Famous Macedonia

Makedonía xakoustí

English: 'Famous Macedonia'
Μακεδονία ξακουστή
Vergina Sun, the emblem of Greek Macedonia
Regional anthem of Greek Macedonia

"Famous Macedonia" («Μακεδονία ξακουστή») is a Greek military march that is derived from a traditional Greek folk song written in 1910. It is often regarded as the regional anthem of Greek Macedonia, and had been used as the marching song of the Hellenic Army since the Balkan Wars.

It is associated with the Makedonomachoi in the Makedonikos Agonas and can be heard on parades and in national anniversaries.

Until the recent introduction of 24-hour programming, it also marked the end of radio programs on the local Macedonian channel (Radio Makedonia 102 FM"), played before the Greek national anthem.

It is written in Dorian scale, in iambic 15-syllable. The beat is 2/4 and it can be danced as a Hasapiko. It can be performed in conjunction with the Macedonia dance. In addition, the lyrics refers to Alexander the Great, who is the progenitor of the Greek Macedonians.

Origin

The origin of the march is not certain. According to an ethnographic study conducted in villages in Serres and Drama, the song wasn't known or danced to in the area. Women from Ano Oreini and Petrousa attribute the Greek lyrics and the teaching of the dance to an anonymous teacher after World War II. Women from Petrousa claim that the melody of the song is a modification of a local malady of theirs, which was made "somewhere more centrally", and they dance to a similar melody with Slavic lyrics and different steps, similar to those of other local traditional dances.

The musicologist Markos Dragoumis found a cassette with Ladino songs of Thessaloniki, which included the melody of the song, as a composition made for the opening of the Schola de la Alianza, the first Jewish school of Thessaloniki, in 1873. Dragoumis guesses that it was either composed for the opening of the school and later was transmitted to the groups in the area, or it was originally composed in the middle of the 19th century by some Western composer for the Ottoman Sultan and later used by the Jewish communities.

According to the Greek Army's website, it is a military march or emvatirio based on the traditional Makedonikos choros, which is related with Acrítes of Byzantium.

Lyrics

Current unofficial version

Modern Greek

Modern English

Greek script Latin script IPA transcription 𝄆 Μακεδονία ξακουστή, του Αλεξάνδρου η χώρα, 𝄇 𝄆 Που έδιωξες τον τύραννο κι ελεύθερη είσαι τώρα! 𝄇 𝄆 Ήσουν και είσαι ελληνική, Ελλήνων το καμάρι, 𝄇 𝄆 Κι εμείς θα σ'αντικρύζουμε, περήφανα και πάλι! 𝄇 𝄆 Οι Μακεδόνες δε μπορούν να ζούνε σκλαβωμένοι, 𝄇 𝄆 Όλα και αν τα χάσουνε η λευτεριά τους μένει! 𝄇 𝄆 Makedonía xakoustí, tou Alexándrou hi khóra, 𝄇 𝄆 Pou édioxes ton týranno ki eléftheri eísai tóra! 𝄇 𝄆 Ísoun kai eísai hellinikí, Hellínon to kamári, 𝄇 𝄆 Ki hemeís tha s'antikrýzoume, períphana kai páli! 𝄇 𝄆 Hoi Makedónes de boroún na zoúne sklavoménoi, 𝄇 𝄆 Hóla kai an ta khásoune hi lefteriá tous ménei! 𝄇 𝄆 [ma̠.ce̞.ðo̞.ˈɲi.a̠ ks̠a̠.kus̠.ˈti] [tu a̠.le̞k̚.ˈs̠a̠n̪.ðɾu‿i̯ ˈxo̞.ɾa̠ ‖] 𝄇 𝄆 [pu ˈe̞.ðjo̞k̚.s̠e̞s̠ to̞n‿ˈdi.ɾa̠.no̞ ǀ] [c‿e̞.ˈle̞f.θe̞.ɾ‿ˈi.s̠e̞ ˈto̞.ɾa̠ ‖] 𝄇 𝄆 [ˈi.s̠uɲ‿ɟe̞ ˈi.s̠‿e̞.li.ɲi.ˈci] [e̞.ˈli.no̞n‿do̞ ka̠.ˈma̠.ɾi ‖] 𝄇 𝄆 [c‿e̞.ˈmis̠ θa̠ s̠a̠(n).di.ˈkɾi.z̠u.me̞ ǀ] [pe̞.ˈɾi.fa̠.na̠ ce̞ ˈpa̠.li ‖] 𝄇 𝄆 [i ma̠.ce̞.ˈðo̞.ne̞z̠‿ðe̞ bo̞.ˈɾun] [na̠ ˈz̠u.ne̞‿s̠.kla̠.vo̞.ˈme̞.ɲi ‖] 𝄇 𝄆 [ˈo̞.la̠ ce̞ a̠n‿da̠ ˈxa̠.s̠u.ne̞ ǀ] [i le̞f.te̞ɾ.ˈja̠ tuz̠‿ˈme̞.ɲi ‖] 𝄇

