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 Shkodra, 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!
[Shko, dallndrysh?, from the volume Zani i zemr?s, Tirana 1933, translated from the Albanian by Robert Elsie, first published in English in History of Albanian literature, New York 1995, vol. 1, p. 275-275]
Shko, dallndrysh?
Udha e mbar? se erdh pranvera,
Shko, dallndrysh?, tue fluturue,
Prej Misirit, n?dhena tjera,
Fusha e male tue k?rkue;
N?Shqypni shko pra fluturim,
Shkon n? Shkod?r, n?gjytet tim!
Shndet prej meje t? m?i falesh
?saj shpis? vjet?r ku kam le,
Me ato vende rreth t?p?rfalesh
Ku kam shkue koh?n e re;
Atje shko, pra, fluturim,
Fal me shndet gjytetin tim!
Me ato male, me ato kodra,
Me ato prroje rreth t’p?rfalesh
N’ ato fusha q? m’ka Shkodra
T? lulzueme, aty t’ndalesh;
Tue kndue me ambelcim,
Fal me shndet qytetit tim.
T’mujsha dhe un’ me fluturue
Dojsha dhe un’ me u nis? me ty,
Dojsha n’Shkod?r me kalue,
M’ e pa prap at’ vend me sy!
Por… ti shko atje… fluturim
E ti qajma fatin tim.
Dhe kur t?m?rrish n? Fush? t?Rmajit,
Dallndrysh? ulu me pushue;
Kam dy vorre n?at vend vajit,
T?nan?s e t?bab?s qi m?kan? mjerue;
Qaj me za t?p?rmallsh?m shqim
Nji kang? tanden gjith vajtim!
Ka shum? koh? qi s?jam n?Shqypni,
N?ato vorre me vajtue;
Ti, dallndrysh?, veshun n? zi,
Ti aty pra qaj p?r mue,
Me nj?at za t?p?rmallsh?m shqim
Kang?n tande p?r vajtim!