"Himni i Flamurit" (sometimes known as "Rreth flamurit të përbashkuar" and "Betimi mbi flamur") is the national anthem of Albania. Its music was adapted from an original composition by the Romanian composer Ciprian Porumbescu, for the song "Pe-al nostru steag e scris Unire" (or "E scris pe tricolor unire").[1] The words were written by the Albanian poet Asdreni (Aleksandër Stavre Drenova), and are close to the original Romanian lyrics which Andrei Bârseanu wrote for Porumbescu's piece.
History
The hymn was first published as a poem in Liri e Shqipërisë (English: Freedom of Albania), an Albanian newspaper in Sofia, Bulgaria, on 21 April 1912. The original title of the poem was "Betimi mbi flamur" ("The Pledge on the Flag").[2] It was later printed in a volume of poems by Drenova titled Ëndra e lotë (in English: Dreams and tears), which was published in Bucharest. According to Lasgush Poradeci's memoirs, the anthem, created by the adaptation of the text to the music, was not originally intended to be a national anthem, but it was so well liked by the people that it was proclaimed as the national anthem in 1912, and it was with its music that the Albanian flag was raised during the Albanian Proclamation of Independence in 1912 in Vlore, Albania.[2]
Music
A Hungarian musicologist, György Ligeti, opined that the music composed by Porumbescu is rooted in Germanic and Austrian musical traditions, though this is not a definitive groundbreaking explanation of its influence and later creation. It is a view based on Porumbescu's musical education, since he had studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna. The view has been shared by Albanian musicologist, Ramadan Sokoli.[2]
Lyrics and translation
There are two versions that are often performed: a long one and a short one. Below is the text for the long version. The second stanza is considered as refrain and is repeated at the end. The short version makes use of the first two stanzas only and repeats the last two verses of the second stanza. Usually, in sportive events among national teams, the short version is the one officially used (the original poem has three more stanzas that are not part of the anthem – which are added at the end).
Albanian
IPA transcription
English translation
Rreth flamurit të përbashkuar Me një dëshirë e një qëllim, Të gjith' atij duke u betuar Të lidhim besën për shpëtim.
𝄆 Prej lufte veç ay largohet Që është lindur tradhëtor, Kush është burrë nuk friksohet, Por vdes, por vdes si një dëshmor! 𝄇[a]
Në dorë armët do t'i mbajmë,
Të mbrojmë atdheun në çdo kënd,
Të drejtat tona ne s'i ndajmë;
Këtu armiqtë s'kanë vënd!
𝄆 Se Zoti vetë e tha me gojë
Që kombe shuhen përmbi dhe,
Po Shqipëria do të rrojë;
Për të, për të luftojmë ne! 𝄇
O Flamur, flamur, shenj' e shenjtë
Tek ti betohemi këtu
Për Shqipërinë, atdheun e shtrenjtë,
Për nder' edhe lavdimn e tu.
𝄆 Trim burrë quhet dhe nderohet
Atdheut kush iu bë therror.
Përjetë ai do të kujtohet
Mbi dhe, nën dhe si një shenjtor! 𝄇
Around our flag we stand united, With one wish and one goal, A sacred oath we bestow upon it Proclaiming loyalty for our salvation.
𝄆 From war abstains only he, Who a traitor is born, He who is a true man is not frightened, But dies a warrior to the cause. 𝄇[a]
With weapons in our hands a-brandished,
We will defend our fatherland,
Our sacred rights we’ll not relinquish,
The foe has no place in our land.
𝄆 For God himself proclaimed:
The nations of the earth shall wane,
And yet will live, will thrive Albania.
For you, for you we fight. 𝄇
O Flag, flag, you sacred symbol
Upon you we now swear
For Albania, our dear fatherland
For honour and your glory.
𝄆 Brave man is named and honoured
The one who sacrificed himself for the fatherland
Forever he will be remembered
On earth and under as a saint! 𝄇
In other alphabets
Albanian has historically been written in a number of different alphabets.