𝄆 O, Famous Macedonia, the land of Alexander, 𝄇 𝄆 You've driven away the tyrant, now liberated you are! 𝄇 𝄆 You were Greek and you are still Greek, 'tis the pride of ev'ry Greek, 𝄇 𝄆 We shall all recognise you by your glorious valour. 𝄇 𝄆 Let not the Macedonians succumb to slavery, 𝄇 𝄆 Even if they lose ev'rything, their freedom remains holy! 𝄇

Original version

Modern Greek

Modern English

Greek script Latin script IPA transcription 𝄆 Μακεδονία ξακουστή, του Αλεξάνδρου η χώρα, 𝄇 𝄆 Που έδιωξες τους Βάρβαρους κι ελεύθερη είσαι τώρα! 𝄇 𝄆 Είσαι και θα 'σαι ελληνική, Ελλήνων το καμάρι, 𝄇 𝄆 Κι εμείς τα Ελληνόπουλα, σου πλέκουμε στεφάνι! 𝄇 𝄆 Οι Μακεδόνες δε μπορούν να ζούνε σκλαβωμένοι, 𝄇 𝄆 Όλα και αν τα χάσουνε η λευτεριά τους μένει! 𝄇 𝄆 Μακεδονόπουλα μικρά χορέψτε και χαρείτε, 𝄇 𝄆 Πρωτού κι εσείς στα βάσανα του κόσμου τούτου μπείτε. 𝄇 𝄆 Makedonía xakoustí, tou Alexándrou hi khóra, 𝄇 𝄆 Pou édioxes tous Várvarous ki eléftheri eísai tóra! 𝄇 𝄆 Eísai kai tha 'sai hellinikí, Hellínon to kamári, 𝄇 𝄆 Ki hemeís ta Hellinópoula, sou plékoume stepháni! 𝄇 𝄆 Hoi Makedónes de boroún na zoúne sklavoménoi, 𝄇 𝄆 Hóla kai an ta khásoune hi lefteriá tous ménei! 𝄇 𝄆 Makedonópoula mikrá khorépste kai khareíte, 𝄇 𝄆 Protoú ki eseís sta vásana tou kósmou toútou beíte. 𝄇 𝄆 [ma̠.ce̞.ðo̞.ˈɲi.a̠ ks̠a̠.kus̠.ˈti] [tu a̠.le̞k̚.ˈs̠a̠n̪.ðɾu‿i̯ ˈxo̞.ɾa̠ ‖] 𝄇 𝄆 [pu ˈe̞.ðjo̞k̚.s̠e̞s̠ tuz̠‿ˈva̠ɾ.va̠.vus̠ ǀ] [c‿e̞.ˈle̞f.θe̞.ɾ‿ˈi.s̠e̞ ˈto̞.ɾa̠ ‖] 𝄇 𝄆 [ˈi.s̠e̞ ce̞ θa̠ s̠‿e̞.li.ɲi.ˈci] [e̞.ˈli.no̞n‿do̞ ka̠.ˈma̠.ɾi ‖] 𝄇 𝄆 [c‿e̞.ˈmis̠ ta̠ e̞.li.ˈno̞.pu.la̠ ǀ] [s̠u ˈple̞.ku.me̞ s̠te̞.ˈfa̠.ɲi ‖] 𝄇 𝄆 [i ma̠.ce̞.ˈðo̞.ne̞z̠‿ðe̞ bo̞.ˈɾun] [na̠ ˈz̠u.ne̞‿s̠.kla̠.vo̞.ˈme̞.ɲi ‖] 𝄇 𝄆 [ˈo̞.la̠ ce̞ a̠n‿da̠ ˈxa̠.s̠u.ne̞ ǀ] [i le̞f.te̞ɾ.ˈja̠ tuz̠‿ˈme̞.ɲi ‖] 𝄇 𝄆 [ma̠.ce̞.ðo̞.ˈno̞.pu.la̠ mi.ˈkɾa̠] [xo̞.ˈɾe̞p̚.s̠te̞ ce̞ xa̠.ˈɾi.te̞ ‖] 𝄇 𝄆 [pɾo̞.ˈtu c‿e̞.ˈs̠is̠ s̠ta̠ ˈva̠.s̠a̠.na̠ ǀ] [tu ˈko̞z̠.mu ˈtu.tu ˈbi.te̞ ‖] 𝄇

𝄆 O, Famous Macedonia, the land of Alexander, 𝄇 𝄆 You've repelled the Barbarians, now liberated you are. 𝄇 𝄆 You were Greek and you are still Greek, 'tis the pride of ev'ry Greek, 𝄇 𝄆 We sons and daughters of the Greek, 'tis for you a holy wreath. 𝄇 𝄆 Let not the Macedonians succumb to slavery, 𝄇 𝄆 Even if they lose ev'rything, their freedom remains holy! 𝄇 𝄆 O, youthful Macedonians let us dance and celebrate, 𝄇 𝄆 Before you enter this bleak world, and the hеlls you'll penetrate. 𝄇

External links

• An arrangement for mixed choir by Nicolas Astrinidis – YouTube (vocal score and parts)
• Another remixed version – YouTube