Filip Shiroka
Filip Shiroka | |
---|---|
Shiroka photographed by Kel Marubi, c. 1880-83 | |
Born | Filip Shiroka (1859-08-13)13 August 1859[1] Shkodër, Ottoman Empire (now Albania) |
Died | 14 November 1935(1935-11-14) (aged 76)[2] Beirut, State of Greater Lebanon |
Occupation | Poet, Engineer |
Language | Albanian, Italian |
Signature | |
Filip Shiroka (13 August 1859 – 14 November 1935) was a classical Rilindja (Albanian: Renaissance) poet.
Life
He was born and raised in Shkodër and educated there by the Franciscans.[3][4] Among his teachers was poet Leonardo De Martino (1830–1923), whose influence is omnipresent in Shiroka's verse. In 1880 he participated as an irregular in the Battle of Ulcinj (1880).[5] His earliest verse publication, All'Albania, all'armi, all'armi! ("To Albania, to arms, to arms!"), was a nationalist poem on the defense of Ulcinj, which was written in Italian and printed in the Osservatore Cattolico (Catholic Observer) of Milan in 1880.[4] After the defeat of the League of Prizren, he emigrated to the Middle East, and settled in Egypt[5] and, later, in Lebanon where, helped by then Governor Pashko Vasa, he worked as an engineer in railway construction.[6][7] Shiroka became a member of a society named "Vëllazëria Shqiptare" (Albanian brotherhood) that was founded in Cairo during 1894 by Albanian expatriates.[8]
Writing
Shiroka's nationalist, satirical and meditative verse in Albanian was written mostly from 1896 to 1903.[2] It appeared in journals such as Faik Konitza's Albania, the Albanian periodicals published in Egypt, and the Shkodër religious monthly Elçija i Zemers t'Jezu Krisctit ("The Messenger of the Sacred Heart"). Shiroka, who also used the pseudonyms Gegë Postripa[8] and Ulqinaku, is the author of at least sixty poems, three short stories, articles and several translations, in particular of religious works for Catholic liturgy. His verse collection, Zâni i zêmrës, Tirana, 1933, ("The voice of the heart"), which was composed at the turn of the century, was published by Ndoc Nikaj two years before Shiroka's death in Beirut.[3]
Writing style
Shiroka's verse, inspired by early-19th-century French and Italian romantic poets such as Alfred de Musset (1810–1857), Alfonse de Lamartine (1790–1869), and Tommaso Grossi (1790–1853), whom he had read as a young man in Shkodër, does not cover any unusual thematic or lexical range, nor is it all of literary quality, though the latter assertion is no doubt valid for most Rilindja poets. Shiroka is remembered as a deeply emotional lyricist, and as one of linguistic purity, who was obsessed with his own fate and that of his distant homeland. Recurrent in his work, there is the theme of nostalgia for the country of his birth.
Be off, swallow
Farewell, for spring has come,
Be off, swallow, on your flight,
From Egypt to other lands,
Searching over hill and plain
Be off to Albania on your flight,
Off to Shkodër, my native town!
Convey my greetings
To the old house where I was born,
And greet the lands around it
Where I spent my early years;
Be off thither on your flight,
And greet my native town!
...
And when you come to Fush' e Rmajit,
Swallow, stop there and take your rest;
In that land of sorrow are the graves
Of the mother and father who raised me;
Weep in your exquisite voice
And lament them with your song!
For ages I have not been to Albania
To attend those graves;
You, swallow, robed in black,
Weep there on my behalf,
With that exquisite voice of yours
Lament them with your song!
References
- ^ Vila 1986, p. 3
- ^ a b Vila 1986, p. 8
- ^ a b "Hyrje" [Introduction] (in Albanian). Fajtori.com. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
- ^ a b Vila 1986, p. 20
- ^ a b Vila 1986, p. 4
- ^ Vila 1986, p. 5
- ^ Elsie, Robert. "Filip Shiroka" Archived 5 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b Skendi, Stavro (1967). The Albanian national awakening. Princeton: Princeton University Press. p. 152. ISBN 9781400847761.
