Pater Gjergj Fishta (1871-1940)
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About This Presentation
Pater Gjergj Fishta (1871-1940)
By far the greatest and most influential figure of Albanian literature in the first half of the twentieth century was the Franciscan pater Gjergj Fishta (1871-1940) who more than any other writer gave artistic expression to the searching soul of the now sovereign Alb...
Slide Content
-1-
-2-
Pater Gjergj Gjergj Gjergj
Gjergj
Fishta Fishta Fishta
Fishta
(1871-1940)
By far the greatest and most influential figure of Albanian literature in the
first half of the twentieth century was the Franciscan pater Gjergj Fishta
(1871-1940) who more than any other writer gave artistic expression to
the searching soul of the now sovereign Albanian nation. Lauded and
celebrated up until the Second World War as the ‘national poet of Albania ’
and the ‘Albanian Homer, ’Fishta was to fall into sudden oblivion when the
communists took power in November 1944. The very mention of his name
became taboo for forty-six years. Who was Gjergj Fishta and can he live up
to his epithet as ‘poet laureate ’half acentury later?
Fishta was born on 23 October 1871 in the Zadrima village of Fishta near
Troshan in northern Albania where he was baptized by Franciscan
missionary and poet Leonardo De Martino (1830-1923). He attended
Franciscan schools in Troshan and Shkodra where as achild he was deeply
influenced both by the talented De Martino and by aBosnian missionary,
pater Lovro Mihacevic, who instilled in the intelligent lad alove for
literature and for his native language. In 1886, when he was fifteen, Fishta
was sent by the Order of the Friars Minor to Bosnia, as were many young
Albanians destined for the priesthood at the time. It was at Franciscan
seminaries and institutions in Sutjeska, Livno and Kresevo that the young
Fishta studied theology, philosophy and languages, inparticular Latin,
Italian and Serbo-Croatian, to prepare himself for his ecclesiastical and
literary career.
During his stay in Bosnia he came into contact with Bosnian writer Grga
Marti ƒc(1822-1905) and Croatian poet Silvije Strahimir Kranjcevic (1865-
1908) with whom he became friends and who aroused aliterary calling in
him. In 1894 Gjergj Fishta was ordaine das apriest and admitted to the
Franciscan order. On his return to Albania in February of that year, he was
given ateaching position at the Franciscan college in Troshan and
subsequently aposting as parish priest in the village of Gomsiqja. In 1899,
hecollaborated with Preng Do çi,the influential abbot of Mirdita, with prose
writer and priest Dom Ndoc Nikaj and with folklorist Pashko Bardhi (1870-
1948) to found the Bashkimi (Unity) literary society of Shkodra which set
out to tackle the thorny Alban ian alphabet question. This society was
subsequently instrumental in the publication of anumber of Albanian-
language school texts and of the Bashkimi Albanian-Italian dictionary of
1908, still the best dictionary of Gheg dialect. By this time Fishta had
become aleading figure of cultural and public life in northern Albania and
in particular in Shkodra.
In 1902, Fishta was appointed director of Franciscan schools in the district
of Shkodra where he is remembered in particular for having replaced
Italian by Albanian for the first time as the language of instruction there.
This effectively put an end to th eItalian cultural domination of northern
Albanian Catholics and gave young Albanians studying at these schools a
sense of national identity. On 14-22 November 1908 he participated in the
Pater Gjergj Gjergj Gjergj
Gjergj
Fishta Fishta Fishta
Fishta
(1871-1940)
By far the greatest and most influential figure of Albanian literature in the
first half of the twentieth century was the Franciscan pater Gjergj Fishta
(1871-1940) who more than any other writer gave artistic expression to
the searching soul of the now sovereign Albanian nation. Lauded and
celebrated up until the Second World War as the ‘national poet of Albania ’
and the ‘Albanian Homer, ’Fishta was to fall into sudden oblivion when the
communists took power in November 1944. The very mention of his name
became taboo for forty-six years. Who was Gjergj Fishta and can he live up
to his epithet as ‘poet laureate ’half acentury later?
Fishta was born on 23 October 1871 in the Zadrima village of Fishta near
Troshan in northern Albania where he was baptized by Franciscan
missionary and poet Leonardo De Martino (1830-1923). He attended
Franciscan schools in Troshan and Shkodra where as achild he was deeply
influenced both by the talented De Martino and by aBosnian missionary,
pater Lovro Mihacevic, who instilled in the intelligent lad alove for
literature and for his native language. In 1886, when he was fifteen, Fishta
was sent by the Order of the Friars Minor to Bosnia, as were many young
Albanians destined for the priesthood at the time. It was at Franciscan
seminaries and institutions in Sutjeska, Livno and Kresevo that the young
Fishta studied theology, philosophy and languages, inparticular Latin,
Italian and Serbo-Croatian, to prepare himself for his ecclesiastical and
literary career.
During his stay in Bosnia he came into contact with Bosnian writer Grga
Marti ƒc(1822-1905) and Croatian poet Silvije Strahimir Kranjcevic (1865-
1908) with whom he became friends and who aroused aliterary calling in
him. In 1894 Gjergj Fishta was ordaine das apriest and admitted to the
Franciscan order. On his return to Albania in February of that year, he was
given ateaching position at the Franciscan college in Troshan and
subsequently aposting as parish priest in the village of Gomsiqja. In 1899,
hecollaborated with Preng Do çi,the influential abbot of Mirdita, with prose
writer and priest Dom Ndoc Nikaj and with folklorist Pashko Bardhi (1870-
1948) to found the Bashkimi (Unity) literary society of Shkodra which set
out to tackle the thorny Alban ian alphabet question. This society was
subsequently instrumental in the publication of anumber of Albanian-
language school texts and of the Bashkimi Albanian-Italian dictionary of
1908, still the best dictionary of Gheg dialect. By this time Fishta had
become aleading figure of cultural and public life in northern Albania and
in particular in Shkodra.
In 1902, Fishta was appointed director of Franciscan schools in the district
of Shkodra where he is remembered in particular for having replaced
Italian by Albanian for the first time as the language of instruction there.
This effectively put an end to th eItalian cultural domination of northern
Albanian Catholics and gave young Albanians studying at these schools a
sense of national identity. On 14-22 November 1908 he participated in the
-3-
Congress of Monastir as arepresentative of the Bashkimi literary society.
This congress, attended by Catholic, Orthodox and Muslim delegates from
Albania and abroad, was held to decide upon adefinitive Albanian alphabet ,
aproblem to which Fishta had given much thought. Indeed, the congress
had elected Gjergj Fishta to preside over acommittee of eleven delegates
who were to make the choice. After three days of deliberations, Fishta and
the committee resolved to support two alphabets: amodified form of Sami
Frash ëri’sIstanbul alphabet which, though impractical for printing, was
most widely used at the time, and anew Latin alphabet almost identical to
Fishta ’sBashkimi alphabet, in order to facilitate printing abroad.
In October 1913, almost ayear after the declaration of Albanian
independence in Vlora, Fishta founded and began editing the Franciscan
monthly periodical Hylli iDrit ës(The day-star) which was devoted to
literature, politics, folklore and history. With the exception of the turbulent
years of the First World War and its aftermath, 1915-1920, and the early
years of the dictatorship of Ahmet Zogu, 1925-1929, this influential journal
of high literary standing was published regularly until July 1944 and
beca me as instrumental for the development of northern Albanian Gheg
culture as Faik bey Konitza ’sBrussels journal Albania had been for the Tosk
culture of the south. From December 1916 to 1918 Fishta edited the
Shkodra newspaper Posta eShqypni ës(The Alban ian post), apolitical and
cultural newspaper which was subsidized by Austria-Hungary under the
auspices of the Kultusprotektorat, despite the fact that the occupying
forces did not entirely trust Fishta because of his nationalist aspirations.
Also in 1916, together with Luigj Gurakuqi, Ndre Mjeda and Mati Logoreci
(1867-1941), Fishta played aleading role in the Albanian Literary
Commission (Komisija Letrare Shqype) set up by the Austro-Hungarians on
the suggestion of consul-general August Rit ter von Kral (1859-1918) to
decide on questions of orthography for official use and to encourage the
publication of Albanian school texts. After some deliberation, the
Commission sensibly decided to use the central dialect of Elbasan as a
neutral compromi se for astandard literary language. This was much
against the wishes of Gjergj Fishta who regarded the dialect of Shkodra, in
view of its strong contribution to Albanian culture at the time, as best
suited. Fishta hoped that his northern Albanian koine would soon serve as
aliterary standard for the whole country much as Dante ’slanguage had
served as aguide for literary Italian. Throughout these years, Fishta
continued teaching and running the Franciscan school in Shkodra, known
from 1921 on as the Col legium Illyricum (Illyrian college), which had
become the leading educational institution of northern Albania. He was now
also an imposing figure of Albanian literature.
In August 1919, Gjergj Fishta served as secretary-general of the Albanian
delegation attending the Paris Peace Conference and, in this capacity, was
asked by the president of the delegation, Msgr. Luigj Bum çi(1872-1945),
to take part in aspecial commiss ion to be sent to the United States to
attend to the interests of the young Albanian state. There he visited Boston ,
Congress of Monastir as arepresentative of the Bashkimi literary society.
This congress, attended by Catholic, Orthodox and Muslim delegates from
Albania and abroad, was held to decide upon adefinitive Albanian alphabet ,
aproblem to which Fishta had given much thought. Indeed, the congress
had elected Gjergj Fishta to preside over acommittee of eleven delegates
who were to make the choice. After three days of deliberations, Fishta and
the committee resolved to support two alphabets: amodified form of Sami
Frash ëri’sIstanbul alphabet which, though impractical for printing, was
most widely used at the time, and anew Latin alphabet almost identical to
Fishta ’sBashkimi alphabet, in order to facilitate printing abroad.
In October 1913, almost ayear after the declaration of Albanian
independence in Vlora, Fishta founded and began editing the Franciscan
monthly periodical Hylli iDrit ës(The day-star) which was devoted to
literature, politics, folklore and history. With the exception of the turbulent
years of the First World War and its aftermath, 1915-1920, and the early
years of the dictatorship of Ahmet Zogu, 1925-1929, this influential journal
of high literary standing was published regularly until July 1944 and
beca me as instrumental for the development of northern Albanian Gheg
culture as Faik bey Konitza ’sBrussels journal Albania had been for the Tosk
culture of the south. From December 1916 to 1918 Fishta edited the
Shkodra newspaper Posta eShqypni ës(The Alban ian post), apolitical and
cultural newspaper which was subsidized by Austria-Hungary under the
auspices of the Kultusprotektorat, despite the fact that the occupying
forces did not entirely trust Fishta because of his nationalist aspirations.
Also in 1916, together with Luigj Gurakuqi, Ndre Mjeda and Mati Logoreci
(1867-1941), Fishta played aleading role in the Albanian Literary
Commission (Komisija Letrare Shqype) set up by the Austro-Hungarians on
the suggestion of consul-general August Rit ter von Kral (1859-1918) to
decide on questions of orthography for official use and to encourage the
publication of Albanian school texts. After some deliberation, the
Commission sensibly decided to use the central dialect of Elbasan as a
neutral compromi se for astandard literary language. This was much
against the wishes of Gjergj Fishta who regarded the dialect of Shkodra, in
view of its strong contribution to Albanian culture at the time, as best
suited. Fishta hoped that his northern Albanian koine would soon serve as
aliterary standard for the whole country much as Dante ’slanguage had
served as aguide for literary Italian. Throughout these years, Fishta
continued teaching and running the Franciscan school in Shkodra, known
from 1921 on as the Col legium Illyricum (Illyrian college), which had
become the leading educational institution of northern Albania. He was now
also an imposing figure of Albanian literature.
In August 1919, Gjergj Fishta served as secretary-general of the Albanian
delegation attending the Paris Peace Conference and, in this capacity, was
asked by the president of the delegation, Msgr. Luigj Bum çi(1872-1945),
to take part in aspecial commiss ion to be sent to the United States to
attend to the interests of the young Albanian state. There he visited Boston ,
-4-
New York and Washington. In 1921, Fishta represented Shkodra in the
Albanian parliament and was chosen in August of that year as vice-
president of this assembly. His talent as an orator served him well in his
functions both as apolitical figure and as aman of the cloth. In later years,
he attended Balkan conferences in Athens (1930), Sofia (1931) and
Bucharest (1932) before withdrawing from public life to devote his
remaining years to the Franciscan order and to his writing.
From 1935 to 1938 he held the office of provincial of the Albanian
Franciscans. These most fruitful years of his life were now spent in the
quiet seclusion of the Franciscan monastery of Gjuhadoll in Shkodra with
its cloister, church and rose garden where Fishta would sit in the shade and
reflect on his verse. As the poet laureate of his generation, Gjergj Fishta
was honoured with various diplomas, awards and distinctions both at home
and abroad. He was awarded the Austro-Hungarian Ritterkreuz in 1911,
de corated by Pope Pius XI with the Al Merito award in 1925, given the
prestigious Phoenix medal of the Greek government, honoured with the
title Lector jubilatus honoris causae by the Franciscan order, and made a
regular member of the Italian Academy of Art sand Sciences in 1939. He
died in Shkodra on 30 December 1940.
