Himni i Flamurit

"Himni i Flamurit" (sometimes known as "Rreth flamurit të përbashkuar" and "Betimi mbi flamur") is the national anthem of Albania. Its music was adapted from an original composition by the Romanian composer Ciprian Porumbescu, for the song "Pe-al nostru steag e scris Unire" (or "E scris pe tricolor Unire").[1] The words were written by the Albanian poet Asdreni (Aleksandër Stavre Drenova), and are close to the original Romanian lyrics which Andrei Bârseanu wrote for Porumbescu's piece.

Betimi mbi flamur

English: The Pledge on 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) file help

History

The hymn was first published as a poem in Liri e Shqipërisë (Freedom of Albania), an Albanian newspaper in Sofia, Bulgaria, on 21 April 1912. The original title of the poem was "Betimi mbi flamur" ('The Pledge on the Flag').[2] 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 1912 in Vlore, Albania.[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 and translation

There are two versions that are often performed: a long one 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 sportive 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).

Albanian original	IPA transcription	English translation
Rreth flamurit të përbashkuar Me një dëshirë e një qëllim, Të gjith' atij duke u betuar Të lidhim besën për shpëtim. 𝄆 Prej lufte veç ai largohet Që është lindur tradhëtor, Kush është burrë nuk frigohet, Por vdes, por vdes si një dëshmor! 𝄇[lower-alpha 1] Në dorë armët do t'i mbajmë, Të mbrojmë atdheun në çdo kënd, Të drejtat tona ne s'i ndajmë; Këtu armiqtë s'kanë vënd! 𝄆 Se Zoti vetë e tha me gojë Që kombe shuhen përmbi dhe, Po Shqipëria do të rrojë; Për të, për të luftojmë ne! 𝄇 O Flamur, flamur, shenj' e shenjtë Tek ti betohemi këtu Për Shqipërinë, atdheun e shtrenjtë, Për nder' edhe lavdimn e tu. 𝄆 Trim burrë quhet dhe nderohet Atdheut kush iu bë therror. Përjetë ai do të kujtohet Mbi dhe, nën dhe si një shenjtor! 𝄇[3][4]	[rɛθ̟ fla.mu.ɾit tə pəɾ.baʃ.ku.aɾ] [mɛ ɲə də.ʃiɾ ɛ ɲə c͡çə.ɫim |] [tə ɟ͡ʝiθ̟ a.tij du.kɛ u bɛ.tu.aɾ] [tə li.ð̟im bɛ.sən pəɾ ʃpə.tim ‖] 𝄆 [pɾɛj luf.tɛ vɛt͡ʃ a.i laɾ.gɔ.hɛt] [c͡çə əʃ.tə lin.duɾ tɾa.ð̟ə.tɔɾ |] [kuʃ əʃ.tə bu.rə nuk fɾik.sɔ.hɛt |] [pɔɾ vdɛs | pɔɾ vdɛs si ɲə dəʃ.mɔɾ ‖] 𝄇[lower-alpha 1] [nə dɔ.ɾə aɾ.mət dɔ ti mbaj.mə |] [tə mbɾɔj.mə at.ð̟ɛ.un nə t͡ʃdɔ kənd |] [tə dɾɛj.tat tɔ.na nɛ si ndaj.mə |] [kə.tu aɾ.mic͡ç.tə ska.nə vənd ‖] 𝄆 [sɛ zɔ.ti vɛ.tə ɛ θ̟a mɛ gɔ.jə] [c͡çə kɔm.bɛ ʃu.hɛn pəɾm.bi ð̟ɛ |] [pɔ ʃc͡çi.pə.ɾi.a dɔ tə rɔ.jə |] [pəɾ tə | pəɾ tə luf.tɔj.mə nɛ ‖] 𝄇 [ɔ fla.muɾ | fla.muɾ ʃɛɲ ɛ ʃɛɲ.tə] [tɛk ti bɛ.tɔ.hɛ.mi kə.tu] [pəɾ ʃc͡çi.pə.ɾi.nə | at.ð̟ɛ.un ɛ ʃtɾɛɲ.tə |] [pəɾ ndɛɾ ɛ.ð̟ɛ lav.dimn ɛ tu ‖] 𝄆 [tɾim bu.rə c͡çu.hɛt ð̟ɛ ndɛ.ɾɔ.hɛt] [at.ð̟ɛ.ut kuʃ i.u bə θ̟ɛ.rɔɾ ‖] [pəɾ.jɛ.tə a.i dɔ tə kuj.tɔ.hɛt] [mbi ð̟ɛ | nən ð̟ɛ si ɲə ʃɛɲ.tɔɾ ‖] 𝄇[lower-alpha 2]	Around our flag we stand united, With one wish and one goal, A sacred oath we bestow upon it Proclaiming loyalty for our salvation. 𝄆 From war abstains only he, Who a traitor is born, He who is a true man is not frightened, But dies a martyr to the cause. 𝄇[lower-alpha 1] With weapons in our hands a-brandished, We will defend our fatherland, Our sacred rights we’ll not relinquish, The foe has no place in our land. 𝄆 For God himself proclaimed: Some nations of the earth shall wane, But Albania will live, will thrive Albania. For her, for her we fight. 𝄇 O Flag, flag, you sacred symbol Upon you we now swear For Albania, our dear fatherland For honour and your glory. 𝄆 Brave man is named and honoured The one who sacrificed himself for the fatherland Forever he will be remembered On earth and under as a saint! 𝄇[4]

