Naim Frashëri

Naim Frashëri
Born	May 25, 1846 Frashër, Ottoman Empire, now Albania
Died	October 20, 1900 (aged 54) Kadıköy, Istanbul in Ottoman Empire, now Turkey
Occupation	Poet, and translator
Genre	Romanticism
Literary movement	Albanian National Awakening
Children	Mehdi Frashëri
Relatives	Abdyl Frashëri (Brother) Sami Frashëri (Brother) Mit'hat Frashëri (Nephew) Ali Sami Yen (Nephew)

Naim Frashëri (25 May 1846 – 20 October 1900) was an Albanian poet and writer. He was one of the most prominent figures of the Albanian National Awakening (Albanian: Rilindja Kombëtare) of the 19th century, together with his two brothers Sami and Abdyl. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Albania.^[1] He authored 22 works.

Early life and career

Naim Frashëri was born in 1846 in the village of Frashër in the Vilayet of Janina to a distinguished Muslim Albanian family of Bektashi religious affiliations.^[2] Naim, alongside his brothers Sami, Abdyl and 5 other siblings were the children of Halit Bey (1797–1859)^[3] and their paternal family traditions held that they were descendants of timar holders that hailed from the Berat region before coming to live in Frashër.^[2] While their mother Emine Hanım (1814–1861)^[3] was descended from Imrahor Ilyas Bey, a distinguished 15th century Ottoman Albanian commander from the Korçë area.^[2] The surname Frashëri of the family is derived from the village of Frashër.^[4] The settlement was noted in the late Ottoman era for having a mixed Albanian and Vlach population.^[2][5] Thede Kahl and the Vlach community in Albania claim that the Frashëri family were of Vlach origin.^[4][6][7]

Naim spent his childhood in the village of Frashër, where he most likely began learning Turkish, Persian and Arabic, and went to the Bektashi tekke.^[8] After the deaths of their parents, the oldest, Abdyl (b. 1839), became the family head at the age of 22.^[3] Abdyl was a merchant.^[3] In 1865, the family moved to Ioannina (Sanjak of Ioannina).^[3] The younger brothers, Naim and Sami, attended the Zosimaia School.^[8]

As he hailed from a family with long connections to the Bektashi Sufi order, Naim became an Ottoman official in Sarandë, Berat, and Ioannina. In 1882, Frashëri went to Istanbul and started his service in Ottoman culture ministry.

Naim took part in the National Renaissance of Albania, and often had to sign his writings using his initials, as otherwise he would have placed himself in danger working in an official Ottoman position. His works had to be smuggled into Albania.

His earliest writings were poetry. The very first pieces Frashëri wrote were in Persian. In all, he authored twenty-two major works: four in Turkish, one in Persian, two in Greek and fifteen in Albanian. His early patriotic poems and highly popular lyric poetry were strongly influenced by Persian literature, and later also French poetry. He also translated several fables of Jean de la Fontaine, Homer's Iliad, and wrote articles on didactics and Islamic practice. Naim's poem Herds and Tillage depicts the activities of the shepherd and the tiller, alongside his personal reflections on the beauty of Albanian landscapes and expressions of longing for his homeland. The epic poem Skanderbeg's Story retells the life of the Albanian national hero George Kastrioti Skanderbeg intertwined with imaginary episodes.

Frashëri died in Kızıltoprak, Kadıköy, a neighborhood of Istanbul, in present-day Turkey.

Family

The renowned Albanian poet was also the uncle of Ali Sami Yen, founder of the Turkish football club Galatasaray.

Influence and Recognition

Portrait of Naim Frashëri on the 200 lekë banknote

Through his writings, Frashëri exerted a strong influence on later Albanian literature and society.^[9] The independent Albanian state created an order of merit that bears his name, awarded to, amongst others, Mother Teresa. A publishing house in Tirana was named Naim Frashëri. Also in his honor some Albanian elementary schools are named Naim Frashëri too.^[10]

Naim Frashëri is depicted on the obverses of the Albanian 500 lekë banknote of 1992–1996, and the 200 lekë banknote issued since 1996.^[11]

Bagëti e Bujqësi

His most famous work was Bagëti e Bujqësi (Herds and Crops). The following is an excerpt:

Bagëti e Bujqësi
Albanian	English
Ti Shqipëri, më jep nder, më jep emrin shqipëtar, Zëmrën ti ma gatove plot me dëshirë dhe me zjarr. Shqipëri, o mëma ime, ndonëse jam i mërguar, Dashurinë tënde kurrë zemëra s'e ka harruar.	You, Albania, give me honor, give me the name Albanian, My heart you kneaded with desire and fire. Albania, oh mother of mine, though I am émigré, your love, my heart can never forget .