Although Gjergj Fishta is the author of atotal of thirty-seven literary
publications, his name is indelibly linked to one great work, indeed to one
of the most astounding creations in all the history of Albanian literature,
Lahuta emalc ís, Shkodra 1937 (The highland lute). ‘The highland lute ’is a
15,613-line historical verse epic focussing on the Albanian struggle for
autonomy and independence. It constitutes apanorama of northern
Albanian history from 1858 to 1913. This literary masterpiece was
compo sed primarily between 1902 and 1909, though it was refined and
amended by its author over athirty year period. It constitutes the first
Albanian-language contribution to world literature.
In 1902 Fishta had been sent to alittle village to replace the local parish
priest for atime. There he met and befriended the aging peasant Marash
Uci (d. 1914) of Hoti, whom he was later to immortalize in verse. In their
evenings together, Marash Uci told the young priest of the heroic battles
between the Albanian highlanders and the Montenegrins, in particular of
the famed battle at the Rrzhanica Bridge in which Marash Uci had taken
part himself. The first parts of ‘The highland lute, ’subtitled ‘At the
Rrzhanica Bridge, ’were published in Zadar in 1905 and 1907, with
subsequent and enlarged editions appearing in 1912, 1923, 1931 and 1933 .
The definitive edition of the work in thirty cantos was presented in
Shkodra in 1937 to mark the twenty-fifth ann iversary of the declaration of
Albanian independence. Despite the success of ‘The highland lute ’and the
preeminence of its author, this and all other works by Gjergj Fishta were
banned after the Second World War when the communists came to power.
The epi cwas, however, republished in Rome 1958, Ljubljana 1990 and
Rome 1991, and exists in German and Italian translations.
New York and Washington. In 1921, Fishta represented Shkodra in the
Albanian parliament and was chosen in August of that year as vice-
president of this assembly. His talent as an orator served him well in his
functions both as apolitical figure and as aman of the cloth. In later years,
he attended Balkan conferences in Athens (1930), Sofia (1931) and
Bucharest (1932) before withdrawing from public life to devote his
remaining years to the Franciscan order and to his writing.
From 1935 to 1938 he held the office of provincial of the Albanian
Franciscans. These most fruitful years of his life were now spent in the
quiet seclusion of the Franciscan monastery of Gjuhadoll in Shkodra with
its cloister, church and rose garden where Fishta would sit in the shade and
reflect on his verse. As the poet laureate of his generation, Gjergj Fishta
was honoured with various diplomas, awards and distinctions both at home
and abroad. He was awarded the Austro-Hungarian Ritterkreuz in 1911,
de corated by Pope Pius XI with the Al Merito award in 1925, given the
prestigious Phoenix medal of the Greek government, honoured with the
title Lector jubilatus honoris causae by the Franciscan order, and made a
regular member of the Italian Academy of Art sand Sciences in 1939. He
died in Shkodra on 30 December 1940.
Although Gjergj Fishta is the author of atotal of thirty-seven literary
publications, his name is indelibly linked to one great work, indeed to one
of the most astounding creations in all the history of Albanian literature,
Lahuta emalc ís, Shkodra 1937 (The highland lute). ‘The highland lute ’is a
15,613-line historical verse epic focussing on the Albanian struggle for
autonomy and independence. It constitutes apanorama of northern
Albanian history from 1858 to 1913. This literary masterpiece was
compo sed primarily between 1902 and 1909, though it was refined and
amended by its author over athirty year period. It constitutes the first
Albanian-language contribution to world literature.
In 1902 Fishta had been sent to alittle village to replace the local parish
priest for atime. There he met and befriended the aging peasant Marash
Uci (d. 1914) of Hoti, whom he was later to immortalize in verse. In their
evenings together, Marash Uci told the young priest of the heroic battles
between the Albanian highlanders and the Montenegrins, in particular of
the famed battle at the Rrzhanica Bridge in which Marash Uci had taken
part himself. The first parts of ‘The highland lute, ’subtitled ‘At the
Rrzhanica Bridge, ’were published in Zadar in 1905 and 1907, with
subsequent and enlarged editions appearing in 1912, 1923, 1931 and 1933 .
The definitive edition of the work in thirty cantos was presented in
Shkodra in 1937 to mark the twenty-fifth ann iversary of the declaration of
Albanian independence. Despite the success of ‘The highland lute ’and the
preeminence of its author, this and all other works by Gjergj Fishta were
banned after the Second World War when the communists came to power.
The epi cwas, however, republished in Rome 1958, Ljubljana 1990 and
Rome 1991, and exists in German and Italian translations.
-5-
‘The highland lute ’is certainly the most powerful and effective epic to have
been written in Albanian. Gjergj Fishta chose as his subject matter what he
knew best: the heroic culture of his native northern Albanian mountains. It
was his intention with th is epic, an unprecedented achievement in Albanian
letters, to present the lives of the northern Albanian tribes and of his
people in general in aheroic setting.
In its historical dimensions, ‘The highland lute ’begins with border
skirmishes between the Hoti and Gruda tribes and their equally fierce
Montenegrin neighbours in 1858. The core of the work (cantos 6-25) is
devoted to the events of 1878-1880, i.e. the Congress of Berlin which
granted Albanian borderland to Montenegro, and the resultant creation of
the League of Prizren to defend Albanian interests. Subsequent cantos
cover the Revolution of the Young Turks which initially gave Albanian
nationalists some hope of autonomy, and the Balkan wars of 1912 and
1913 which led to the declaration of Albanian independence.
It was the author ’sfortune at the time to have been at the source of the
only intact heroic society in Europe. The tribal structure of the inhabitants
of the northern Albanian Alps differed radically from the more advanced
and ‘civilized ’regions of the Tosk south. What so fascinated foreign
ethnographers and visitors to northern Albania at the turn of the century
was the staunchly patriarchal society of the highlands, asystem based on
customs handed down for centuries by tribal law, in particular by th eCode
of Lek ëDukagjini. All the distinguishing features of this society are present
in ‘The highland lute ’:birth, marriage and funerary customs, beliefs, the
generous hospitality of the tribes, their endemic blood-feuding, and the
besa, absolute fideli ty to one ’sword, come what may.
‘The highland lute ’is strongly inspired by northern Albanian oral verse,
both by the cycles of heroic verse, i.e. the octosyllabic Këng ëkreshnik ësh
(Songs of the frontier warriors), similar to the Serbo-Croatian juna …ke
pjesme, and by the equally popula rcycles of historical verse of the
eighteenth century, similar to Greek klephtic verse and to the haidutska
pesen of the Bulgarians. Fishta knew this oral verse which was sung by the
Gheg mountain tribes on their one-stringed lahutas, and relished its
language and rhythm. The narrative of the epic is therefore replete with
the rich, archaic vocabulary and colourful figures of speech used by the
warring highland tribes of the north and does not make for easy reading
nowadays, even for the northern Albania ns themselves.
An intimate link to oral literature is of course nothing unusual for an epic
poem, though some authors have criticized Fishta for ‘folklorism, ’for
imitating folklore instead of producing atruly literary epic. The standard
meter of ‘The highland lute ’is atrochaic octameter or heptameter which is
more in tune with Albanian oral verse than is the classical hexameter of
Latin and Greek epics. The influence of the great epics of classical antiquity ,
Homer ’sIliad and Odyssey and Vergil ’sAeneid, is nonethe less ubiquitous
in ‘The highland lute, ’as anumber of scholars, in particular Maximilian
‘The highland lute ’is certainly the most powerful and effective epic to have
been written in Albanian. Gjergj Fishta chose as his subject matter what he
knew best: the heroic culture of his native northern Albanian mountains. It
was his intention with th is epic, an unprecedented achievement in Albanian
letters, to present the lives of the northern Albanian tribes and of his
people in general in aheroic setting.
In its historical dimensions, ‘The highland lute ’begins with border
skirmishes between the Hoti and Gruda tribes and their equally fierce
Montenegrin neighbours in 1858. The core of the work (cantos 6-25) is
devoted to the events of 1878-1880, i.e. the Congress of Berlin which
granted Albanian borderland to Montenegro, and the resultant creation of
the League of Prizren to defend Albanian interests. Subsequent cantos
cover the Revolution of the Young Turks which initially gave Albanian
nationalists some hope of autonomy, and the Balkan wars of 1912 and
1913 which led to the declaration of Albanian independence.
It was the author ’sfortune at the time to have been at the source of the
only intact heroic society in Europe. The tribal structure of the inhabitants
of the northern Albanian Alps differed radically from the more advanced
and ‘civilized ’regions of the Tosk south. What so fascinated foreign
ethnographers and visitors to northern Albania at the turn of the century
was the staunchly patriarchal society of the highlands, asystem based on
customs handed down for centuries by tribal law, in particular by th eCode
of Lek ëDukagjini. All the distinguishing features of this society are present
in ‘The highland lute ’:birth, marriage and funerary customs, beliefs, the
generous hospitality of the tribes, their endemic blood-feuding, and the
besa, absolute fideli ty to one ’sword, come what may.
‘The highland lute ’is strongly inspired by northern Albanian oral verse,
both by the cycles of heroic verse, i.e. the octosyllabic Këng ëkreshnik ësh
(Songs of the frontier warriors), similar to the Serbo-Croatian juna …ke
pjesme, and by the equally popula rcycles of historical verse of the
eighteenth century, similar to Greek klephtic verse and to the haidutska
pesen of the Bulgarians. Fishta knew this oral verse which was sung by the
Gheg mountain tribes on their one-stringed lahutas, and relished its
language and rhythm. The narrative of the epic is therefore replete with
the rich, archaic vocabulary and colourful figures of speech used by the
warring highland tribes of the north and does not make for easy reading
nowadays, even for the northern Albania ns themselves.
An intimate link to oral literature is of course nothing unusual for an epic
poem, though some authors have criticized Fishta for ‘folklorism, ’for
imitating folklore instead of producing atruly literary epic. The standard
meter of ‘The highland lute ’is atrochaic octameter or heptameter which is
more in tune with Albanian oral verse than is the classical hexameter of
Latin and Greek epics. The influence of the great epics of classical antiquity ,
Homer ’sIliad and Odyssey and Vergil ’sAeneid, is nonethe less ubiquitous
in ‘The highland lute, ’as anumber of scholars, in particular Maximilian
-6-
Lambertz and Giuseppe Gradilone, have pointed out. Many parallels in style
and content have thus transcended the millennia. Fishta himself later
translated book five of the Iliad into Albanian.
Among the major stylistic features which characterize ‘The highland lute, ’
and no doubt most other epics, are metaphor, alliteration and assonance,
as well as archaic figures of speech and hyperbole. The predominantly
heroic character of the narrative wit hits extensive battle scenes is
fortunately counterbalanced with lyric and idyllic descriptions of the natural
beauty of the northern Albanian Alps which give ‘The highland lute ’a
lightness and poetic grace it might otherwise lack.
‘The highland lute ’relies heavily on Albanian mythology and legend. The
work is permeated with mythological figures of oral literature who, like the
gods and goddesses of ancient Greece, observe and, where necessary,
intervene in events. Among them are the zanas, dauntless mountain spirits
who dwell near springs and torrents and who bestow their protection on
Albanian warriors; the oras, female spirits whose very name is often taboo;
the vampire-like lugats; the witch-like shtrigas; and the drangues, sem i-
human figures born with wings under their arms and with supernatural
powers, whose prime objective in life is to combat and slay the seven-
headed fire-spewing kulshedras.
The fusion of the heroic and the mythological is equally evident in a
number of characters to whom Fishta attributes major roles in ‘The
highland lute ’:Oso Kuka, the fierce and valiant warrior who prefers death
over surrender to his Slavic enemy; the old shepherd Marash Uci who
admonishes the young fighters to preserve their freedom and not to forget
the ancient ways and customs; and the valiant maiden Tringa, caring for
her brother and resolved to defend her land.
The heroic aspect of life in the mountains is one of the many characteristics
the northern Albanian tribes have in common with their southern Slavic,
and in particular Montenegrin, neighbours. The two peoples, divided as
they are by language and by the bitter course of history, have alargely
common culture. Although the Montenegrins serve as ‘bad guys ’in the
glorification of the author ’snative land, Fishta was not uninfluenced or
unmoved by the literary achievements of the southern Slavs in the second
half of the nineteenth century, in particular by epic verse of Slavic
resistance to the Turks. We have referred to the role played by Franciscan
pater Grga Martic whose works served the young Fishta as amodel while
the latter was studying in Bosnia.
Fishta was also influenced by the writings of an earlier Franciscan writer,
Andrija Kacic-Miosic (1704-1760), Dalmatian poet and publicist of the
Enlightenment who is remembered in particular for his Razgovor ugodni
naroda slovinskoga, 1756 (Pleasant talk of Slavic folk), acollection of
prose and poetry on Serbo-Croatian history, and by the works of Croatian
poet Ivan Mazhuranic (1814-1890), author of the noted romantic epic Smrt
Lambertz and Giuseppe Gradilone, have pointed out. Many parallels in style
and content have thus transcended the millennia. Fishta himself later
translated book five of the Iliad into Albanian.
Among the major stylistic features which characterize ‘The highland lute, ’
and no doubt most other epics, are metaphor, alliteration and assonance,
as well as archaic figures of speech and hyperbole. The predominantly
heroic character of the narrative wit hits extensive battle scenes is
fortunately counterbalanced with lyric and idyllic descriptions of the natural
beauty of the northern Albanian Alps which give ‘The highland lute ’a
lightness and poetic grace it might otherwise lack.
