National
anthem
History
"Hymni i Flamurit" (Hymn
to the Flag)
Words by: Aleksander Stavre Drenova
Music by: Ciprian Porumbescu
Adopted: 1912
Back when Albania first gained
independence as a monarchy in 1912 from Italy,
"Hymni i Flamurit" was adopted, and
has been kept as the anthem through it's period
as a Communist/Marxist state and now as a democratic
nation. The original title of the hymn was "Betimi
mi flamur," or "Pledge to the Flag."
The hymn was first published as a poem in Liri
e Shqipërisë (Freedom of Albania), an
Albanian newspaper in Sofia, Bulgaria, in its
issue of 21 April 1912. Later that year it appeared
in a volume of collected poems by Drenova, under
the title ëndra e lot (Dreams and Tears),
which was published in Bucharest. The official
anthem is two verses shorter than the original
poem. The music was composed by the same person
(a Romanian) who wrote the Romanian anthem in
use from 1977-1990.
Lyrics
ALBANIAN LYRICS
Rreth flamurit të përbashkuar,
Me një dëshirë dhe një qëllim,
Të gjithë Atij duke iu betuar,
Të lidhim besën për shpëtim.
CHORUS
Prej lufte veç ay largohet,
Që është lindur tradhëtor,
Kush është burrë nuk frikësohet,
Po vdes, po vdes si një dëshmor.
Në dorë armët do
t'i mbajmë,
Të mbrojmë Atdheun në çdo
vend,
Të drejtat tona ne s'i ndajmë,
Këtu armiqtë s'kanë vend.
CHORUS
Se Zoti vetë e tha më gojë,
Që kombe shuhen përmbi dhè,
Po Shqipëria do të rrojë,
Për të, për të luftojmë
ne.
---
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
United around the flag,
With one desire and one goal,
Let us pledge our word of honour
To fight for our salvation
CHORUS
Only he who is a born traitor
Averts from the struggle.
He who is brave is not daunted,
But falls - a martyr to the cause.
With arms in hand we shall remain,
To guard our fatherland round bout.
Our rights we will not bequeath,
Enemies have no place here.
CHORUS
For the Lord Himself has said,
That nations vanish from the earth,
But Albania shall live on,
Because for her, it is for her that we fight.
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