Fjalët e Qiririt

Memorial to Naim Frashëri in Tirana

One of his best known spiritual poems:

Albanian	English
Fjalët e Qiririt (Words of the Candle)	Në mes tuaj kam qëndruar E jam duke përvëluar, Që t'u ap pakëzë dritë, Natënë t'ua bënj ditë. Do të tretem, të kullohem, Të digjem, të përvëlohem, Që t'u ndrinj mir' e të shihni, Njëri-tjatërin të njihni. Për ju do të rri të tretem, Asnjë çikë të mos mbetem, Të digjem e të qanj me lot, Se dëshirën s'e duronj dot. Unë zjarrit nuk i druhemi Dhe kurrë s'dua të shuhem, Po të digjem me dëshirë, Sa të munt t'u ndrinj më mirë. Kur më shihni se jam tretur, Mos pandehni se kam vdekur; Jam i gjall' e jam ndë jetë Jam në dritët të vërtetë, Unë jam në shpirtin tuaj, Mos më kini për të huaj, M'është falurë durimi, Andaj po digjem si trimi, Se ma k'ënda t'u bënj mirë, Të mos mbeti n'errësirë. Jakëni rreth meje rrini, Flisni, qeshni, hani, pini, Në shpirt kam dashurinë, Pa digjem për njerëzinë, Lemëni të përvëlohem, Nukë dua më të ftohem, Dua ta djek trupn' e kretë Për atë zotn' e vërtetë. Me zjarr ta djek mushkërinë E të tretem për njerinë, Bashkë me gëzimt të tija Të vete te perëndia. Unë dua njerëzinë, Mirësin' e urtësinë. Në bëhi shokë me mua, Në më doni si u dua, Njëri-tjetërin në doni, Të paudhë mos punoni. O zëmëra fluturake, Qasju pakë kësaj flake! Mase krahët t'i përvëlon, Po dhe shpirtin ta shënjtëron. Unë duke përvëluar, Njerëzit i kam ndrituar. Kam qënë mik me njerinë, Andaj i di e më dinë. Gjithë tuajt' i kam parë, Mëm' e at' e fis e farë, Si tani gjithë i kam ndër mënt, Që rrininë më këtë vënt. Edhe sot nër ju ata shoh, Se shpirtin e tyre ua njoh, Dhe unë si ju jam ndruar E jam përzjer' e ndryshuar, Pa jam bërë shumë herë Zjar e uj' e balt' e erë. Jam një shkëndijë pej qielli Dhe një drudhëzë pej dielli. Edhe ndër qiej fluturonj, Edhe brënda në det qëndronj, Shumë herë fle në baltë, Diku ndodhem dhe në mjaltë Bënem qëngj e kec i pirë, Lul' e bar e gjeth i mbirë. Dua shumë fjalë t'u them, Po trëmbem mos i bënj ujem. E ku shkruhenë në kartë Fjalët' e gjuhësë zjarrtë?	Amongst you I stand And I am broiling To hand out a little light Turn your night into daylight I’ll be exhausted, drained out Burned, scalded So I can enlighten your sight Each other to recognize For you I will exhaust myself Let nothing of me remain Burning and shedding tears Because this desire I can't bear Fire I do not fear Never want my flames to slake Rather burn with desire Lighten you up to my best When you see me exhausted Do not think that I am dead I am alive, I am living I am in the true light I am inside your soul Do not take me for extraneous I was blessed with patience Therefore, I burn bravely Much I like to do well For you not to dwell in obscurity Come, around me sit Talk, laugh, eat, drink I have love in my soul Hence I burn for humanity Allow me to be scalded I don't want to cool down I want to burn body and head It is true as the true Lord With fire to burn my lungs And melt for mankind Together with its happiness To proceed to God. I love the humanity The kindness and the wisdom If you become my friends If you love me as I do One-another you must love Injustice never enact Oh fluttering heart Near yourself to this flame! Maybe it burns your wings But it hallows your soul By scalding myself I have illuminated people I was man’s friend So I know them and they know me All your relatives I have seen Father and mother, kin and tribe Alive all are in my mind Those who lived at this land And today I see them in you Because I know their soul And, like you, I have altered Amalgamated and changed Many times I have become Fire and water and mud and wind I am a spark from the sky And a ray of sunshine And in heavens I fly And inside the sea I lay Oftentimes I sleep in mud In honey sometimes I'm found I become a lamb and a fed kid Flowers and grass and new leaves I want to say many words to you But I fear, my words get bemused Can there ever be written on paper The words of the fiery tongue.