Sources
- Vila, Besa (1986), Zani i zemrës dhe shkrime të tjera (in Albanian), Tirana: Naim Frashëri Publishing House
- v
- t
- e
- Frang Bardhi
- Zenel Bastari
- Constantine of Berat
- Pjetër Bogdani
- Pjetër Budi
- Gjon Buzuku
- Julije Balović
- Nicola Chetta
- Nikollë Filja
- Nezim Frakulla
- Dalip Frashëri
- Shahin Frashëri
- Tahir Efendi Jakova
- Hasan Zyko Kamberi
- Haxhi Ymer Kashari
- Luca Matranga
- Branko Merxhani
- Etëhem Bey Mollaj
- Sulejman Naibi
- Giuseppe Schirò (archbishop)
- Tahir Skënderasi
- Giulio Variboba
- Muçi Zade
- Ali Asllani
- Josif Bageri
- Andon Zako Çajupi
- Gabriele Dara
- Spiro Dine
- Asdreni
- Gjergj Fishta
- Kristo Floqi
- Naim Frashëri
- Sami Frashëri
- Mihal Grameno
- Luigj Gurakuqi
- Milto Sotir Gurra
- Jolanda Kodra
- Musine Kokalari
- Ernest Koliqi
- Faik Konitza
- Loni Logori
- Migjeni
- Ndre Mjeda
- Kristo Negovani
- Ndoc Nikaj
- Fan Noli
- Foqion Postoli
- Girolamo de Rada
- Francesco Antonio Santori
- Giuseppe Schirò
- Giuseppe Serembe
- Lazër Shantoja
- Filip Shiroka
- Stefan Shundi
- Risto Siliqi
- Vaso Pasha
- Jani Vreto
- Pjetër Zarishi
- Dritëro Agolli
- Mimoza Ahmeti
- Ylljet Aliçka
- Ag Apolloni
- Fatos Arapi
- Lindita Arapi
- Eqrem Basha
- Domenico Bellizzi
- Ben Blushi
- Maria Antonia Braile
- Flora Brovina
- Dionis Bubani
- Aleks Çaçi
- Martin Camaj
- Selfixhe Ciu
- Spiro Çomora
- Diana Çuli
- Ibrahim Dalliu
- Ridvan Dibra
- Teki Dervishi
- Elvira Dones
- Mirko Gashi
- Fatmir Gjata
- Ndoc Gjetja
- Sabri Godo
- Odhise Grillo
- Ervin Hatibi
- Helena Kadare
- Ismail Kadare
- Karmel Kandreva
- Teodor Keko
- Skifter Këlliçi
- Anastas Kondo
- Fatos Kongoli
- Vath Koreshi
- Rifat Kukaj
- Teodor Laço
- Natasha Lako
- Luljeta Lleshanaku
- Sejfulla Malëshova
- Gjekë Marinaj
- Petro Marko
- Din Mehmeti
- Esad Mekuli
- Betim Muço
- Besnik Mustafaj
- Faruk Myrtaj
- Jeton Neziraj
- Fadil Paçrami
- Ludmilla Pajo
- Dhimitër Pasko
- Arshi Pipa
- Ali Podrimja
- Lasgush Poradeci
- Giuseppe Schirò Di Maggio
- Dhimitër Shuteriqi
- Azem Shkreli
- Drago Siliqi
- Llazar Siliqi
- Nokë Sinishtaj
- Xhevahir Spahiu
- Sterjo Spasse
- Luan Starova
- Haki Stërmilli
- Parid Teferiçi
- Kasëm Trebeshina
- Hajro Ulqinaku
- Ardian Vehbiu
- Ornela Vorpsi
- Bilal Xhaferri
- Dhimitër Xhuvani
- Jakov Xoxa
- Injac Zamputi
- Petraq Zoto