Rréth flamurit te perbashkuar
Me gne deshir' é gne cellim,
Te ghith' atij duké u betuar
Te lidhim bésen per shpetim.
Prej lufté vech ai largohét
Ce eshte lindur tradhetor,
Kush eshte burre nuk friksohét,
Por vdés, por vdés si gne Deshmor!
Ne dore armet do t'i mbajme,
Te mbrojme atdhéun ne chdo kend,
Te dréjtat tona né s'i ndajme;
Ketu armicte s'kane vend!
Sé Zoti véte é tha mé goje
Ce kombé shuhén permbi dhé,
Po Shciperia do te rroje;
Per te, per te luftojme né!
O Flamur, flamur, shégn' é shégnte
Ték ti bétohémi ketu
Per Shciperine, atdhéun é shtrégnte,
Per ndér' édhé lavdimn é tu.
Trim burre cuhét dhé ndérohét
Atdhéut kush iu be thérror.
Perjéte ai do te kujtohét
Mbi dhé, nen dhé si gne shégntor!
Ρεθ flamurit te perbaσkuar
Me ŋe deσir ε ŋe qeλim,
Te γiθ atij dukε u betuar
Te liδim bεsen per σpetim.
Prej luftε veç ai largohεt
Qe eσte lindur traδetor,
Kuσ eσte buρe nuk friksohεt,
Por vdεs, por vdεs si ŋe Deσmor!
Ne dore armet do ti mbajme,
Te mbrojme atδεun ne çdo kend,
Te drεjtat tona nε si ndajme;
Ketu armiqte skane vend!
Sε Zoti vεte ε θa mε goje
Qe kombε σuhεn permbi δε,
Po iperia do te ρoje;
Per te, per te luftojme nε!
O Flamur, flamur, σεŋ ε σεŋte
Tεk ti bεtohεmi ketu
Per Ϲqiperine, atδεun ε σtrεŋte,
Per ndεr εδε lavdimn ε tu.
Trim buρe quhεt δε ndεrohεt
Atδεut kuσ iu be θερor.
Perjεte ai do te kujtohεt
Mbi δε, nen δε si ŋe σεŋtor!
During the Socialist era in Romania, PresidentCeaușescu proposed the song "E scris pe tricolor unire" ("Unity Is Written On The Tricolor"), to be the state anthem of Romania. The lyrics proposed were highly communist, and therefore was rejected.[3]
Lyrics
Romanian
English translation
E scris pe tricolor unire
Pe roșul steag liberator
Prin luptă sub a lor umbrire
Spre comunism urcăm în zbor
Acel ce-n luptă grea se teme
Nu stă între învingători
Iar noi, uniți în orice vreme
Am fost, vom fi biruitori
Viteji, străbunii apărară
Pe dragul românesc meleag
Noi nu aflăm dușmani în șară
Primind prietenii cu drag
În cartea Comunistă scrie
Că asuprirea va pieri
Prin noi, iubita Românie
Mereu, în veci va înflori
Stăpân pe-al său destin, poporul
De viață dreaptă făurar
Clădește falnic viitorul
Urmând partidul unitar
Tu, Românie socialistă
În lume, mândră vei sui
În era nouă comunistă
Etern, etern vei dăinui
Unity is written on the tricolour
On liberator’s red flag
Through battles beneath their shade
To communism we climb in flight
He who grows afraid in battle
Is not among the conquerors
But we, united in all weather
Have been and shall be victorious
Bravely, our ancestors defended
The dear Romanian land
In our country, we have no enemies
We accept our friends with love
In the communist book it is written
Exploitation shall reach its end
Through us, beloved Romania
Will flourish in eternity
Masters of their destiny, the people
Are forging a correct life
Building a glorious future
Following the uniting party
You, socialist Romania
In the world, shall proudly climb
In the new communist era
Eternally you shall thrive
Notes
^ abcOnly when the first verse alone is performed.
References
^"Himni kombëtar". Web.archive.org. 2009-10-26. Archived from the original on October 26, 2009. Retrieved 2013-03-25. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)