‘The highland lute ’relies heavily on Albanian mythology and legend. The
work is permeated with mythological figures of oral literature who, like the
gods and goddesses of ancient Greece, observe and, where necessary,
intervene in events. Among them are the zanas, dauntless mountain spirits
who dwell near springs and torrents and who bestow their protection on
Albanian warriors; the oras, female spirits whose very name is often taboo;
the vampire-like lugats; the witch-like shtrigas; and the drangues, sem i-
human figures born with wings under their arms and with supernatural
powers, whose prime objective in life is to combat and slay the seven-
headed fire-spewing kulshedras.
The fusion of the heroic and the mythological is equally evident in a
number of characters to whom Fishta attributes major roles in ‘The
highland lute ’:Oso Kuka, the fierce and valiant warrior who prefers death
over surrender to his Slavic enemy; the old shepherd Marash Uci who
admonishes the young fighters to preserve their freedom and not to forget
the ancient ways and customs; and the valiant maiden Tringa, caring for
her brother and resolved to defend her land.
The heroic aspect of life in the mountains is one of the many characteristics
the northern Albanian tribes have in common with their southern Slavic,
and in particular Montenegrin, neighbours. The two peoples, divided as
they are by language and by the bitter course of history, have alargely
common culture. Although the Montenegrins serve as ‘bad guys ’in the
glorification of the author ’snative land, Fishta was not uninfluenced or
unmoved by the literary achievements of the southern Slavs in the second
half of the nineteenth century, in particular by epic verse of Slavic
resistance to the Turks. We have referred to the role played by Franciscan
pater Grga Martic whose works served the young Fishta as amodel while
the latter was studying in Bosnia.
Fishta was also influenced by the writings of an earlier Franciscan writer,
Andrija Kacic-Miosic (1704-1760), Dalmatian poet and publicist of the
Enlightenment who is remembered in particular for his Razgovor ugodni
naroda slovinskoga, 1756 (Pleasant talk of Slavic folk), acollection of
prose and poetry on Serbo-Croatian history, and by the works of Croatian
poet Ivan Mazhuranic (1814-1890), author of the noted romantic epic Smrt
-7-
Smail-age Cengica, 1846 (The death of Smail Aga). Afurther source of
literary inspiration for Fishta was the Montenegrin poet-prince Petar
Petrovic Njegos (1813-1851). It is no coincidence that the title ‘The
highland (or mountain) lute ’is very similar to Gorski vijenac, 1847 (The
mountain wreath), Njegos ’verse epic of Montenegro ’sheroic resistance to
the Turkish occupants, which is now generally regarded as the national
epic of the Montenegrins and Serbs. Fishta proved that the Albanian
language, too ,was capable of arefined literary epic of equally heroic
proportions.
Although Gjergj Fishta is remembered primarily as an epic poet, his
achievements are actually no less impressive in other genres, in particular
as alyric and satirical poet. Indeed, his lyric verse is regarded by many
scholars as his best.
Fishta ’sfirst publication of lyric poetry, Vierrsha ipershpirteshem t’kthyem
shcyp, Shkodra 1906 (Spiritual verse translated into Albanian), was of
strong Catholic inspiration. Here we find translations of the great Italian
poets such as the Arcadian Pietro Metastasio (1698-1782) of Rome,
romantic novelist and poet Alessandro Manzoni (1785-1873) of Milan
whom Fishta greatly admired, the patriotic Silvio Pellico (1789-1845) of
Turin, and lyricist and literary historian Giacomo Zanella (1820-1888) of
Vice nza, etc.
Fishta ’sfirst collection of original lyric verse was published under the title
Pika vo ëset, Zadar 1909 (Dewdrops), and dedicated to his contemporary
Luigj Gurakuqi. It was followed in 1913, at the dawn of Albanian
independence, by the first edition of Mr izi izâneve, Shkodra 1913
(Noonday rest of the Zanas), which includes some of the religious verse of
Pika vo ëset. The general tone of Mrizi izâneve is, however, much more
nationalist than spiritual, the patriotic character of the collection being
substa ntially underlined in the subsequent expanded editions of 1924,
1925 and in the definitive posthumous edition of 1941. Poems such as
Shqypnija (Albania), Gjuha shqype (The Albanian language), Atdheut (To
the fatherland), Shqypnija elir ë(Free Albania) an dHymni iflamurit
kombt ár(Hymn to the national flag) express Fishta ’ssatisfaction and pride
in Albania ’shistory and in its new-found independence. Also included in
this volume is the allegorical melodrama Shqyptari igjytetnuem (The
civilized Albanian man) and its sequel Shqyptarja egjytetnueme (The
civilized Albanian woman).
With his nationalist verse concentrated in the above volume, Fishta
collected his religious poetry in the 235-page edition Vallja eParr îzit,
Shkodra 1925 (The dance of paradise). The verse in this collection,
including poems such as Tëkryqzuemt (The cru cifixion), Tëzânun epafaj
tëVirgj ërêsMri (The immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary), Nuntsiata
(The annunciation) and Sh ëFran çesku iAsizit (St Francis of Assisi),
constitutes azenith of Catholic literature in Albania.
Gjergj Fishta was also aconsummate master of satirical verse, using his
wit and sharpened quill to criticize the educational shortcomings and
Smail-age Cengica, 1846 (The death of Smail Aga). Afurther source of
literary inspiration for Fishta was the Montenegrin poet-prince Petar
Petrovic Njegos (1813-1851). It is no coincidence that the title ‘The
highland (or mountain) lute ’is very similar to Gorski vijenac, 1847 (The
mountain wreath), Njegos ’verse epic of Montenegro ’sheroic resistance to
the Turkish occupants, which is now generally regarded as the national
epic of the Montenegrins and Serbs. Fishta proved that the Albanian
language, too ,was capable of arefined literary epic of equally heroic
proportions.
Although Gjergj Fishta is remembered primarily as an epic poet, his
achievements are actually no less impressive in other genres, in particular
as alyric and satirical poet. Indeed, his lyric verse is regarded by many
scholars as his best.
Fishta ’sfirst publication of lyric poetry, Vierrsha ipershpirteshem t’kthyem
shcyp, Shkodra 1906 (Spiritual verse translated into Albanian), was of
strong Catholic inspiration. Here we find translations of the great Italian
poets such as the Arcadian Pietro Metastasio (1698-1782) of Rome,
romantic novelist and poet Alessandro Manzoni (1785-1873) of Milan
whom Fishta greatly admired, the patriotic Silvio Pellico (1789-1845) of
Turin, and lyricist and literary historian Giacomo Zanella (1820-1888) of
Vice nza, etc.
Fishta ’sfirst collection of original lyric verse was published under the title
Pika vo ëset, Zadar 1909 (Dewdrops), and dedicated to his contemporary
Luigj Gurakuqi. It was followed in 1913, at the dawn of Albanian
independence, by the first edition of Mr izi izâneve, Shkodra 1913
(Noonday rest of the Zanas), which includes some of the religious verse of
Pika vo ëset. The general tone of Mrizi izâneve is, however, much more
nationalist than spiritual, the patriotic character of the collection being
substa ntially underlined in the subsequent expanded editions of 1924,
1925 and in the definitive posthumous edition of 1941. Poems such as
Shqypnija (Albania), Gjuha shqype (The Albanian language), Atdheut (To
the fatherland), Shqypnija elir ë(Free Albania) an dHymni iflamurit
kombt ár(Hymn to the national flag) express Fishta ’ssatisfaction and pride
in Albania ’shistory and in its new-found independence. Also included in
this volume is the allegorical melodrama Shqyptari igjytetnuem (The
civilized Albanian man) and its sequel Shqyptarja egjytetnueme (The
civilized Albanian woman).
With his nationalist verse concentrated in the above volume, Fishta
collected his religious poetry in the 235-page edition Vallja eParr îzit,
Shkodra 1925 (The dance of paradise). The verse in this collection,
including poems such as Tëkryqzuemt (The cru cifixion), Tëzânun epafaj
tëVirgj ërêsMri (The immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary), Nuntsiata
(The annunciation) and Sh ëFran çesku iAsizit (St Francis of Assisi),
constitutes azenith of Catholic literature in Albania.
Gjergj Fishta was also aconsummate master of satirical verse, using his
wit and sharpened quill to criticize the educational shortcomings and
-8-
intellectual sloth of his Scutarine compatriots. His was not the benevolent,
exhortative irony of Çajupi, but rather biting, pungent satire, often to the
point of ruthlessness, the poetic equivalent of the blunt satirical prose of
Faik bey Konitza. Fishta had printed many such poems in the periodical
Albania using the telling pseudonym ‘Castigat ridendo. ’In 1907, he
published, anonymously, the 67-page satirical collection Anxat eParnasit,
Sarajevo 1907 (The wasps of Parnassus), which laid the foundation sfor
satire as apoetic genre in Albanian literature and which is regarded by
many critics as the best poetry he ever produced.
In the first of the satires, Nakdomonicipedija (A lesson for Nakdo Monici),
he turns to his friend, Jesuit writer and publisher Dom Ndoc Nikaj, whom
he affectionately calls by his pen name Nakdo Monici, to convey his
sympathy that the latter ’s416-page Hi storia éShcypniis (History of
Albania), published in Brussels in 1902, had not received due attention
among their compatriots. The Albanians were quite indifferent to their own
history and indeed to their present sorry state in general. The reason for
th is indifference, Fishta tells us, was acontest between St Nicholas and the
devil. St Nicholas had sailed the seas at the command of the Almighty to
sell reason and taste. The devil, for his part, competed with aship full of
old boots which he offered forsale. When the two merchants arrived at the
port of Sh ëngjin, the Albanians took counsel and decided to go for the
boots on credit. With such uneducated masses, Fishta recommends that
Nikaj take solace in the aloof and cynical attitude of Moli ère ’sTart uffe.
Anxat eParnasit, later spelled Anzat eParnasit, which contains many a
delightfully spicy expression normally unbecoming to amild Franciscan
priest, was republished in 1927, 1928, 1942 and 1990, and made Fishta
many friends and enemies.
Gomari iBabatasit, Shkodra 1923 (Babatasi ’sass), is another volume of
amusing satire, published under the pseudonym Geg ëToska while Fishta
was amember of the Albanian parliament. In this work, which enjoyed
great popularity at the time, he rants at false patriots and idlers.
Aside from the above-mentioned melodramas, Fishta was the author of
several other works of theatre, including adaptations of anumber of
foreign classics, e.g., the three-act Iligu per mend, Shkodra 1931 (Le
malade imaginaire), of Moli ère, and Ifigenija n’Aull í,Shkodra 1931
(Iphigenia in Aulis), of Euripides. Among other dramatic works he
composed and/or adapted at atime when Albanian theatre was in its
infancy are short plays of primarily religious inspiration, among them the
three-act Christmas play Bar ìteBetl êmit (The shepherds of Bethlehem);
Sh ’Fran çesku iAsisit, Shkodra 1912 (St Francis of Assisi); the tragedy
Juda Makab é,Shkodra 1923 (Judas Maccabaeus); Sh. Luigji Gonzaga,
Shkodra 1927 (St Aloysius of Gonzaga); and Jerina, ase mbretnesha e
luleve, Shkodra 1941 (Jerina or the queen of the flowers), the last of his
works to be published during his lifetime.
The national literature of Albania had been something of aTosk prerogative
intellectual sloth of his Scutarine compatriots. His was not the benevolent,
exhortative irony of Çajupi, but rather biting, pungent satire, often to the
point of ruthlessness, the poetic equivalent of the blunt satirical prose of
Faik bey Konitza. Fishta had printed many such poems in the periodical
Albania using the telling pseudonym ‘Castigat ridendo. ’In 1907, he
published, anonymously, the 67-page satirical collection Anxat eParnasit,
Sarajevo 1907 (The wasps of Parnassus), which laid the foundation sfor
satire as apoetic genre in Albanian literature and which is regarded by
many critics as the best poetry he ever produced.
In the first of the satires, Nakdomonicipedija (A lesson for Nakdo Monici),
he turns to his friend, Jesuit writer and publisher Dom Ndoc Nikaj, whom
he affectionately calls by his pen name Nakdo Monici, to convey his
sympathy that the latter ’s416-page Hi storia éShcypniis (History of
Albania), published in Brussels in 1902, had not received due attention
among their compatriots. The Albanians were quite indifferent to their own
history and indeed to their present sorry state in general. The reason for
th is indifference, Fishta tells us, was acontest between St Nicholas and the
devil. St Nicholas had sailed the seas at the command of the Almighty to
sell reason and taste. The devil, for his part, competed with aship full of
old boots which he offered forsale. When the two merchants arrived at the
port of Sh ëngjin, the Albanians took counsel and decided to go for the
boots on credit. With such uneducated masses, Fishta recommends that
Nikaj take solace in the aloof and cynical attitude of Moli ère ’sTart uffe.
Anxat eParnasit, later spelled Anzat eParnasit, which contains many a
delightfully spicy expression normally unbecoming to amild Franciscan
priest, was republished in 1927, 1928, 1942 and 1990, and made Fishta
many friends and enemies.
Gomari iBabatasit, Shkodra 1923 (Babatasi ’sass), is another volume of
amusing satire, published under the pseudonym Geg ëToska while Fishta
was amember of the Albanian parliament. In this work, which enjoyed
great popularity at the time, he rants at false patriots and idlers.
