Olympic Hymn
The Olympic Hymn, also known as the Olympic Anthem, is a choral cantata by opera composer Spyridon Samaras, with Demotic Greek lyrics by Greek poet Kostis Palamas. Both poet and composer were the choice of the Greek Demetrius Vikelas, who was the first President of the International Olympic Committee.
History
The anthem was performed for the first time for the ceremony of opening of the first edition at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. In the following years, every hosting nation commissioned to various musicians the composition of a specific Olympic hymn for their own edition of the games.The anthem by Samaras and Palamas was declared the official Olympic Anthem by the International Olympic Committee in 1958 at the 54th Session of the IOC in Tokyo, Japan. The anthem was performed in English at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley and since then it has been played at each Olympic Games: during the opening ceremony when the Olympic flag is hoisted, and during the closing ceremony when the Olympic flag is lowered. The hymn was also sung during the Olympic flame lighting ceremony before the national anthems were sung.
The Olympic Hymn was also used, along with the Olympic flag, to represent the Unified Team of former Soviet states at the 1992 Winter Olympics and the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Lyrics
Greek original
| Greek script | Latin script | IPA transcription | Literal translation |
του ωραίου, του μεγάλου και του αληθινού, Κατέβα, φανερώσου κι άστραψε εδώ πέρα στη δόξα της δικής σου γης και τ' ουρανού. Στο δρόμο και στο πάλεμα και στο λιθάρι Στων ευγενών αγώνων λάμψε την ορμή Και με το αμάραντο στεφάνωσε κλωνάρι ? και σιδερένιο πλάσε και άξιο το κορμί. ? Κάμποι, βουνά και θάλασσες φέγγουνε μαζί σου σαν ένας λευκοπόρφυρος μέγας ναός. ? Και τρέχει στο ναό εδώ προσκυνητής σου ? ? Αρχαίο Πνεύμα αθάνατο, κάθε λαός. ? | tū oraeū, tū megalū, cae tū alēthinū Cateba, phanerōsū ci astrapse edō pera stē doxa tēs dicēs sū gēs cae t' ūranū. Sto dromo cae sto palema cae sto lithari Stōn eugenōn agōnōn lampse tēn ormē Cae me to amaranto stephanōse clōnari ? cae siderenio plase ci axio to cormi. ? Campoe, būna cae thalasses pheghūne mazi sū san enas leucoporphyros megas naos ? Cae trechī sto nao edō proscynētēs sū ? ? Archaeo Pneuma athanato, cathe laos. ? | of the beautiful, the great and the true, Descend, appear, and sparkle over here to the glory of thine own earth and heaven. At running and at wrestling and at throwing, shine in the momentum of noble contests, and crown with the unfading branch, ? and make the body worthy and ironlike. ? Plains, mountains and seas shine with thee like a great white-purple temple. ? And thy pilgrim is running to this here temple, ? ? O Ancient Spirit immortal, of every people. ? |
List of performances at the Olympics
Before 2016, the anthem had been recorded and performed in many different languages, usually as a result of the hosting of either form of the Games in various countries. However, in the 2008 Olympic opening and closing ceremonies, in Beijing, China, Greek was sung instead of the host country's official language, Mandarin. Also in the 2016 Olympic opening and closing ceremonies in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, English was sung instead of host country's official language, Brazilian Portuguese. Since 2018, the IOC requires that the anthem be performed in either English, Greek or instrumentally.| Olympics | City | Language performed | Notes |
| 1896 Summer | Athens, Kingdom of Greece |