Works

Museum house of the Frasheri Brothers in Frasher, Permet, Albania

1. Kavâid-i farisiyye dar tarz-i nevîn (English: Grammar of the Persian language according to the new method), Istanbul, 1871.
2. Ihtiraat ve kessfiyyat (English: Inventions and Discoveries), Istanbul, 1881.
3. Fusuli erbea (English: Four Seasons), Istanbul, 1884.
4. Tahayyülat (English: Dreams), Istanbul, 1884.
5. Bagëti e Bujqësi (English: Herds and Crops), Bucharest, 1886.
6. E këndimit çunavet (English: Reader for Boys), Bucharest, 1886.
7. Istori e përgjithshme për mësonjëtoret të para (English: General history for the first grades), Bucharest, 1886.
8. Vjersha për mësonjëtoret të para (English: Poetry for the first grades), Bucharest, 1886.
9. Dituritë për mësonjëtoret të para (General knowledge for the first grades), Bucharest, 1886.
10. O alithis pothos ton Skypetaron (English: The True Desire of Albanians, Greek: Ο αληθής πόθος των Σκιπετάρων), Bucharest, 1886.
11. Luletë e Verësë (English: Flowers of the Summer), Bucharest, 1890.
12. Mësime (English: Lessons), Bucharest, 1894.
13. Parajsa dhe fjala fluturake,(English: Paradise and the Flying Word) Bucharest, 1894.
14. Gjithësia (English: Omneity), Bucharest, 1895.
15. Fletore e bektashinjët, (English: The Bektashi Notebook)Bucharest, 1895.
16. O eros (English: Love, Greek: Ο Έρως), Istanbul, 1895.
17. Iliadh' e Omirit, Bucharest, English: Homer's Illyad, 1896.
18. Histori e Skënderbeut (English: History of Skanderbeg), Bucharest, 1898.
19. Qerbelaja, Bucharest, (English: Qerbela), 1898.
20. Istori e Shqipërisë (English: History of Albania), Sofia, 1899.
21. Shqipëria (English: Albania), Sofia, 1902.

References

1. Cornis-Pope, Marcel (2004). History of the literary cultures of East-Central Europe: junctures and disjunctures in the 19th and 20th centuries. History of the Literary Cultures of East-central Europe. 2. John Benjamins Publishing Company. p. 291. ISBN 90-272-3453-1.
2. Gawrych, George (2006). The crescent and the eagle: Ottoman rule, Islam and the Albanians, 1874-1913. IB Tauris. p. 13.
3. Robert Elsie (2005). Albanian Literature: A Short History. I.B.Tauris. p. 67. ISBN 978-1-84511-031-4.
4. Arno Tanner (2004). The Forgotten Minorities of Eastern Europe: The History and Today of Selected Ethnic Groups in Five Countries. East-West Books. pp. 213–. ISBN 978-952-91-6808-8.
5. Nitsiakos. p. 142 https://books.google.com/books?id=H-7toRTGrFkC&pg=PA142. Missing or empty |title= (help)
6. Ethnologia Balkanica. LIT Verlag Münster. pp. 150–. GGKEY:ES2RY3RRUDS.
7. Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers (March 1999). "The Albanian Aromanians Awakening: Identity Politics and Conflicts in Post-Communist Albania". European Centre for Minority Issues: 6.
8. Robert Elsie (2005). Albanian Literature: A Short History. I.B.Tauris. p. 70. ISBN 978-1-84511-031-4.
9. Elsie, Robert (2005), "Writing in the independence period", Albanian literature: a short history, London: I.B. Tauris in association with the Centre for Albanian Studies, p. 100, ISBN 1-84511-031-5, retrieved January 18, 2011, major source of inspiration and guiding lights for most Albanian poets and intellectuals
10. http://naimfrasheri.org/
11. Bank of Albania. Currency: Banknotes in circulation. – Retrieved on 23 March 2009.

External links

• A portrait and a poem in English
• Some poems in Albanian
• Albanian poems translated in English