Aside from the above-mentioned melodramas, Fishta was the author of
several other works of theatre, including adaptations of anumber of
foreign classics, e.g., the three-act Iligu per mend, Shkodra 1931 (Le
malade imaginaire), of Moli ère, and Ifigenija n’Aull í,Shkodra 1931
(Iphigenia in Aulis), of Euripides. Among other dramatic works he
composed and/or adapted at atime when Albanian theatre was in its
infancy are short plays of primarily religious inspiration, among them the
three-act Christmas play Bar ìteBetl êmit (The shepherds of Bethlehem);
Sh ’Fran çesku iAsisit, Shkodra 1912 (St Francis of Assisi); the tragedy
Juda Makab é,Shkodra 1923 (Judas Maccabaeus); Sh. Luigji Gonzaga,
Shkodra 1927 (St Aloysius of Gonzaga); and Jerina, ase mbretnesha e
luleve, Shkodra 1941 (Jerina or the queen of the flowers), the last of his
works to be published during his lifetime.
The national literature of Albania had been something of aTosk prerogative
-9-
until the arrival of Gjergj Fishta on the literary scene. He proved that
northern Albania could be an equal partner with the more advanced south
in the creation of anational culture. The acclaim of ‘The highland lute ’has
not been universal, though, in particular among Tosk critics. Some authors
have regarded his blending of oral and written literature as disastrous and
others have simply regarded such aliterary epic with avirtually
contemporary theme as an anachronism in the twentieth century. Only
time will tell whether Fishta can regain his position as ‘national poet ’after
half acentury of politically motivated oblivion.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, Gjergj Fishta was indeed
universally recognized as the ‘national poet. ’Austrian Albanologist
Maximilian Lambertz (1882-1963) described him as "the most ingenious
poet Albania has ever produced" and Gabriele D’Annu nzio called him "the
great poet of the glorious people of Albania." For others he was the
"Albanian Homer."
After the war, Fishta was nonetheless attacked and denigrated perhaps
more than any other pre-war writer and fell into prompt oblivion. The
national poet became an anathema. The official Tirana ‘History of Albanian
Literature ’of 1983, which carried the blessing of the Albanian Party of
Labour, restricted its treatment of Fishta to an absolute minimum: "The
main representative of this clergy, Gjergj Fishta (1871-1940), poet,
publicist, teacher and politician, ran the press of the Franciscan order and
dire cted the cultural and educational activities of this order for along time.
For him, the interests of the church and of religion rose above those of the
nation and the people, something he openly declared and defended with all
his demagogy and cynicism, [aprinciple] upon which he based his literary
work.
His main work, the epic poem, Lahuta eMal ësis ë(The highland lute), while
attacking the chauvinism of our northern neighbours, propagates anti-
Slavic feelings and makes the struggle against the Ottoman occupants
secondary. He raised ahymn to patriarchal ism and feudalism, to religious
obscurantism and clericalism, and speculated with patriotic sentiments
wherever it was aquestion of highlighting the events and figures of the
national history of our Rilindja period. His other works, such as the satirical
poem Gomari iBabatasit (Babatasi ’sass), in which public schooling and
democratic ideas were bitterly attacked, were characteristic of the savage
struggle undertaken by the Catholic church to maintain and increase its
influence in the intellectual life of the country. With his art, he
endeavoured to pay service to aform close to folklore. It was often
accompanied by prolixity, far-fetched effects, rhetoric, brutality of
expression and style to the point of banality, false arguments which he
intentional ly endeavours to impose, and an exceptionally conservative
attitude in the field of language. Fishta ended his days as amember of the
academy of fascist Italy."
until the arrival of Gjergj Fishta on the literary scene. He proved that
northern Albania could be an equal partner with the more advanced south
in the creation of anational culture. The acclaim of ‘The highland lute ’has
not been universal, though, in particular among Tosk critics. Some authors
have regarded his blending of oral and written literature as disastrous and
others have simply regarded such aliterary epic with avirtually
contemporary theme as an anachronism in the twentieth century. Only
time will tell whether Fishta can regain his position as ‘national poet ’after
half acentury of politically motivated oblivion.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, Gjergj Fishta was indeed
universally recognized as the ‘national poet. ’Austrian Albanologist
Maximilian Lambertz (1882-1963) described him as "the most ingenious
poet Albania has ever produced" and Gabriele D’Annu nzio called him "the
great poet of the glorious people of Albania." For others he was the
"Albanian Homer."
After the war, Fishta was nonetheless attacked and denigrated perhaps
more than any other pre-war writer and fell into prompt oblivion. The
national poet became an anathema. The official Tirana ‘History of Albanian
Literature ’of 1983, which carried the blessing of the Albanian Party of
Labour, restricted its treatment of Fishta to an absolute minimum: "The
main representative of this clergy, Gjergj Fishta (1871-1940), poet,
publicist, teacher and politician, ran the press of the Franciscan order and
dire cted the cultural and educational activities of this order for along time.
For him, the interests of the church and of religion rose above those of the
nation and the people, something he openly declared and defended with all
his demagogy and cynicism, [aprinciple] upon which he based his literary
work.
His main work, the epic poem, Lahuta eMal ësis ë(The highland lute), while
attacking the chauvinism of our northern neighbours, propagates anti-
Slavic feelings and makes the struggle against the Ottoman occupants
secondary. He raised ahymn to patriarchal ism and feudalism, to religious
obscurantism and clericalism, and speculated with patriotic sentiments
wherever it was aquestion of highlighting the events and figures of the
national history of our Rilindja period. His other works, such as the satirical
poem Gomari iBabatasit (Babatasi ’sass), in which public schooling and
democratic ideas were bitterly attacked, were characteristic of the savage
struggle undertaken by the Catholic church to maintain and increase its
influence in the intellectual life of the country. With his art, he
endeavoured to pay service to aform close to folklore. It was often
accompanied by prolixity, far-fetched effects, rhetoric, brutality of
expression and style to the point of banality, false arguments which he
intentional ly endeavours to impose, and an exceptionally conservative
attitude in the field of language. Fishta ended his days as amember of the
academy of fascist Italy."
-10 -
The real reason for Fishta ’sfall from grace after the ‘liberation ’in 1944 is
to be sought, however, not in his alleged pro-Italian or clerical proclivities,
but in the origins of the Albanian Communist Party itself. The ACP, later to
be called the Alban ian Party of Labour, had been founded during the
Second World War under the auspices of the Yugoslav envoys Dusan
Mugosa (1914-1973) and Miladin Popovic (1910-1945). In July 1946,
Albania and Yugoslavia signed aTreaty of Friendship, Co-operation and
Mutu al Assistance and anumber of other agreements which gave
Yugoslavia effective control over all Albanian affairs, including the field of
culture. Serbo-Croatian was introduced as acompulsory subject in all
Albanian high schools and by the spring of 1948, plans were even under
way for amerger of the two countries. It is no doubt the alleged anti-Slavic
sentiments expressed in ‘The highland lute ’which caused the work and its
author to be proscribed by the Yugoslav authorities, even though Fishta
was educ ated in Bosnia and inspired by Serbian and Croatian literature.
In fact, it is just as ridiculous to describe ‘The highland lute ’as anti-Slavic
propaganda as it would be to describe El Cid and the Chanson de Roland as
anti-Arab propaganda. They are all historical epics with heroes and foreign
enemies. The so-called anti-Slavic element in Fishta ’swork was also
stressed in the first post-war edition of the Great Soviet Encyclopaedia of
Moscow, which reads as follows (March 1950): "The literary activities of the
Catholic priest Gjergj Fishta reflect the role played by the Catholic clergy in
preparing for Italian aggression against Albania. As aformer agent of
Austro-Hungarian imperialism, Fishta, in the early years of his literary
activity, took aposition against the Slavic peoples who opposed the
rapacious plans of Austro-Hungarian imperialism in Albania. In his
chauvinistic, anti-Slavic poem ‘The highland lute, ’this spy extolled the
hostility of the Albanians towards the Slavic peoples, calling for an open
fight against the Slavs."
After relations with Yugoslavia were broken off in 1948, it is quite likely
that expressions of anti-Montenegrin or anti-Serb sentiment would no
longer have been considered amajor sin in Party thinking, but an official
position had been taken with regard to Fishta and, possibly with deference
to the new Slav allies in Moscow, it could not be renounced without a
scandal. Gjergj Fishta, who but afew years earlier had been lauded as the
national poet of Albania, disappeared from the literary scene, seeming ly
without atrace. Such was the fear of him in later years that his bones were
even dug up and secretly thrown into the river.
Yet despite four decades of unrelenting Party harping and propaganda
reducing Fishta to a‘clerical and fascist poet, ’the people of northern
Albania, and in particular the inhabitants of his native Shkodra, did not
forget him. After almost half acentury ,Gjergj Fishta was commemorated
openly for the first time on 5January 1991 in Shkodra. During the first
public recital of Fishta ’sworks in Albania in forty-five years, the actor at
one point hesitated in his lines and was immediately and spontaneously
assisted by members of the audience -who still knew many parts of ‘The
The real reason for Fishta ’sfall from grace after the ‘liberation ’in 1944 is
to be sought, however, not in his alleged pro-Italian or clerical proclivities,
but in the origins of the Albanian Communist Party itself. The ACP, later to
be called the Alban ian Party of Labour, had been founded during the
Second World War under the auspices of the Yugoslav envoys Dusan
Mugosa (1914-1973) and Miladin Popovic (1910-1945). In July 1946,
Albania and Yugoslavia signed aTreaty of Friendship, Co-operation and
Mutu al Assistance and anumber of other agreements which gave
Yugoslavia effective control over all Albanian affairs, including the field of
culture. Serbo-Croatian was introduced as acompulsory subject in all
Albanian high schools and by the spring of 1948, plans were even under
way for amerger of the two countries. It is no doubt the alleged anti-Slavic
sentiments expressed in ‘The highland lute ’which caused the work and its
author to be proscribed by the Yugoslav authorities, even though Fishta
was educ ated in Bosnia and inspired by Serbian and Croatian literature.
In fact, it is just as ridiculous to describe ‘The highland lute ’as anti-Slavic
propaganda as it would be to describe El Cid and the Chanson de Roland as
anti-Arab propaganda. They are all historical epics with heroes and foreign
enemies. The so-called anti-Slavic element in Fishta ’swork was also
stressed in the first post-war edition of the Great Soviet Encyclopaedia of
Moscow, which reads as follows (March 1950): "The literary activities of the
Catholic priest Gjergj Fishta reflect the role played by the Catholic clergy in
preparing for Italian aggression against Albania. As aformer agent of
Austro-Hungarian imperialism, Fishta, in the early years of his literary
activity, took aposition against the Slavic peoples who opposed the
rapacious plans of Austro-Hungarian imperialism in Albania. In his
chauvinistic, anti-Slavic poem ‘The highland lute, ’this spy extolled the
hostility of the Albanians towards the Slavic peoples, calling for an open
fight against the Slavs."
After relations with Yugoslavia were broken off in 1948, it is quite likely
that expressions of anti-Montenegrin or anti-Serb sentiment would no
longer have been considered amajor sin in Party thinking, but an official
position had been taken with regard to Fishta and, possibly with deference
to the new Slav allies in Moscow, it could not be renounced without a
scandal. Gjergj Fishta, who but afew years earlier had been lauded as the
national poet of Albania, disappeared from the literary scene, seeming ly
without atrace. Such was the fear of him in later years that his bones were
even dug up and secretly thrown into the river.
Yet despite four decades of unrelenting Party harping and propaganda
reducing Fishta to a‘clerical and fascist poet, ’the people of northern
Albania, and in particular the inhabitants of his native Shkodra, did not
forget him. After almost half acentury ,Gjergj Fishta was commemorated
openly for the first time on 5January 1991 in Shkodra. During the first
public recital of Fishta ’sworks in Albania in forty-five years, the actor at
one point hesitated in his lines and was immediately and spontaneously
assisted by members of the audience -who still knew many parts of ‘The
-11 -
highland lute ’by heart.
TheTheThe
The
Highland Highland Highland
Highland
lute lute lute
lute
(Lahuta (Lahuta (Lahuta
(Lahuta
eee
e
Malc Malc Malc
Malc
ííí
í
s)s)s)
s)
Canto 1
TheTheThe
The
bandits bandits bandits
bandits
(In 1858, despite four long centuries under the Turkish yoke, the Albanians
had not abandoned their will for freedom. The Tsar of Russia, hoping to
extend his influence in the Balkans, writes aletter to his friend, Prince
Nikolla of Montenegro, suggesting that the latter take possession of apiece
of northern Albania to keep the Turks on the defensive, and promising
assistance. The letter, borne over hill and dale by the Tsar ’spersonal
messenger, arrives at the court of Cetinje and finds favour with the
Montenegrin ruler who convinces the valiant Vulo Radoviqi, commander of
Vasoviqi, to ready his bandits to lay waste to Vranina on Lake Shkodra. )
5
10
15
20
25
30
Help me God as you once helped me,
Five hundred years are now behind us
Since Albania the fair was taken,
Since the Turks took and enslaved her,
Left in blood our wretched homeland,
Let her suffocate and wither
That she no more glimpse the sunlight.
That she ever live in sorrow,
That when beaten, she keep silent.
Mice within the walls wept for her,
Serpents under stones took pity!
But when asteer is first yoked under,
Oxbow weighing hard upon it,
There's no sense at all to goad it,
It will balk, not pull the ploughshare,
Only crisscross fields at fancy,
And make trouble for the farmer,
Will refuse to till the furrows
When alone or with another.
So it is with the Albanians,
Under foreign yoke unwilling
To be slaves, pay tithes and taxes.
