Vincent Scauzzo: To Liberty
I’ll sing of receiver-of-all lovely-crowned Liberty,
far-seeing mother of land and sea,
whose beacon of grace and welcoming shines for all,
Who begets beautiful children: Determination and Resilience,
Compassion and Preservation, Humility and Independence.
You are the face of our nation,
the unceasing visage of justice and honor.
Let us all give praise to you, and let us all
in your majestic purple shadow seek to live like you.
Give us the strength to care for this land
with which you have entrusted us,
the land which ought to be rid of injustice, dishonesty, and corruption.
These amber waves of grain have made flourish
so many great ones in your name,
so guide us to live lives full of empathy and progress
and to be the best, not so that we might shame others,
but because it is the just and right thing to do.
May we as you do stare down the great unknown with courage,
enlighten the dishonest with the light of truth,
and heal the wounds of our world with your motherly grace.
May respect and praise be to you for all days.
But I am reminded of your song, and of another.
Εἰς Ἐλευθερίαν
Αἰέδω πολυδέγμονα εὐστέφανον Ἐλευθερίαν,
εὐρούπα[1] μητρὴν γῆς τε καὶ θαλαττοῦ,
ἧς ὁ φρυκτὸς χάριτος καὶ φιλότητος φαίν’[2] ὔπερ παντῶν,
ἧ τίκτει καλλίστους παῖδας: Βουλὴ τε καὶ Καρτερία,
Ἔλεος τε Σωτηρία, Ταπεινότης καὶ Αὐτονομία.
Εἶ τὸ πρόσωπον ἡμετέρης πολιτείας,
ὁ ἄπαυστος ὄψις δικῆς καὶ τιμῆς.
Σοι ἐγκωμιάζωμεν πάντες, καὶ πάντες
ἐν σῇ ὑψηλῇ ἁλουργεῖ σκιᾷ ζηλῶμεν ζώειν ὥς σὺ.
Δῶ τὸ κράτος ἡμῖν ὅτι φιλῶμεν τὴν χῶραν
ἥν ἐπιτέτραφας ἡμῖν,
ἧ ἐλυσατέη ἀδικῆς, κάκης, καὶ διαφθορᾶς.
τὰ χρύσεα ῥόθια ἀσταχύων ἐπέφυκει
τοσούτους πρὸ σοῦ ὀνομάτου,
οὔν ἡγοῦ ὅτι διάγωμεν πλέους εὐμενείας καὶ ἐπιδοσέως βίους
καὶ ὦμεν οἱ καλλίστοι, ὅτι μὴ καταισχύνωμεν ἄλλους,
ἀλλὰ ἐπείτε τὸ δικαῖον καὶ τὸ εὐπρεπὲς ποιεῖν.
Βλέπωμεν ἀρητῇ ὥς σὺ τὸ ἀγνώτον τὸ μεγαλὸν,
διδασκῶμεν τοὺς κακοὺς τῷ φάει ἀληθείας,
τε καὶ ἀκώμεθα τὰ τραύματα ἡμετέρης γῆς μητρῳῇ χάριτι.
σοι εἴη σέβας καὶ τιμὴ ἤματα πάντα.
αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ καὶ σεῖο καὶ ἄλλης μνήσομ’[3] ἀοιδῆς.
To Liberty
Εἴς Ἐλευθερίαν
I’ll sing of receiver-of-all lovely-crowned Liberty,
Αἰέδω πολυδέγμονα εὐστέφανον Ἐλευθερίαν,
far-seeing mother of land and sea,
εὐρούπα[4] μητρὴν γῆς τε καὶ θαλαττοῦ,
whose beacon of grace and welcoming shines for all,
ἧς ὁ φρυκτὸς χάριτος καὶ φιλότητος φαίν’[5] ὔπερ παντῶν,
Who begets beautiful children: Determination and Resilience,
ἧ τίκτει καλλίστους παῖδας: Βουλὴ τε καὶ Καρτερία,
Compassion and Preservation, Humility and Independence.
Ἔλεος τε Σωτηρία, Ταπεινότης καὶ Αὐτονομία.
You are the face of our nation,
Εἶ τὸ πρόσωπον ἡμετέρης πολιτείας,
the unceasing visage of justice and honor.
ὁ ἄπαυστος ὄψις δικῆς καὶ τιμῆς.
Let us all give praise to you, and let us all
Σοι ἐγκωμιάζωμεν πάντες, καὶ πάντες
in your majestic purple shadow seek to live like you.
ἐν σῇ ὑψηλῇ ἁλουργεῖ σκιᾷ ζηλῶμεν ζώειν ὥς σὺ.
Give us the strength to care for this land
Δῶ τὸ κράτος ἡμῖν ὅτι φιλῶμεν τὴν χῶραν
with which you have entrusted us,
ἥν ἐπιτέτραφας ἡμῖν,
the land which ought to be rid of injustice, dishonesty, and corruption.
ἧ ἐλυσατέη ἀδικῆς, κάκης, καὶ διαφθορᾶς.
These amber waves of grain have made flourish
τὰ χρύσεα ῥόθια ἀσταχύων ἐπέφυκει
so many great ones in your name,
τοσούτους πρὸ σοῦ ὀνομάτου,
so guide us to live lives full of empathy and progress
οὔν ἡγοῦ ὅτι διάγωμεν πλέους εὐμενείας καὶ ἐπιδοσέως βίους
and to be the best, not so that we might shame others,
καὶ ὦμεν οἱ καλλίστοι, ὅτι μὴ καταισχύνωμεν ἄλλους,
but because it is the just and right thing to do.
ἀλλὰ ἐπείτε τὸ δικαῖον καὶ τὸ εὐπρεπὲς ποιεῖν.
May we as you do stare down the great unknown with courage,
Βλέπωμεν ἀρητῇ ὥς σὺ τὸ ἀγνώτον τὸ μεγαλὸν,
enlighten the dishonest with the light of truth,
διδασκῶμεν τοὺς κακοὺς τῷ φάει ἀληθείας,
and heal the wounds of our world with your motherly grace.
τε καὶ ἀκώμεθα τὰ τραύματα ἡμετέρης γῆς μητρῳῇ χάριτι.
May respect and praise be to you for all days.
σοι εἴη σέβας καὶ τιμὴ ἤματα πάντα.
But I am reminded of your song, and of another.
αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ καὶ σεῖο καὶ ἄλλης μνήσομ’[6] ἀοιδῆς.
[1] Epithet only found in context with Zeus. No feminine equivalent. One spelling, accusative here.
[2] 3rd pers. s. pres. Act. indic. φαίνει
[3] 1st pers. mid. fut. indic. μνήσομαι
[4] Epithet only found in context with Zeus. No feminine equivalent. One spelling, accusative here.
[5] 3rd pers. s. pres. Act. indic. φαίνει
[6] 1st pers. mid. fut. indic. μνήσομαι
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