Albulena Fandaj
Authors country of origin: Kosovo
Institutional affiliation: University of Ukshin Hoti, Prizren
Introduction
Albania, as it is already known, is a small country that won its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, after suffering for almost 500 years under Turkish rule. Throughout this period, Albanians, in addition to the wars for liberation, have also fought and worked for their cultural development. The new ideas which were spreading in Europe and beyond, were not allowed in the land of the eagles, and this is probably the main reason of these people’s inferiority over the centuries. The Albanian language was not allowed to be written and those who used it were punished, books in the Albanian language were not allowed to be printed by both the Ottoman regime and the Greek Church of Istanbul (Patriarchate).
In spite of this repression, against the educated Albanian individuals, the Illuminist ideas began to spread in the Albanian language, through writings as well as translations of world authors, among whom is F. Schiller, one of the most famous writers of the world literature. In Albania, after Shakespeare, this author became one of the most famous and beloved poets for the Albanian youth.
For the first time in the Albanian press, the name of F. Schiller is mentioned in 1897, in the magazine named “Albania” which was published in Bucharest, Romania. Here, where there was a colony of Albanians, in this magazine was published an article dedicated to the Schiller’s life and about the author are known only his initials R. N.
In Albanian press we find Schiler’s name for the second time after five years, in 1902, in the magazine named “Albania” which used to be published in London. In July of the same year, was published the Schiller’s poem “ Mirë se vjen pranverë e bukur –Welcome beautiful spring” brought in prose in Albanian language, but unfortunately the name of the translator is not known.
In November 1905, the same magazine “Albania” publishes and article titled “ Rrota e jetës – The wheel of life Schiler 1805”, author of which is Faik Konica. In this article which was subsidized by Balhausplatz, gives a distorted image of the prominent writer, who is called “rebel against society”, but this, according to the author S. Luarasi, comes because Faik Konica was serving in the monarchy of the Habsburgs and could not come out against them.
As it can be seen, these articles have been published in Albanian language magazines which used to be published abroad. The poem “ Lamtumira e Hektorit – Farewell to Hector” was translated in Albania which contains the data: Shkodër, 18.10.1915” and translated by Hil Mosi . Even though, this poem was translated in Albania, again it was published abroad in the magazine named “ Kalendari kombiar” of Sofia, in 1916.
Later on, in the magazine named “ Djalëria”, which belonged to the students who used to study in Vienna, in number 20 of the year 1920 we read the poem “ Shetitja -Walk” written by Schiler, and brought in a perfect way in Albanian language by Jani Basho. The same magazine, in the number 17 of the year 1922, has published “Kanga e kumbonës – The bell song”, translated in Albanian language by doctor Kristo Maloki in Graz, who used to write under the nickname Lepeteni.
Volume 4.No.1(2021): April (Humanities Session)
ISSN 2661-2666 (Online) International Scientific Journal Monte (ISJM)
ISSN 2661-264X (Print)
DOI : 10.33807/monte.20211827
DOI URL: https://doi.org/10.33807/monte.20211827
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This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)