Always have they wandered freely,
None but God above them knowing,
Never on their lands and pastures
Would they bow before amaster.
Never with the Turks agreeing
Never out of sight their rifles.
They waged war on them, were slaughtered,
Just as if with shkjas in battle.
Therefore, when the Turkish ora
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Canto 1
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(In 1858, despite four long centuries under the Turkish yoke, the Albanians
had not abandoned their will for freedom. The Tsar of Russia, hoping to
extend his influence in the Balkans, writes aletter to his friend, Prince
Nikolla of Montenegro, suggesting that the latter take possession of apiece
of northern Albania to keep the Turks on the defensive, and promising
assistance. The letter, borne over hill and dale by the Tsar ’spersonal
messenger, arrives at the court of Cetinje and finds favour with the
Montenegrin ruler who convinces the valiant Vulo Radoviqi, commander of
Vasoviqi, to ready his bandits to lay waste to Vranina on Lake Shkodra. )
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Help me God as you once helped me,
Five hundred years are now behind us
Since Albania the fair was taken,
Since the Turks took and enslaved her,
Left in blood our wretched homeland,
Let her suffocate and wither
That she no more glimpse the sunlight.
That she ever live in sorrow,
That when beaten, she keep silent.
Mice within the walls wept for her,
Serpents under stones took pity!
But when asteer is first yoked under,
Oxbow weighing hard upon it,
There's no sense at all to goad it,
It will balk, not pull the ploughshare,
Only crisscross fields at fancy,
And make trouble for the farmer,
Will refuse to till the furrows
When alone or with another.
So it is with the Albanians,
Under foreign yoke unwilling
To be slaves, pay tithes and taxes.
Always have they wandered freely,
None but God above them knowing,
Never on their lands and pastures
Would they bow before amaster.
Never with the Turks agreeing
Never out of sight their rifles.
They waged war on them, were slaughtered,
Just as if with shkjas in battle.
Therefore, when the Turkish ora
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Started to lose power, weaken,
When her drive began to crumble,
Russia day by day beset her
And the tribesmen of the Balkans
Began to flee the sultan's power,
Did the Albanians start to ponder
How to free their native country
From the Turkish yoke and make it
As when ruled by Castriota,
When Albanians lived in freedom,
Did not bow or show submission,
To aforeign king or sultan,
Did not pay them tithes and taxes.
And Albania's banner fluttered
Like the wings of all God's angels,
Like the bolts of lightning flashing,
Waving high upon their homeland.
But the Prince of Montenegro,
Prince Nikolla the foolhardy,
Yes, foolhardy, but anuisance,
Gathered weapons, gathered soldiers
To attack and take Albania,
To subdue the plains and mountains
Down the length of the Drin river,
Right down to Rozafat's fortress,
There to plant his trobojnica
Place on Shkodra his kapica
Make it part of Montenegro,
Leave abloodbath there behind him.
Sat the Turk there in astupor,
Teardrops from his eyes did tumble,
For the shkjas he could not counter
Now that Moscow had surrounded
Stamboul and besieged the city.
The Seven Kings, they did take counsel,
There they talked and pondered evil,
-may their evil thoughts consume them! -
To deliver fair Albania
To the hands of Montenegro.
To their feet rose the Albanians,
Deftly girded on their weapons,
Swore an oath to the Almighty
Like that once sworn by their fathers
In the age of Castriota,
Some with shoes and others barefoot,
Locked their flocks in pen and corral,
Some with food and others hungry,
Left their sisters, wives and mothers,
Their eyes tinder, hearts gunpowder,
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Started to lose power, weaken,
When her drive began to crumble,
Russia day by day beset her
And the tribesmen of the Balkans
Began to flee the sultan's power,
Did the Albanians start to ponder
How to free their native country
From the Turkish yoke and make it
As when ruled by Castriota,
When Albanians lived in freedom,
Did not bow or show submission,
To aforeign king or sultan,
Did not pay them tithes and taxes.
And Albania's banner fluttered
Like the wings of all God's angels,
Like the bolts of lightning flashing,
Waving high upon their homeland.
But the Prince of Montenegro,
Prince Nikolla the foolhardy,
Yes, foolhardy, but anuisance,
Gathered weapons, gathered soldiers
To attack and take Albania,
To subdue the plains and mountains
Down the length of the Drin river,
Right down to Rozafat's fortress,
There to plant his trobojnica
Place on Shkodra his kapica
Make it part of Montenegro,
Leave abloodbath there behind him.
Sat the Turk there in astupor,
Teardrops from his eyes did tumble,
For the shkjas he could not counter
Now that Moscow had surrounded
Stamboul and besieged the city.
The Seven Kings, they did take counsel,
There they talked and pondered evil,
-may their evil thoughts consume them! -
To deliver fair Albania
To the hands of Montenegro.
To their feet rose the Albanians,
Deftly girded on their weapons,
Swore an oath to the Almighty
Like that once sworn by their fathers
In the age of Castriota,
Some with shoes and others barefoot,
Locked their flocks in pen and corral,
Some with food and others hungry,
Left their sisters, wives and mothers,
Their eyes tinder, hearts gunpowder,
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Like asnowstorm in afury
Did they set on Montenegro.
By the Cem that was the border,
There the heroes did do battle,
There Albanian, shkja in combat
Fought and slaughtered one another,
They grappled, wounded, slew each other,
On the ground were heaps of bodies
Left as food for kites and vultures.
Handsome youths lay strewn all over,
All those mountain hawks, the heroes.
Nor did their poor mothers mourn them
For with suckling breasts themselves
They'd driven back the shkja invaders.
Once the shkja advance was broken
Did the Albanians hold assembly,
Sent stern message to the sultan
That they'd pay no tithes and taxes
Neither to that Prince Nikolla
Nor to Stamboul, to the sultan
They'd no longer show submission,
They now wanted independence,
For Albania was not fashioned,
Made by God for the Circassians,
Nor for Turks, their Moors and Asians,
But for mountain hawks, those heroes
Whom the world calls the Albanians,
That they keep it for their children
For as long as life continues.
When the Turk had read the message
He was filled with rage and anger.
How he set upon the land to
Eat them up alive, those tribesmen.
But the Albanians were resolved
He'd not devour or invade them.
They had come to adecision,
For their land they'd muster courage,
If attacked by king or sultan.
Thus the Turk and the Albanian
Seized each others' throats and strangled,
Smashed each others' skulls to pieces,
Crushed them like so many pumpkins!
Fire broke out then in the Balkans.
The shkja, in anguish that Albania,
Freed now of the sultan's power,
Might not fall into his clutches
As he had foreseen the matter,
Set upon the Turk like lightning,
Like the wild boar with the jackal.
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Like asnowstorm in afury
Did they set on Montenegro.
By the Cem that was the border,
There the heroes did do battle,
There Albanian, shkja in combat
Fought and slaughtered one another,
They grappled, wounded, slew each other,
On the ground were heaps of bodies
Left as food for kites and vultures.
Handsome youths lay strewn all over,
All those mountain hawks, the heroes.
Nor did their poor mothers mourn them
For with suckling breasts themselves
They'd driven back the shkja invaders.
Once the shkja advance was broken
Did the Albanians hold assembly,
Sent stern message to the sultan
That they'd pay no tithes and taxes
Neither to that Prince Nikolla
Nor to Stamboul, to the sultan
They'd no longer show submission,
They now wanted independence,
For Albania was not fashioned,
Made by God for the Circassians,
Nor for Turks, their Moors and Asians,
But for mountain hawks, those heroes
Whom the world calls the Albanians,
That they keep it for their children
For as long as life continues.
When the Turk had read the message
He was filled with rage and anger.
How he set upon the land to
Eat them up alive, those tribesmen.
But the Albanians were resolved
He'd not devour or invade them.
They had come to adecision,
For their land they'd muster courage,
If attacked by king or sultan.
Thus the Turk and the Albanian
Seized each others' throats and strangled,
Smashed each others' skulls to pieces,
Crushed them like so many pumpkins!
Fire broke out then in the Balkans.
The shkja, in anguish that Albania,
Freed now of the sultan's power,
Might not fall into his clutches
As he had foreseen the matter,
Set upon the Turk like lightning,
Like the wild boar with the jackal.
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They did haggle and did grapple,
Scuffled, wrestled, bit and murdered,
Rifles volleyed, cannons battered,
Blood in torrents swashed the clearings,
Over fields and through the thickets,
'Til at last, midst din and clamour,
Of the Turkish yoke released,
As she'd wanted, was Albania,
Free at last, as God had promised,
But no, brothers, do believe me,
Not as Turk or shkja would have it.
That the Turk begrudged our freedom
Ican understand, but don't know
What got into Prince Nikolla,
Forcing to submit Albanians,
Crush them under heel, enslave them,
And to seize that land where once
In ancient times Gjergj Castriota
Brandished in aflash his sabre.
Nor did he show shame or sorrow
That he'd caused the two such bloodshed,
Both Albania and Montenegro.
Moscow gave him heart and courage!
In Petrograd the Tsar of Russia
Took an oath before his people,
To be heard by young and old there
Not to celebrate aChristmas,
Not to take part as godfather
In baptisms or in weddings,
Not to wash or comb his hair more,
Not to take part in assemblies,
Ere he'd entered into Stamboul,
Ere he'd made himself the sultan,
Ruler over land and water,
Cut off all of Europe's trade routes,
Banning all their sales and buying,
Letting no one start atrade up,
Holding Europe in his power.
Should she even seize abreadcrumb,
She would end up in his clutches,
Captive in his bloodstained clutches,
Which were deft at theft and stealing!
But the sly old fox was clever,
Cheater in both words and letters,
One whose falseness knew no equal,
He knew well what lay before him,
No light task to enter Stamboul,
No light task subjecting Turkey
Without his own neck in peril.
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They did haggle and did grapple,
Scuffled, wrestled, bit and murdered,
Rifles volleyed, cannons battered,
Blood in torrents swashed the clearings,
Over fields and through the thickets,
'Til at last, midst din and clamour,
Of the Turkish yoke released,
As she'd wanted, was Albania,
Free at last, as God had promised,
But no, brothers, do believe me,
Not as Turk or shkja would have it.
That the Turk begrudged our freedom
Ican understand, but don't know
What got into Prince Nikolla,
Forcing to submit Albanians,
Crush them under heel, enslave them,
And to seize that land where once
In ancient times Gjergj Castriota
Brandished in aflash his sabre.
Nor did he show shame or sorrow
That he'd caused the two such bloodshed,
Both Albania and Montenegro.
Moscow gave him heart and courage!
In Petrograd the Tsar of Russia
Took an oath before his people,
To be heard by young and old there
Not to celebrate aChristmas,
Not to take part as godfather
In baptisms or in weddings,
Not to wash or comb his hair more,
Not to take part in assemblies,
Ere he'd entered into Stamboul,
Ere he'd made himself the sultan,
Ruler over land and water,
Cut off all of Europe's trade routes,
Banning all their sales and buying,
Letting no one start atrade up,
Holding Europe in his power.
Should she even seize abreadcrumb,
She would end up in his clutches,
Captive in his bloodstained clutches,
Which were deft at theft and stealing!
But the sly old fox was clever,
Cheater in both words and letters,
One whose falseness knew no equal,
He knew well what lay before him,
No light task to enter Stamboul,
No light task subjecting Turkey
Without his own neck in peril.
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So he schemed and started plotting,
Set the Slavs upon the Turks, to
Have the Balkan shkjas attack them,
Get accounts cleared with the sultan,
Let them first solve all their problems,
Troublemaking and deception,
Then from Russia would he come forth,
Lunging like abear in ambush,
And attack the Turks like lightning
To eradicate, destroy them,
Never did he once consider
That his deeds might plunge the planet
Altogether into mourning...
When the tsar had finished scheming,
Did he go back into his chamber,
At his desk he wrote aletter,
Wrote anote to friends in Serbia,
Friends in Zagreb and in Sofia,
That the shkjas should all join forces
From Budapest to Çanakkale,
All as one should work together,
Keep at bay the sultan, harried,
Keep him worried and incited,
Day and night they were to hound him
On his roads and at his borders,
Make demands and ultimatums,
That their actions seem haphazard,
Though designed to cause his downfall.
Thereupon, this Slavic scion
Wrote aletter to Cetinje,
To the prince with all the details,
There to spin his web and swindle:
"Greetings to you, Prince Nikolla
Greetings from the Tsar of Russia,
I've heard of your reputation,
Heard you're quite adaring fellow
Heard you are askilful speaker,
Foes, they say, pale at your shadow.
But, it seems, such praise is groundless
For you sit there in Cetinje
On the rocks with half asandal,
Alaughingstock the world has made you,
You bring shame to friends and in-laws,
You go begging, plead for breadcrumbs,
While the Turk who is your neighbour,
On his haughty brow aturban,
Heavy pleats are in his trousers,
He's devoid of care or worry.
If you look, you cannot see him,
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So he schemed and started plotting,
Set the Slavs upon the Turks, to
Have the Balkan shkjas attack them,
Get accounts cleared with the sultan,
Let them first solve all their problems,
Troublemaking and deception,
Then from Russia would he come forth,
Lunging like abear in ambush,
And attack the Turks like lightning
To eradicate, destroy them,
Never did he once consider
That his deeds might plunge the planet
Altogether into mourning...
