Poetry
Ëndrra e lotë
Not translated into English
Synopsis
The poet's second collection, ninety-nine pieces divided into five parts. It contains the oath sworn on the flag, in short stanzas, in which the speaker swears loyalty to his homeland; verses to the double-headed eagle; the voice of the insurgents; a poem addressed to Kruja; a song of union adapted from a Romanian poem. The themes broaden compared with the first book, and romanticism gives way to a more realistic manner.
Context
The oath on the flag first appeared on its own, on 21 April 1912, in the newspaper Liri e Shqipërisë, in Sofia, before being included in the volume, printed in Bucharest the same year and dedicated to the Englishwoman Edith Durham. Set to a melody by the Romanian composer Ciprian Porumbescu, written for a patriotic song of his country, it accompanies the raising of the flag at Vlora, at the declaration of independence. In 1914, Gjergj Fishta praised in a Franciscan journal the simple and pure language of the book, in which the best of the Tosk speech is displayed.
Who it is for
A collection of short pieces, in southern Albanian, in simple language; no French translation.
Prizes and reception
The words of the Albanian anthem, proclaimed on 28 November 1912 and still in use, come from this book.