Famous Macedonia

Makedonia Xakousti
English: Famous Macedonia
Μακεδονία Ξακουστή
	Regional anthem of Macedonia
Lyrics	Unknown (folklore, 1910s)
Music	Unknown (traditional from Macedonia)

"Famous Macedonia" (Template:Lang-el, pronounced [maceðoˈni.a ksakusˈti]) is a Greek military march folk song often regarded as the regional anthem of Greek Macedonia,^[1] and used by 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,^{[citation needed]} 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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[2]

Lyrics

Current version

Greek original	Transcription	IPA transcription	English translation
𝄆 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! 𝄇^[3]	𝄆 Makedonia xakousti, tou Alexandrou i chora, 𝄇 𝄆 Pou edioxes ton tyranno ki eleftheri eisai tora! 𝄇 𝄆 Isoun kai eisai elliniki, Ellinon to kamari, 𝄇 𝄆 Ki emeis tha s'antikryzoume, perifana kai pali! 𝄇 𝄆 Oi Makedones de boroun na zoune sklavomenoi, 𝄇 𝄆 Ola kai an ta chasoune i lefteria tous menei! 𝄇	𝄆 [maceðoˈni.a ksakusˈti \|] [tu alekˈsanðru‿i ˈxora \|] 𝄇 𝄆 [pu ˈeðʝokses ton ˈtirano] [ceˈlefθeri‿ˈise ˈtora ‖] 𝄇 𝄆 [ˈisuɲ ce ˈise‿eliniˈci \|] [eˈlinon to kaˈmari \|] 𝄇 𝄆 [ceˈmis θa sa(n)diˈkrizume \|] [peˈrifana ce ˈpali ‖] 𝄇 𝄆 [i maceˈðonez ðe boˈrun] [na ˈzune sklavoˈmeni \|] 𝄇 𝄆 [ˈola ce an ta ˈxasune] [i lefteˈrʝa tuz ˈmeni ‖] 𝄇	𝄆 O, Famous Macedonia, land of Alexander, 𝄇 𝄆 Thou drovest away the tyrant, now liberated thou art! 𝄇 𝄆 Thou wert and thou art Greek, the pride of every Greek, 𝄇 𝄆 Thee we shall recognise by thine honour glorious. 𝄇 𝄆 Let not the Macedonians in slavery draw breath, 𝄇 𝄆 Even if they lose everything, their liberty still reigneth! 𝄇

Original version

Greek original	Transcription	IPA transcription	English translation
𝄆 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. 𝄇^[4]^[5]^[a]	𝄆 Makedonia xakousti, tou Alexandrou i chora, 𝄇 𝄆 Pou edioxes tous Varvarous ki eleftheri eisai tora! 𝄇 𝄆 Eisai kai tha 'sai elliniki, Ellinon to kamari, 𝄇 𝄆 Ki emeis ta Ellinopoula, sou plekoume stefani! 𝄇 𝄆 Oi Makedones de boroun na zoune sklavomenoi, 𝄇 𝄆 Ola kai an ta chasoune i lefteria tous menei! 𝄇 𝄆 Makedonopoula mikra chorepste kai chareite, 𝄇 𝄆 Protou ki eseis sta vasana tou kosmou toutou beite. 𝄇	𝄆 [maceðoˈni.a ksakusˈti \|] [tu alekˈsanðru‿i ˈxora \|] 𝄇 𝄆 [pu ˈeðʝokses tuz ˈvarvarus] [ceˈlefθeri‿ˈise ˈtora ‖] 𝄇 𝄆 [ˈise ce θa se‿eliniˈci \|] [eˈlinon to kaˈmari \|] 𝄇 𝄆 [ceˈmis ta eliˈnopula \|] [su ˈplekume steˈfani ‖] 𝄇 𝄆 [i maceˈðonez ðe boˈrun] [na ˈzune sklavoˈmeni \|] 𝄇 𝄆 [ˈola ce an ta ˈxasune] [i lefteˈrʝa tuz ˈmeni ‖] 𝄇 𝄆 [maceðoˈnopula miˈkra] [xoˈrepste ce xaˈrite \|] 𝄇 𝄆 [proˈtu ceˈsis sta ˈvasana] [tu ˈkozmu ˈtutu ˈbite ‖] 𝄇	𝄆 O, Famous Macedonia, land of Alexander, 𝄇 𝄆 Thou drovest away the Barbarians, now liberated thou art. 𝄇 𝄆 Thou art and thou shalt be Greek, the pride of every Greek, 𝄇 𝄆 We sons and daughters of the Greek knit a coronal for thee. 𝄇 𝄆 Let not the Macedonians in slavery draw breath, 𝄇 𝄆 Even if they lose everything, their liberty still reigneth! 𝄇 𝄆 Macedonians of young let us dance and rejoice, 𝄇 𝄆 Before thou enterest the hardships of this world. 𝄇