When the tsar had finished scheming,
Did he go back into his chamber,
At his desk he wrote aletter,
Wrote anote to friends in Serbia,
Friends in Zagreb and in Sofia,
That the shkjas should all join forces
From Budapest to Çanakkale,
All as one should work together,
Keep at bay the sultan, harried,
Keep him worried and incited,
Day and night they were to hound him
On his roads and at his borders,
Make demands and ultimatums,
That their actions seem haphazard,
Though designed to cause his downfall.
Thereupon, this Slavic scion
Wrote aletter to Cetinje,
To the prince with all the details,
There to spin his web and swindle:
"Greetings to you, Prince Nikolla
Greetings from the Tsar of Russia,
I've heard of your reputation,
Heard you're quite adaring fellow
Heard you are askilful speaker,
Foes, they say, pale at your shadow.
But, it seems, such praise is groundless
For you sit there in Cetinje
On the rocks with half asandal,
Alaughingstock the world has made you,
You bring shame to friends and in-laws,
You go begging, plead for breadcrumbs,
While the Turk who is your neighbour,
On his haughty brow aturban,
Heavy pleats are in his trousers,
He's devoid of care or worry.
If you look, you cannot see him,
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Mounds of pilaf piled before him.
Say, have you been mutilated?
Or been somewhere earning wages
Or been serving as afarmhand
That of you we've lost all traces?
No, good man, it's not becoming
For the bandit of Cetinje
To remain at home compliant
And help women with their spinning.
Have you never glimpsed Albania,
Seen all those majestic mountains,
Viewed the verdant fields and lowlands?
Have you never ventured out
To carve yourself apiece of land there?
Why then sit around and daydream?
If you don't get yourself moving,
Saint Nich'las and God won't help you.
If you act, luck will be with you,
As the ancient saying has it.
As for rations and for weapons,
Ask me and I'll give them to you.
Come on, put on your kapica.
Should the sultan try to harm you,
I'll not let him touch afeather."
Thus the tsar wrote his epistle,
Taking great care, did he fold it,
Fold it and with dark wax seal it,
Giving it to his young herald,
For the prince of Montenegro.
In his breast the herald placed it,
Limbered up and started running,
Left the plains and dales behind him,
Crossed the lofty mountain pastures,
Forded rivers, mountain torrents,
Travelled over land and water,
'Til one day, while running westwards,
Did he finally reach Cetinje,
Tattered jacket, shredded sandals,
Did he give the prince the letter
Which the tsar with wax had folded.
The prince received it, broke it open,
Opened it and read the letter,
Three times did the prince peruse it,
Three days long he pondered on it.
Thereupon he sent amessage,
Summoned Vulo Radoviqi,
Commander of the Vasoviqi,
That he come down to Cetinje,
Notwithstanding roads and weather.
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Mounds of pilaf piled before him.
Say, have you been mutilated?
Or been somewhere earning wages
Or been serving as afarmhand
That of you we've lost all traces?
No, good man, it's not becoming
For the bandit of Cetinje
To remain at home compliant
And help women with their spinning.
Have you never glimpsed Albania,
Seen all those majestic mountains,
Viewed the verdant fields and lowlands?
Have you never ventured out
To carve yourself apiece of land there?
Why then sit around and daydream?
If you don't get yourself moving,
Saint Nich'las and God won't help you.
If you act, luck will be with you,
As the ancient saying has it.
As for rations and for weapons,
Ask me and I'll give them to you.
Come on, put on your kapica.
Should the sultan try to harm you,
I'll not let him touch afeather."
Thus the tsar wrote his epistle,
Taking great care, did he fold it,
Fold it and with dark wax seal it,
Giving it to his young herald,
For the prince of Montenegro.
In his breast the herald placed it,
Limbered up and started running,
Left the plains and dales behind him,
Crossed the lofty mountain pastures,
Forded rivers, mountain torrents,
Travelled over land and water,
'Til one day, while running westwards,
Did he finally reach Cetinje,
Tattered jacket, shredded sandals,
Did he give the prince the letter
Which the tsar with wax had folded.
The prince received it, broke it open,
Opened it and read the letter,
Three times did the prince peruse it,
Three days long he pondered on it.
Thereupon he sent amessage,
Summoned Vulo Radoviqi,
Commander of the Vasoviqi,
That he come down to Cetinje,
Notwithstanding roads and weather.
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Like agoshawk did he fly there
Off to meet the gospodari.
Vulo the Commander, summoned,
Had once been awily hero,
Earth itself could hardly hold him,
None went raiding there without him,
Sans his word was nothing taken,
Nor was murder 'venged without him,
Nor could maidens ever marry,
Nor was judgment ever taken.
And the Turks of Montenegro,
He was at them like an eagle,
Kept their heads bowed in submission.
Once, this Slavic scion set out
On the road down to Cetinje,
There opened awoollen blanket,
Stretched it out across the roadway,
Far and wide he told the people
That no Turk of Montenegro
Was to cross it without paying
Toll and poll tax of one ducat.
That was quite afeat of daring,
Made him famed throughout the country.
Vulo's glance was like awindstorm
And his eyes, they flashed with fire,
His thick eyebrows like an oxbow
Bristled roughly like aboar hide,
Ear to ear his branch-like whiskers,
Like two ravens in anoose caught,
Tall, his head reached to the ceiling.
Such aman, if you had see him,
With his garments, shoes and weapons,
You'd have thought he were adrangue,
And the prince did dearly love him,
Loved that Vulo, listened to him
For he was aclever thinker,
Was aman of keen perception.
Therefore did the prince call for him
That he hasten to Cetinje.
Thus came Vulo to Cetinje,
Notwithstanding roads and weather,
Like agoshawk did he fly there.
When Vulo had reached Cetinje
Warmly did the prince receive him,
Took him in and paid him honour,
Offered him tobacco, coffee.
Then began the conversation:
"Where've you been, Vulo, you rascal?
Like alonesome wolf you've vanished,
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Like agoshawk did he fly there
Off to meet the gospodari.
Vulo the Commander, summoned,
Had once been awily hero,
Earth itself could hardly hold him,
None went raiding there without him,
Sans his word was nothing taken,
Nor was murder 'venged without him,
Nor could maidens ever marry,
Nor was judgment ever taken.
And the Turks of Montenegro,
He was at them like an eagle,
Kept their heads bowed in submission.
Once, this Slavic scion set out
On the road down to Cetinje,
There opened awoollen blanket,
Stretched it out across the roadway,
Far and wide he told the people
That no Turk of Montenegro
Was to cross it without paying
Toll and poll tax of one ducat.
That was quite afeat of daring,
Made him famed throughout the country.
Vulo's glance was like awindstorm
And his eyes, they flashed with fire,
His thick eyebrows like an oxbow
Bristled roughly like aboar hide,
Ear to ear his branch-like whiskers,
Like two ravens in anoose caught,
Tall, his head reached to the ceiling.
Such aman, if you had see him,
With his garments, shoes and weapons,
You'd have thought he were adrangue,
And the prince did dearly love him,
Loved that Vulo, listened to him
For he was aclever thinker,
Was aman of keen perception.
Therefore did the prince call for him
That he hasten to Cetinje.
Thus came Vulo to Cetinje,
Notwithstanding roads and weather,
Like agoshawk did he fly there.
When Vulo had reached Cetinje
Warmly did the prince receive him,
Took him in and paid him honour,
Offered him tobacco, coffee.
Then began the conversation:
"Where've you been, Vulo, you rascal?
Like alonesome wolf you've vanished,
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Never come here to Cetinje
Where you've friends, blood-brothers waiting,
Who above all else do love you.
How're you faring, any problems?
How are things in Vasoviqi?"
"You Iwish long life, God willing,"
Turned and spoke Commander Vulo,
"This year for us, gospodari,
The harvest has not been abundant,
Much bad weather have we suffered
Idon't know what now will happen,
How I'll save my farm and family,
For our stocks of food are dwindling."
"Oh, come on," the prince responded,
"Has abandit ever hungered?
Is afalcon ever meatless?
You can bring in double harvest,
All you need's abit of booty
To sustain your cows and oxen
And to feed your tribe and village,
Not to mention home and family.
Hark my words, Commander Vulo,
Listen to the gospodari,
Find some thugs as mean as serpents,
But as light and swift as goshawks,
Lie in wait among the bushes,
Then go pounce upon Vranina,
Kill and slaughter all you find there,
Burn the houses all to ashes,
Rustle all the spoils around them,
Loot and ransack, pillage, pilfer,
Both by daytime or by nighttime.
This is why Isent the message,
Summoned you here to Cetinje
For I'm once more feeling tempted
With the Turks to start ascuffle,
Fight the Turks and decimate them,
For it seems to me improper
Turks and shkjas should sit together."
So the prince explained the matter,
Convinced him of all the details,
Both of them went on discussing
How to act, what they would need to
Bathe in blood the town Vranina.
When the two had reached agreement,
The prince did bid him stay for dinner,
And some money did he give him
And amuzzle-loading flintlock,
Stock of which was silver-coated,
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375
Never come here to Cetinje
Where you've friends, blood-brothers waiting,
Who above all else do love you.
How're you faring, any problems?
How are things in Vasoviqi?"
"You Iwish long life, God willing,"
Turned and spoke Commander Vulo,
"This year for us, gospodari,
The harvest has not been abundant,
Much bad weather have we suffered
Idon't know what now will happen,
How I'll save my farm and family,
For our stocks of food are dwindling."
"Oh, come on," the prince responded,
"Has abandit ever hungered?
Is afalcon ever meatless?
You can bring in double harvest,
All you need's abit of booty
To sustain your cows and oxen
And to feed your tribe and village,
Not to mention home and family.
Hark my words, Commander Vulo,
Listen to the gospodari,
Find some thugs as mean as serpents,
But as light and swift as goshawks,
Lie in wait among the bushes,
Then go pounce upon Vranina,
Kill and slaughter all you find there,
Burn the houses all to ashes,
Rustle all the spoils around them,
Loot and ransack, pillage, pilfer,
Both by daytime or by nighttime.
This is why Isent the message,
Summoned you here to Cetinje
For I'm once more feeling tempted
With the Turks to start ascuffle,
Fight the Turks and decimate them,
For it seems to me improper
Turks and shkjas should sit together."
So the prince explained the matter,
Convinced him of all the details,
Both of them went on discussing
How to act, what they would need to
Bathe in blood the town Vranina.
When the two had reached agreement,
The prince did bid him stay for dinner,
And some money did he give him
And amuzzle-loading flintlock,
Stock of which was silver-coated,
-
19
-
[
Kangëeparë
-
Cubat,fromthevolumeLahutaeMalc
í
s,Shkodra,1937,p.3-15,translatedby
RobertElsie
]
Nga:http://www.shkoder.net/en/fishta.htm
380
385
UnequalledinMontenegro,
Evenonashelfitscaresyou,
Allthemorewhenwithafighter,
AllthemorewhenheldbyVulo,
Withhisteethhe'dbitethroughiron.
Vulo,tohisfeetthenrising,
BadefarewelltoPrinceNikolla
Anddepartedforthemountains.
OnhiswaydidVuloponder
HowtolaywastetoVranina,
Astheprincehadbidhimdoso.
19
-
[
Kangëeparë
-
Cubat,fromthevolumeLahutaeMalc
í
s,Shkodra,1937,p.3-15,translatedby
RobertElsie
]
Nga:http://www.shkoder.net/en/fishta.htm
380
385
UnequalledinMontenegro,
Evenonashelfitscaresyou,
Allthemorewhenwithafighter,
AllthemorewhenheldbyVulo,
Withhisteethhe'dbitethroughiron.
Vulo,tohisfeetthenrising,
BadefarewelltoPrinceNikolla
Anddepartedforthemountains.
OnhiswaydidVuloponder
HowtolaywastetoVranina,
Astheprincehadbidhimdoso.
-20 -
1937 1937 1937
1937
Fishta Fishta Fishta
Fishta
Kanga Kanga Kanga
Kanga
///
/
Canto Canto Canto
Canto
5.5.5.
5.
391-465 391-465 391-465
391-465
1937 1937 1937
1937
|||
|
Gjergj Gjergj Gjergj
Gjergj
Fishta: Fishta: Fishta:
Fishta:
Lahuta Lahuta Lahuta
Lahuta
eee
e
Malc Malc Malc
Malc
ííí
í
sss
s
///
/
TheTheThe
The
Highland Highland Highland
Highland
Lute Lute Lute
Lute
Kanga Kanga Kanga
Kanga
///
/
Canto Canto Canto
Canto
5.5.5.
5.
391-465 391-465 391-465
391-465
Por, s'din Shkjau me mbajt ëmiqs í!
But the shkjas don't value friendship!
Aman, Zot, kur duel Serdari,
Lo, when the Commander got there,
Se ç'kje ndez ëVranina zhari!
All Vranina was abonfire.
1937 1937 1937
1937
Fishta Fishta Fishta
Fishta
Kanga Kanga Kanga
Kanga
///
/
Canto Canto Canto
Canto
5.5.5.
5.
391-465 391-465 391-465
391-465
1937 1937 1937
1937
|||
|
Gjergj Gjergj Gjergj
Gjergj
Fishta: Fishta: Fishta:
Fishta:
Lahuta Lahuta Lahuta
Lahuta
eee
e
Malc Malc Malc
Malc
ííí
í
sss
s
///
/
TheTheThe
The
Highland Highland Highland
Highland
Lute Lute Lute
Lute
Kanga Kanga Kanga
Kanga
///
/
Canto Canto Canto
Canto
5.5.5.
