Himni i Flamurit
| English: Hymn to the Flag | |
|---|---|
 | |
National anthem of Albania | |
| Lyrics | Asdreni, 1912 |
| Music | Ciprian Porumbescu, ext. 1883 |
| Adopted | 28 November 1912 |
| Audio sample | |
 "Himni i Flamurit" (instrumental, single verse)
| |
"Himni i Flamurit" ("Hymn to the Flag") is the national anthem of Albania, adopted in 1912.
Its music is derived from the Romanian patriotic song "Pe-al nostru steag e scris Unire" composed by Ciprian Porumbescu.[1] The lyrics, which are close to the original Romanian lyrics, were written by Albanian poet Asdreni. The anthem was originally titled as "Betimi mbi Flamur" ("The Pledge on the Flag").[2]
History[]
On 21 April 1912, "Betimi mbi Flamur" was first published as a poem in Liri e Shqipërisë (Freedom of Albania), an Albanian newspaper in Sofia, Bulgaria. It was later printed in a volume of poems by Drenova titled Ëndra e lotë (Dreams and tears) which was published in Bucharest. According to Lasgush Poradeci's memoirs, the anthem, created by the adaptation of the text to the music, was not originally intended to be a national anthem, but it was so well liked by the people that it was proclaimed as the national anthem in 1912, and it was with its music that the Albanian flag was raised during the Albanian Proclamation of Independence in Vlore.[2]
Music[]
A Hungarian musicologist, György Ligeti, opined that the music composed by Porumbescu is rooted in Germanic and Austrian musical traditions, though this is not a definitive groundbreaking explanation of its influence and later creation. It is a view based on Porumbescu's musical education, since he had studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna. The view has been shared by Albanian musicologist, Ramadan Sokoli.[2]
Lyrics[]
There are two versions that are often performed: a long and a short one. Below is the text for the long version. The second stanza is considered as refrain and is repeated at the end. The short version makes use of the first two stanzas only and repeats the last two verses of the second stanza. Usually, in sports events among national teams, the short version is the one officially used (the original poem has three more stanzas that are not part of the officially-defined state anthem which are added at the end).[citation needed]
Official lyrics[]
| Albanian original[3][4] | IPA transcription[a] | English translation |
|---|---|---|
Rreth flamurit të përbashkuar |