Notes

^ The original version of the song contained an additional fourth stanza. There were two minor differences in the preserved lyrics as well; instead of "barbarians", "Bulgarians" can be substituted, and in some versions (as in the current version) the word "tyranny" is used instead. Additionally, the verse "κι εμείς θα σ'αντικρύζουμε, ελεύθερη και πάλι!" ("and we will be looking at you with pride again!") was originally "κι εμείς τα Ελληνόπουλα, σου πλέκουμε στεφάνι!" ("and we, the Sons of Greece, plait you a crown!").

References

^ Roudometof, V. (2002). Collective Memory, National Identity and Ethnic Conflict: Greece, Bulgaria and the Macedonian Question. Greenwood Press. p. 81. ISBN 0-275-97648-3.
^ "Γενικό Επιτελείο Στρατού". Archived from the original on 2007-02-19. Retrieved 2007-02-19.
^ "Αποβλήθηκαν έξι μαθητές που αψήφισαν την απαγόρευση και τραγούδησαν το "Μακεδονία Ξακουστή" στην παρέλαση". Φλόγαsport (in Greek). 2018-02-11. Retrieved 2019-08-08.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ Γραμμενος, Ηλιας (2018-01-21). "Με "Μακεδονία ξακουστή" έκλεισε το πρόγραμμα του ο Στέφανος Βορδώνης". ερωτόκριτος (in Greek). Retrieved 2019-08-08.
^ "Μακεδονία ξακουστή του Αλεξάνδρου η χώρα που έδιωξες τους τύρρανους κι ελεύθερ' είσαι τώρα". ΦΩΝΗ (in Greek). 2019-03-25. Retrieved 2019-08-08.

External links

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

[6] The original version of the song contained an additional fourth stanza. There were two minor differences in the preserved lyrics as well; instead of "barbarians", "Bulgarians" can be substituted, and in some versions (as in the current version) the word "tyranny" is used instead. Additionally, the verse "κι εμείς θα σ'αντικρύζουμε, ελεύθερη και πάλι!" ("and we will be looking at you with pride again!") was originally "κι εμείς τα Ελληνόπουλα, σου πλέκουμε στεφάνι!" ("and we, the Sons of Greece, plait you a crown!").

[1] Roudometof, V. (2002). Collective Memory, National Identity and Ethnic Conflict: Greece, Bulgaria and the Macedonian Question. Greenwood Press. p. 81. ISBN 0-275-97648-3.

[2] "Γενικό Επιτελείο Στρατού". Archived from the original on 2007-02-19. Retrieved 2007-02-19.

[3] "Αποβλήθηκαν έξι μαθητές που αψήφισαν την απαγόρευση και τραγούδησαν το "Μακεδονία Ξακουστή" στην παρέλαση". Φλόγαsport (in Greek). 2018-02-11. Retrieved 2019-08-08.^{[permanent dead link]}

[4] Γραμμενος, Ηλιας (2018-01-21). "Με "Μακεδονία ξακουστή" έκλεισε το πρόγραμμα του ο Στέφανος Βορδώνης". ερωτόκριτος (in Greek). Retrieved 2019-08-08.

[5] "Μακεδονία ξακουστή του Αλεξάνδρου η χώρα που έδιωξες τους τύρρανους κι ελεύθερ' είσαι τώρα". ΦΩΝΗ (in Greek). 2019-03-25. Retrieved 2019-08-08.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[a]

v t e Music of Greek Macedonia
Dances	Akritikos Baidouska Endeka Kozanis Gerontikos Kastorianos Leventikos Makedonia (dance) Makedonikos antikristos Makrinitsa dance Mpougatsas O Nikolos Omorfoula Poustseno Raikos Sirtos Macedonias Stamoulo Kapitan Louka Thomai Zaharoula
Songs	Makedonia Ksakousti (Famous Makedonia)