5.
391-465 391-465 391-465
391-465
Por, s'din Shkjau me mbajt ëmiqs í!
But the shkjas don't value friendship!
Aman, Zot, kur duel Serdari,
Lo, when the Commander got there,
Se ç'kje ndez ëVranina zhari!
All Vranina was abonfire.
-21 -
Aman, Zot, kur mrr îni Pera,
Lo, when Pera reached the battle,
395 Se shum krisi atbot ëpotera!
There was such adin and uproar.
Por kur ránShkj éteVranin ës
Albanians from the rear were fired on
Shum ukrisi plumja shpin ës!
When Vranina's shkjas came fighting.
Porsi shé,qi m' nji nat ëgjâmet
As atorrent in anight storm
Rritet turr edel prej âmet
Overflows its banks and rises,
400 Tuj ushtue -etue shkumue,
When it foams and when it rages,
Shkaperderdhet nper zallina,
Flooding over beds of gravel,
Asht ûuderdh Shkjau te Vranina,
So the shkjas poured through Vranina,
N' val ëShqyptar ëtkrejt tue ipersh î.
In awave submerged Albanians.
S' lufton ndryshe errebt ëkulshetra
Thus does fight the fierce kulshedra
405 Eme dh âmb ëedh ème kthetra,
With its teeth and claws a-lashing,
Zjarm esurfull tue flakrue,
Spewing fire, fomenting sulphur,
Kur drangojt t'aken ërrethue;
When surrounded by the drangues.
Si iqindron sod Shkjaut Shqyptari
Thus the Albanians, shkjas resisting,
Per dh ét'amel, qi ilaiPari:
For the sweet land of their fathers,
410 Kâmb ëper kâmb ë,tuj qit ëpádá,
Shoulders in aphalanx battled,
Aman, Zot, kur mrr îni Pera,
Lo, when Pera reached the battle,
395 Se shum krisi atbot ëpotera!
There was such adin and uproar.
Por kur ránShkj éteVranin ës
Albanians from the rear were fired on
Shum ukrisi plumja shpin ës!
When Vranina's shkjas came fighting.
Porsi shé,qi m' nji nat ëgjâmet
As atorrent in anight storm
Rritet turr edel prej âmet
Overflows its banks and rises,
400 Tuj ushtue -etue shkumue,
When it foams and when it rages,
Shkaperderdhet nper zallina,
Flooding over beds of gravel,
Asht ûuderdh Shkjau te Vranina,
So the shkjas poured through Vranina,
N' val ëShqyptar ëtkrejt tue ipersh î.
In awave submerged Albanians.
S' lufton ndryshe errebt ëkulshetra
Thus does fight the fierce kulshedra
405 Eme dh âmb ëedh ème kthetra,
With its teeth and claws a-lashing,
Zjarm esurfull tue flakrue,
Spewing fire, fomenting sulphur,
Kur drangojt t'aken ërrethue;
When surrounded by the drangues.
Si iqindron sod Shkjaut Shqyptari
Thus the Albanians, shkjas resisting,
Per dh ét'amel, qi ilaiPari:
For the sweet land of their fathers,
410 Kâmb ëper kâmb ë,tuj qit ëpádá,
Shoulders in aphalanx battled,
-22 -
Tue korr ëkrena neper Shkj á.
Reaping heads among shkja fighters.
Ujan ëndezun flak ëbresh ânat ,
Spitting flames, fired their breshanas,
Ukullojn gjak n'dor ëtag ânat,
Blood dripped on their hands from sabres,
Eukullon gjak edh èzêmra,
In their hearts their pulse was pounding,
415 Ve çse vendit s'ulot thêmra.
Though their heels stood fast, unmoving.
Por ç'dob í:dielli tue lé
But to what end? Then the sun rose,
-Isht' tue lém' atdit ëper Shkj é!-
Rose that day for Slavic triumph,
Iránndore Shkjaut t'terbuem
Thirty dead and ten were injured,
Tridhjet ët'vrámedhet ët'shituem!...
To the rabid shkjas fell victim.
420 Oata t'lumt, qi dhane jeten,
Blessed those who gave their lives up,
Oata t'lumt, qi shkr îne veten,
Blessed those who sacrificed, who
Qi per Mbret evend tët'Parve,
Died for sultan and their birthplace,
Qi per erz ender ët'Shqyptarve
Died to save Albania's honour,
Derdhen gjakun tuj luftue,
Spilt their blood while doing battle,
425 Porsi t'Par ëtupa'n punue!
Fought as once had done their fathers.
Let ëukjoft ëmb ívorr ledina,
O'er their graves may grass grow gently,
But ëukjoshin moti estina,
May the seasons, years weigh lightly,
Tue korr ëkrena neper Shkj á.
Reaping heads among shkja fighters.
Ujan ëndezun flak ëbresh ânat ,
Spitting flames, fired their breshanas,
Ukullojn gjak n'dor ëtag ânat,
Blood dripped on their hands from sabres,
Eukullon gjak edh èzêmra,
In their hearts their pulse was pounding,
415 Ve çse vendit s'ulot thêmra.
Though their heels stood fast, unmoving.
Por ç'dob í:dielli tue lé
But to what end? Then the sun rose,
-Isht' tue lém' atdit ëper Shkj é!-
Rose that day for Slavic triumph,
Iránndore Shkjaut t'terbuem
Thirty dead and ten were injured,
Tridhjet ët'vrámedhet ët'shituem!...
To the rabid shkjas fell victim.
420 Oata t'lumt, qi dhane jeten,
Blessed those who gave their lives up,
Oata t'lumt, qi shkr îne veten,
Blessed those who sacrificed, who
Qi per Mbret evend tët'Parve,
Died for sultan and their birthplace,
Qi per erz ender ët'Shqyptarve
Died to save Albania's honour,
Derdhen gjakun tuj luftue,
Spilt their blood while doing battle,
425 Porsi t'Par ëtupa'n punue!
Fought as once had done their fathers.
Let ëukjoft ëmb ívorr ledina,
O'er their graves may grass grow gently,
But ëukjoshin moti estina,
May the seasons, years weigh lightly,
-23 -
Aklli, bora eserotina:
Ice and snow and rainstorm. For as
Edért'kndoje n'mal ndo 'iZânë,
Long as zanas sing in mountains,
430 Edért'ket ën'détujëerânë,
Long as seas have sand and water,
Dérsát'shndrisin diell ehânë,
Long as sun and moon are shining,
Ata kurr mos uharrojshin,
May they never be forgotten.
N' kâng ëen'valle por ukndojshin.
Let song, dance commemorate them.
Enjaj gjak, qi kan dikue,
All the blood that they did forfeit,
435 Bân, oZot, qi t'jes ëtue vlue
May God make it boil and bubble
Per m' iaxézêmren Shqyptarit,
Thus to hearten the Albanians
Per kah vendi egjûha et'Parit!
For their homeland and their language.
Po, váll! Osja kûdo t'jet ë?
But, oh where is Oso Kuka?
Oso Kuka amos kámbet ë?
Could it be that he has fallen?
440 N' Xhebehane kázatet ë!
He is holed up in the tower,
Kázatet ën'atkull ët'barotit,
In that powder tower hiding
Kûkábâêmrin eZotit,
And has sworn an oath to God that
Se per t'gjall ënuk kám' elshue,
He alive will not surrender,
Shok ëtevet per páipague
Settling score for all his comrades,
Aklli, bora eserotina:
Ice and snow and rainstorm. For as
Edért'kndoje n'mal ndo 'iZânë,
Long as zanas sing in mountains,
430 Edért'ket ën'détujëerânë,
Long as seas have sand and water,
Dérsát'shndrisin diell ehânë,
Long as sun and moon are shining,
Ata kurr mos uharrojshin,
May they never be forgotten.
N' kâng ëen'valle por ukndojshin.
Let song, dance commemorate them.
Enjaj gjak, qi kan dikue,
All the blood that they did forfeit,
435 Bân, oZot, qi t'jes ëtue vlue
May God make it boil and bubble
Per m' iaxézêmren Shqyptarit,
Thus to hearten the Albanians
Per kah vendi egjûha et'Parit!
For their homeland and their language.
Po, váll! Osja kûdo t'jet ë?
But, oh where is Oso Kuka?
Oso Kuka amos kámbet ë?
Could it be that he has fallen?
440 N' Xhebehane kázatet ë!
He is holed up in the tower,
Kázatet ën'atkull ët'barotit,
In that powder tower hiding
Kûkábâêmrin eZotit,
And has sworn an oath to God that
Se per t'gjall ënuk kám' elshue,
He alive will not surrender,
Shok ëtevet per páipague
Settling score for all his comrades,
-24 -
445 Tridhet ët'vrámedhet ët'shitue.
Thirty dead and ten there injured.
Kur pau Shkjau se pushka mêni
When the shkjas heard wane the firing
Si kah vau, sikah Liq êni,
At the ford and at the lakeside,
Ese mbet ës'kisht' Oso Kuka
Noted missing Oso Kuka
Me tjer ët'vrám, perjasht ëke suka,
'mongst the dead around the hillock,
450 M' Xhebehane uturr m' athera,
They at once attacked the tower.
Si, kur t'lshoj ëkah Prendvera,
As when at the start of springtime
Vrullet bleta çark njaj zgjonit,
Bees swarm out around the beehive,
Tue zukat ësirryma eprronit.
Humming like the brooks and currents.
N' brohor ítue ilut ëjet ëKnjazit
Thus, ahundred on the rooftop,
455 Njiqind vet ëkcyen m' kulm t'pullazit,
Cried: "Long live the Prince!" rejoicing,
Mât'permendunt kah trimnija,
While the most courageous of them
Njaq unjiten mbi frangija,
Scrambled up to the embrasures,
Tue thye muret n'gjak t'perlyeme:
Breaching bloodied walls and fences.
-Por kágioben shpija ethyeme! -
"All housebreaking must be paid for,"
460 Krisi Osja atbot ësiulâni,
Roared out Oso like alion,
Mje m' Cetin ëivojti zâni:
445 Tridhet ët'vrámedhet ët'shitue.
Thirty dead and ten there injured.
Kur pau Shkjau se pushka mêni
When the shkjas heard wane the firing
Si kah vau, sikah Liq êni,
At the ford and at the lakeside,
Ese mbet ës'kisht' Oso Kuka
Noted missing Oso Kuka
Me tjer ët'vrám, perjasht ëke suka,
'mongst the dead around the hillock,
450 M' Xhebehane uturr m' athera,
They at once attacked the tower.
Si, kur t'lshoj ëkah Prendvera,
As when at the start of springtime
Vrullet bleta çark njaj zgjonit,
Bees swarm out around the beehive,
Tue zukat ësirryma eprronit.
Humming like the brooks and currents.
N' brohor ítue ilut ëjet ëKnjazit
Thus, ahundred on the rooftop,
455 Njiqind vet ëkcyen m' kulm t'pullazit,
Cried: "Long live the Prince!" rejoicing,
Mât'permendunt kah trimnija,
While the most courageous of them
Njaq unjiten mbi frangija,
Scrambled up to the embrasures,
Tue thye muret n'gjak t'perlyeme:
Breaching bloodied walls and fences.
-Por kágioben shpija ethyeme! -
"All housebreaking must be paid for,"
460 Krisi Osja atbot ësiulâni,
Roared out Oso like alion,
Mje m' Cetin ëivojti zâni:
-
25
-
http://www.albanianlanguage.net/en/fishta.html
1937Fishta
Kanga/Canto13.1-77
[EnglishtranslationbyRobertElsieandJaniceMathie-Heck]
ToCetinjehisvoiceechoed:
"Ahkadalë,Nikollë,t'vraftëZoti!
"Carefulnow,youdamnedNikolla,
Psektû
i
thonë
Osobaroti
:
HeretheycallmePowderOso,
Ses'képáShqyptá
r
mesy,
Neveryou'veseenanAlbanian
465 Sedjegëvehtenedhè
t
ý
!"
Blowhimselfupandyouwithhim."
25
-
http://www.albanianlanguage.net/en/fishta.html
1937Fishta
Kanga/Canto13.1-77
[EnglishtranslationbyRobertElsieandJaniceMathie-Heck]
ToCetinjehisvoiceechoed:
"Ahkadalë,Nikollë,t'vraftëZoti!
"Carefulnow,youdamnedNikolla,
Psektû
i
thonë
Osobaroti
:
HeretheycallmePowderOso,
Ses'képáShqyptá
r
mesy,
Neveryou'veseenanAlbanian
465 Sedjegëvehtenedhè
t
ý
!"
Blowhimselfupandyouwithhim."
-
26
-
193719371937
1937
|||
|
GjergjGjergjGjergj
Gjergj
Fishta:Fishta:Fishta:
Fishta:
LahutaLahutaLahuta
Lahuta
eee
e
MalcMalcMalc
Malc
ííí
í
sss
s
///
/
TheTheThe
The
HighlandHighlandHighland
Highland
LuteLuteLute
Lute
KangaKangaKanga
Kanga
///
/
CantoCantoCanto
Canto
13.13.13.
13.
