The Olympic Anthem
The Olympic Anthem, also known as the Olympic Hymn, is based on a poem, "Ancient eternal and immortal spirit," by Greek national poet Kostis Palamas (1859-1943). The music was written by Spiros Samaras (1863-1917) specifically for the first modern Olympics, in Athens in 1896. Samaras used the same melody in the overture to his opera, "Rea."
Other anthems were played at later Olympics. In 1958, the International Olympic Committee formally and unanimously adopted the Samaras-Palamas work as the official Olympic anthem. The anthem is played at the opening ceremony, when the Olympic flag is raised, and again at the closing ceremony, when the flag is lowered.
To fit the meter of the music, the English translation sung at the Olympics is rather free:
Immortal spirit of antiquity,Father of the true, beautiful and good,
Descend, appear, shed over us thy light
Upon this ground and under this sky
Which has first witnessed thy unperishable fame
Give life and animation to those noble games!
Throw wreaths of fadeless flowers to the victors
In the race and in the strife!
Create in our breasts, hearts of steel!
In thy light, plains, mountains and seas
Shine in a roseate hue and form a vast temple
To which all nations throng to adore thee,
Oh immortal spirit of antiquity!
This is a more literal translation of the poem:
of all that is Beauty, Grandeur and Truth,
Descending appear with Thy presence
Illuminate Thine Earth and the Heavens.
Shine upon noble endeavours wrought
at the Games on the Track and in the Field.
Crown with Thy eternal evergreen branch
The bodies, making them stronger and worthy.
Dale, Mount and Ocean with Thy Light
as a white and purple temple, brighten!
Tho Thine Temple, to Thy worship, come all.
Oh! Ancient Eternal Spirit!