemis, celebrating Crete's bloody struggles for freedom from the Ottoman Empire.

The anthem never gained much popularity, since the Cretans viewed the Cretan State as a temporary measure; the Greek national anthem was the de facto unofficial anthem, and after Crete unilaterally declared its union with the Kingdom of Greece in 1908 (not formally recognized until 1913, after the Balkan Wars), the Greek national anthem was used officially as well.

Lyrics

Original Greek Μεσ' το αίμα βουτημένη, με πληγαίς νωπαίς ακόμα, απ΄ της Κρήτης τ' άγιο χώμα, επεταχθ' η Λευθεριά• κι' αγκαλιάζοντας τη Δόξα τη δαφνοστεφανωμένη παίρνει δρόμους κι ανασταίνει πολιτείαις και χωριά. Χαιρετούν τον ερχομό της βροντερόφωνα ντουφέκια, κι' αστραπαίς κι' αστροπελέκια χύνουν λάμψι περισσή• και φωνή παλληκαρίσια απ' την Ίδη κατεβαίνει Χαίρε, Κρήτη ανδρειωμένη, Χαιρ' ελεύθερο νησί.

Transliteration Mes' to aíma voutiméni, me pligaís nopaís akóma, ap΄ tis Krítis t' ágio chóma, epetachth' i Leftheriá• ki' ankaliázontas ti dóxa ti dafnostefanoméni paírnei drómous ki anastaínei politeíais kai choriá. Chairetoún ton erchomó tis vronterófona ntoufékia, ki' astrapaís ki' astropelékia chýnoun lámpsi perissí• kai foní pallikarísia ap' tin Ídi katevaínei Chaíre, Kríti andreioméni, Chair' eléfthero nisí.

English translation Drenched in blood with wounds still fresh from Crete's holy soil Liberty sprang forth and embracing Glory crowned with laurels she seizes the streets and raises up cities and villages. Welcoming her arrival rifles thunder, and bolts and flashes of lightning pour forth their shining abundance and a young voice calls down from Ida Hail, mighty Crete Hail, free island.