In other alphabets

Albanian has historically been written in a number of different alphabets.[lower-alpha 3]

Bashkimi alphabet	Istanbul alphabet	Greek alphabet (Arvanitic)
Rréth flamurit te perbashkuar Me nje deshir' é nje qellim, Te gjith' atij duké u betuar Te lidhim bésen per shpetim. Prej lufté vec ai largohét Qe eshte lindur tradhetor, Kush eshte burre nuk friksohét, Por vdés, por vdés si nje Deshmor! Ne dore armet do t'i mbajme, Te mbrojme atdhéun ne cdo kend, Te dréjtat tona né s'i ndajme; Ketu armiqte s'kane vend! Sé Zoti véte é tha mé goje Ce kombé shuhén permbi dhé, Po Shqiperia do te rroje; Per te, per te luftojme né! O Flamur, flamur, shénj' é shénjte Ték ti bétohémi ketu Per Shqiperine, atdhéun é shtrénjte, Per ndér' édhé lavdimn é tu. Trim burre cuhét dhé ndérohét Atdhéut kush iu be thérror. Perjéte ai do te kujtohét Mbi dhé, nen dhé si gne shégntor!	Ρεθ flamurit te perbaσkuar Me ŋe deσir ε ŋe qeλim, Te γiθ atij dukε u betuar Te liδim bεsen per σpetim. Prej luftε veç ai largohεt Qe eσte lindur traδetor, Kuσ eσte buρe nuk friksohεt, Por vdεs, por vdεs si ŋe Deσmor! Ne dore armet do ti mbajme, Te mbrojme atδεun ne çdo kend, Te drεjtat tona nε si ndajme; Ketu armiqte skane vend! Sε Zoti vεte ε θa mε goje Qe kombε σuhεn permbi δε, Po Ϲqiperia do te ρoje; Per te, per te luftojme nε! O Flamur, flamur, σεŋ ε σεŋte Tεk ti bεtohεmi ketu Per Ϲqiperine, atδεun ε σtrεŋte, Per ndεr εδε lavdimn ε tu. Trim buρe quhεt δε ndεrohεt Atδεut kuσ iu be θερor. Perjεte ai do te kujtohεt Mbi δε, nen δε si ŋe σεŋtor!	Ρρεθ φλαμȣριτ τε̱ πε̱ρbασ̈κȣaρ Με̱ ν̇ε̱ dε̱σ̈ιρ ε ν̇ε̱ κ̇ε̱λλιμ, Τε̱ γ̇ιθ ατιj dȣκε ȣ bε̱τȣαρ Τε̱ λιδιμ bεσε̱ν πε̱ρ σ̈πε̱τιμ. Πρε̱j λȣφτε βε̱τσ̈ αι λαργοχετ κ̇ε̱ ε̱σ̈τε̱ λινdȣρ τραδε̱τορ, Κȣσ̈ ε̱σ̈τε̱ bȣρρε̱ νε̱κ φριξοχετ, Πορ δdες, πορ δdες σι ν̇ε̱ Dε̱σ̈μορ! Νε̱ dορε̱ αρμε̱τ dο τι μbαjμε̱, Τε̱ μbροjμε̱ ατδεȣν νε̱ τσ̈ο κε̱νd! Τε̱ dρεjτατ τονα νε σι νdαjμε̱; Κε̱τȣ αρμικ̇τε̱ σκανε̱ βε̱νd! Σε Ζοτι βετε̱ ε θα με γοjε̱ κ̇ε̱ κομbε σ̈ȣχεν πε̱ρμbι δε, Πο Σ̈κ̇ιπε̱ρια dο τε̱ ρροjε̱; Πε̱ρ τε̱, πε̱ρ τε̱ λȣφτοjμε̱ νε! Ο Φλαμȣρ, φλαμȣρ, σ̈εν̇ ε σ̈εν̇τε̱ Τεκ τι bετοχεμι κε̱τȣ Πε̱ρ Σ̈κ̇ιπε̱ρινε̱, ατδεȣν ε σ̈τρεν̇τε̱, Πε̱ρ νdερ εδε λαβdιμν ε τȣ. Τριμ bȣρρε̱ κ̇ȣχετ δε νδεροχετ Ατδεȣτ κȣσ̈ ιȣ bε̱ θερρορ. Πε̱ρjετε̱ αι dο τε̱ κȣjτοχετ Μbι δε, νε̱ν δε σι ν̇ε̱ σ̈εν̇τορ!

Notes

1. Only when the first verse alone is performed.
2. See Albanian phonology and its references.
3. See Albanian alphabet and its references.

References

1. "Himni kombëtar". 2009-10-26. Archived from the original on October 26, 2009. Retrieved 2013-03-25.
2. Tole, Vasil. "Edhe një herë rreth himnit tonë kombëtar". Retrieved 17 November 2014.
3. "Himni I Flamurit". teksteshqip. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
4. "Hymni Shqiptar [Albanian Anthem]". Albcan.ca (in Albanian). Shoqata Bashkesia Shqiptaro Kanadeze [Albanian Canadian Community Association]. Retrieved 2019-08-19.

External links

• Himni Kombëtar i Republikës së Shqipërisë
• "Hymni i Flamurit" - nga Fan Noli