Category: Albanian Prose
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Shakespeare and I
As Metropolitan of the Albanian Orthodox Church in America and former prime minister of Albania, Fan Noli was not only a noted religious figure, statesman and poet, he was also a gifted translator. His elegant Tosk Albanian versions of Shakespeare were and are much admired in the Albanian world. In this text, Noli tells us…
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Sketches – Migjeni
TRAGEDY OR COMEDY? Man is a living guitar on which a fervent hand transforms the vibration of strings into melodies… tragic or comic? Man is a living guitar by which Good and Evil have revealed tragedies or comedies of their own. Man is a living guitar, by which God, in long, never-ending melodies, has expressed…
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THE STUDENT BACK HOME
THE STUDENT BACK HOME In one of the cities of Central Europe, Nushi was reading the letter which the postman had just delivered. He recognized that it was from home the moment he received it. Yes, the white, rectangular envelope conjured up visions of the one-storey house with the little yard full of flowers. He…
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THE AUTUMN OF XHELADIN BEY
THE AUTUMN OF XHELADIN BEY I Xheladin Bey did not know why he felt such a void in his heart on that November morning. It was an emptiness like the core of a worm-gnawed chestnut, a gorge in the mountains, an uneasiness, and an infinite and ubiquitous feeling of disgust… Surprisingly enough, it was not…
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HOW ALBANIA LOOKED TO ME – (1929)
HOW ALBANIA LOOKED TO ME The General Appearance of the Country Those who prefer to spend their lives daydreaming are often afraid of waking up. Their desire for the advancement of their country slowly transforms itself into a starling dream. A long stay abroad puts you into an even deeper sleep and catapults you, body…
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THE GARDEN – (1929)
THE GARDEN Shuk Dija set off slowly in the direction of Arra e Madhe. A light breeze from the hills across the Kir river had begun to give relief from the heat of that July afternoon. The alleys and the walls were still broiling even though the sun was now low. He had no problem…