1-771-771-77
1-77
Prendoidielli,n'qiellduelhâna,
Intheskythesunset,moonrose,
N'VeleçikpopingronZâna:
OnVeleçikchirpedthezana:
Ehu!jumaleteShqypn
í
s,
"Oh,youmountainsofAlbania,
N't'cillatstrukëshqypjaelir
í
s
193719371937FishtaFishtaFishta
KangaKangaKanga///CantoCantoCanto13.13.13.1-771-771-77
26
-
193719371937
1937
|||
|
GjergjGjergjGjergj
Gjergj
Fishta:Fishta:Fishta:
Fishta:
LahutaLahutaLahuta
Lahuta
eee
e
MalcMalcMalc
Malc
ííí
í
sss
s
///
/
TheTheThe
The
HighlandHighlandHighland
Highland
LuteLuteLute
Lute
KangaKangaKanga
Kanga
///
/
CantoCantoCanto
Canto
13.13.13.
13.
1-771-771-77
1-77
Prendoidielli,n'qiellduelhâna,
Intheskythesunset,moonrose,
N'VeleçikpopingronZâna:
OnVeleçikchirpedthezana:
Ehu!jumaleteShqypn
í
s,
"Oh,youmountainsofAlbania,
N't'cillatstrukëshqypjaelir
í
s
193719371937FishtaFishtaFishta
KangaKangaKanga///CantoCantoCanto13.13.13.1-771-771-77
-27 -
On which once perched freedom's eagle,
05 N' t'bardhat koh ëqi kan prendue
In that golden age now vanished,
S' lête anmik, jo, me iuafrue!
You let not the foe approach you.
Edi shpat edi edhe prrue,
Both the slopes and torrents know it,
Edi land ëedi edhe gúr,
Both the woods and cliffs bear witness,
Shqyptar ískryq eterthuer,
How much blood the foe left flowing
10 Se sa gjak atbot ëianmikut
Everywhere, throughout our homeland,
Vojti rrkaj ëprej t'bardh ëçelikut,
Blood spilt by aflashing sabre
Qi flakote n'dor ët'Shqyptarit
Brandished by Albania's fighters,
Porsi rrfeja majes s'Sharit.
Lightning from the peaks of Sharri.
Akisht' mujt ëkurr n'at koh ët'lume,
Were marauding hands e'er able
15 (Me lot gjakut sod t'lotueme!)
In that blessed age to plunder
Ve çnji troe t'tok ësshqyptare
(Age with bloody tears wept over)
M' ermue dora grabit çare?
Of Albania's soil ahandful?
Ah! jo kurr; t'ish' çue mbar ëbota...
No, no, never, all had risen,
Pse ndo 'iLek ë,a'iGjergj Kastriota
Some Lek ë,some George Castriota
20 Do t'kisht' dal ë,at dor ërrembyese
Would have leapt up, arms triumphant,
On which once perched freedom's eagle,
05 N' t'bardhat koh ëqi kan prendue
In that golden age now vanished,
S' lête anmik, jo, me iuafrue!
You let not the foe approach you.
Edi shpat edi edhe prrue,
Both the slopes and torrents know it,
Edi land ëedi edhe gúr,
Both the woods and cliffs bear witness,
Shqyptar ískryq eterthuer,
How much blood the foe left flowing
10 Se sa gjak atbot ëianmikut
Everywhere, throughout our homeland,
Vojti rrkaj ëprej t'bardh ëçelikut,
Blood spilt by aflashing sabre
Qi flakote n'dor ët'Shqyptarit
Brandished by Albania's fighters,
Porsi rrfeja majes s'Sharit.
Lightning from the peaks of Sharri.
Akisht' mujt ëkurr n'at koh ët'lume,
Were marauding hands e'er able
15 (Me lot gjakut sod t'lotueme!)
In that blessed age to plunder
Ve çnji troe t'tok ësshqyptare
(Age with bloody tears wept over)
M' ermue dora grabit çare?
Of Albania's soil ahandful?
Ah! jo kurr; t'ish' çue mbar ëbota...
No, no, never, all had risen,
Pse ndo 'iLek ë,a'iGjergj Kastriota
Some Lek ë,some George Castriota
20 Do t'kisht' dal ë,at dor ërrembyese
Would have leapt up, arms triumphant,
-28 -
M' ecungue me arm ëngadhnyese,
And have lopped that thievish hand off,
T' cillat n'shekull do t'permenden
Feats to be forever told as
Hânëehyj sa qiellve t'enden.
Long as moon and stars do orbit.
Por kan ndrrue sot moti estina
But the times have changed, the seasons,
25 Per dh ét'ngr ît,kûrreh Martina !
O'er this languid land clash rifles.
Gjinde embajtun me lot t'shumit
Off the poor man's tears folk live now,
Qi n'djers ënjom ëbûcat eumit,
Tears of sweat upon the tilled soil,
Ja qi n'kullm ërreshket kumuese,
Off the blacksmith broiled at anvil,
Ja nper détbjen val ësshkumuese,
Or on foaming waves the sailor
30 Per me mbajt ënji grue teshpija
Trying wife at home to nourish
S' cilles buk ëilypi fmija,
While for bread do beg her children,
Edhe ilênndoshta me kjá,
She perhaps must let them yammer
Perse emjera buk ënuk ká:
For she has no food to feed them,
Gjinde, s'cilles Zot iâsht ari,
Folk who none but gold do worship,
35 T' zezen tok ëqi ingrat ëShqyptari
Want to parcel out their poor land,
Shtr êjtme gjak epat fitue,
Dearly which in blood was paid for
Pa ndo 'idhim ë,kjoshin mallkue!
By Albanian farmers paltry,
M' ecungue me arm ëngadhnyese,
And have lopped that thievish hand off,
T' cillat n'shekull do t'permenden
Feats to be forever told as
Hânëehyj sa qiellve t'enden.
Long as moon and stars do orbit.
Por kan ndrrue sot moti estina
But the times have changed, the seasons,
25 Per dh ét'ngr ît,kûrreh Martina !
O'er this languid land clash rifles.
Gjinde embajtun me lot t'shumit
Off the poor man's tears folk live now,
Qi n'djers ënjom ëbûcat eumit,
Tears of sweat upon the tilled soil,
Ja qi n'kullm ërreshket kumuese,
Off the blacksmith broiled at anvil,
Ja nper détbjen val ësshkumuese,
Or on foaming waves the sailor
30 Per me mbajt ënji grue teshpija
Trying wife at home to nourish
S' cilles buk ëilypi fmija,
While for bread do beg her children,
Edhe ilênndoshta me kjá,
She perhaps must let them yammer
Perse emjera buk ënuk ká:
For she has no food to feed them,
Gjinde, s'cilles Zot iâsht ari,
Folk who none but gold do worship,
35 T' zezen tok ëqi ingrat ëShqyptari
Want to parcel out their poor land,
Shtr êjtme gjak epat fitue,
Dearly which in blood was paid for
Pa ndo 'idhim ë,kjoshin mallkue!
By Albanian farmers paltry,
-29 -
Sod m' edáduen copa copa:
Ruthless folk, Idamn and curse them!
Eperse? Pse don Europa...
You ask why? Well, Europe wished it.
40 Uh! Europ ë,tikurva emotit,
Europe, aging whore, it's you that
Qi irae mohit bes ëseZotit,
On your word and God have trampled.
Po aky âshêjiigjytetn ís:
Is it sign of all your culture
Me dátoken eShqypn ís
That you parcel out Albania
Per me mbajt ëklysht eRus ís?
Just to rear the cubs of Russia?
45 Po tiaksht ûsod na iperligje
Is this how you've paid them back now,
Njata burra qi m' kto brigje
All those men who died to save you,
Per tývehten bâne flije
Fallen, slain up in the hills while
Kur tiheshtshe prej ligshtije?
You yourself, too weak, kept silent?
Ti qi iakalle flaken diellit
Thou who kindled fire for sunlight,
50 Eishestove rrath ëteqiellit
Thou who drew the spheres of heaven,
Ti, prej eshtnash t't'ngrat ëShqyptarve,
From the bones of our dead fighters,
Qi bânëdeken per dh ét't'parve,
Men who perished for their homeland,
Bânsod t'bîjn fatosa t'rí,
Cause to rise now hale young heroes,
T' cillt nji troe t'ksaj ëShqypn í
Who'll not let an inch of homeland
Sod m' edáduen copa copa:
Ruthless folk, Idamn and curse them!
Eperse? Pse don Europa...
You ask why? Well, Europe wished it.
40 Uh! Europ ë,tikurva emotit,
Europe, aging whore, it's you that
Qi irae mohit bes ëseZotit,
On your word and God have trampled.
Po aky âshêjiigjytetn ís:
Is it sign of all your culture
Me dátoken eShqypn ís
That you parcel out Albania
Per me mbajt ëklysht eRus ís?
Just to rear the cubs of Russia?
45 Po tiaksht ûsod na iperligje
Is this how you've paid them back now,
Njata burra qi m' kto brigje
All those men who died to save you,
Per tývehten bâne flije
Fallen, slain up in the hills while
Kur tiheshtshe prej ligshtije?
You yourself, too weak, kept silent?
Ti qi iakalle flaken diellit
Thou who kindled fire for sunlight,
50 Eishestove rrath ëteqiellit
Thou who drew the spheres of heaven,
Ti, prej eshtnash t't'ngrat ëShqyptarve,
From the bones of our dead fighters,
Qi bânëdeken per dh ét't'parve,
Men who perished for their homeland,
Bânsod t'bîjn fatosa t'rí,
Cause to rise now hale young heroes,
T' cillt nji troe t'ksaj ëShqypn í
Who'll not let an inch of homeland
-30 -
55 Mos t'alâjn Shkjaut n'dor ëme irá
Fall into those Slavic clutches,
Krejt nëgjak nji her ëpa elá!
Ere they bathe in blood the foemen!"
Lum, oj Zâna eVele çikut,
Blessed zana of Vele çik,
Qi m' ialshon tinam ëtanmikut,
You who at the foe hurl curses,
Qi m' iuron djelmt eMalc ís,
You who wish well Highland fighters,
60 Qi m' iakjánhallin Shqypn ís;
You who mourn Albania's sorrows,
Ksaj Shqypn í,ecilla motit,
Mourn that land which in past ages
N' zâkah pushka ebesa eZotit,
Was for faith and arms remembered,
Pat kênëçmue prej fisesh t'tâna
Was esteemed by all our tribesmen
Kah bjen dielli ekah mârrhâna!
Where the sun shines and the moon glows,
65 Por, sado qi posht ëkárá
Now, behold, look how she's faltered,
Sod me sod, errin tue kjá
How she's languishing and weeping
N' pluhen t'tok ës,prej njerzve shá,
In the dust, by men derided.
Prap, oj Zânë,shkndija eburrn ís
But that spark of courage, zana,
Nuk âshkim ën'male t'Shqypn ís,
Is not dead up in the mountains,
70 Qi, man à,edh èn'kto koh ët'reja
Even now, upon occasion
Ka 'iher ëndezet flak ësirrfeja.
55 Mos t'alâjn Shkjaut n'dor ëme irá
Fall into those Slavic clutches,
Krejt nëgjak nji her ëpa elá!
Ere they bathe in blood the foemen!"
Lum, oj Zâna eVele çikut,
Blessed zana of Vele çik,
Qi m' ialshon tinam ëtanmikut,
You who at the foe hurl curses,
Qi m' iuron djelmt eMalc ís,
You who wish well Highland fighters,
60 Qi m' iakjánhallin Shqypn ís;
You who mourn Albania's sorrows,
Ksaj Shqypn í,ecilla motit,
Mourn that land which in past ages
N' zâkah pushka ebesa eZotit,
Was for faith and arms remembered,
Pat kênëçmue prej fisesh t'tâna
Was esteemed by all our tribesmen
Kah bjen dielli ekah mârrhâna!
Where the sun shines and the moon glows,
65 Por, sado qi posht ëkárá
Now, behold, look how she's faltered,
Sod me sod, errin tue kjá
How she's languishing and weeping
N' pluhen t'tok ës,prej njerzve shá,
In the dust, by men derided.
Prap, oj Zânë,shkndija eburrn ís
But that spark of courage, zana,
Nuk âshkim ën'male t'Shqypn ís,
Is not dead up in the mountains,
70 Qi, man à,edh èn'kto koh ët'reja
Even now, upon occasion
Ka 'iher ëndezet flak ësirrfeja.
-
31
-
http://www.albanianlanguage.net/en/fishta.html
[EnglishtranslationbyRobertElsieandJaniceMathie-Heck]
Doesitsparkle,flashlikelightning,
S'kanmbetëshkret,jo,armë
t
besnike,
Faithfularmsarenotabandoned,
PerseArbnorjagruefisnike,
ForArbënia,noblewoman,
Bânsebânfatosat'
r
í
,
Alwaysbringsforthnewyoungheroes
75 T'cillttrimnishtperketShqypn
í
WhoinvalourforAlbania,
Eperbesëet'bardhenFé
Fortheirwordandblithereligion,
Ebâjndeken
si
me
l
é.
Viewasbirththeirownextinction.
31
-
http://www.albanianlanguage.net/en/fishta.html
[EnglishtranslationbyRobertElsieandJaniceMathie-Heck]
Doesitsparkle,flashlikelightning,
S'kanmbetëshkret,jo,armë
t
besnike,
Faithfularmsarenotabandoned,
PerseArbnorjagruefisnike,
ForArbënia,noblewoman,
Bânsebânfatosat'
r
í
,
Alwaysbringsforthnewyoungheroes
75 T'cillttrimnishtperketShqypn
í
WhoinvalourforAlbania,
Eperbesëet'bardhenFé
Fortheirwordandblithereligion,
Ebâjndeken
si
me
l
é.
Viewasbirththeirownextinction.
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