Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma

Review
Reviewed Work(s): Anthologie de la poésie albanaise by Alexandre Zotos
Review by: Robert Elsie
Source: World Literature Today, Vol. 72, No. 3, Hebrew Literature in the 1990s (Summer,
1998), p. 662
Published by: Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/40154186
Accessed: 04-05-2023 10:54 +00:00

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 OTHER EUROPEAN & AMERICAN LANGUAGES

Albanian of the long-persecuted Dhora Leka, of Aleks Cagi, the late

Arshi Pipa, Mark Gurakuqi, and Llazar Siliqi, and in chap-
ter 8, "Les miracules du communisme," with the classic
writers of the communist period, among whom are several
Anthologie de la poesie albanaise. Alexandre Zotos, ed. Cham-
political prisoners: Fatos Arapi, Dritero Agolli, Dhori Qiri-
bery, Fr. La Polygraphe / Comp'Act. 1998. 388 pages. 170
F. ISBN 2-87661-162-7. azi, Ismail Kadare, Jorgo Bllaci, Frederik Rreshpja, Adem
Istrefi, Ndoc Gjetja, Ndoc Papleka, Xhevahir Spahiu,
Natasha Lako, Bardhyl Londo, Moikom Zeqo, Rudolf
After years of gathering the exotic blossoms of Alba-
Marku, Visar Zhiti, Agim Isaku, Ilirian Zhupa, Besnik
nian verse and translating them into a more widely
Mustafaj, and Mimoza Ahmeti. Equally impressive is the
understood idiom, Alexandre Zotos, a professor at the Uni-
selection offered in chapter 9, "D'au-dela les frontieres,"
versity of Saint-Etienne, now presents us with what is one of
featuring contemporary Albanian verse production from
the most comprehensive and enjoyable anthologies of Al-
outside Albania itself - the exiled Martin Camaj, Vorea
banian poetry to have appeared in any language (includ-
ing Albanian) up to the present day. Zotos, among Ujko, Vangjel Leka, Zef Skiro di Maxho, Kate Xukaro -
and the delightful poets of Kosovo and Macedonia: Esat
France's leading translators from the Albanian, has pub-
Mekuli, Enver Gjerqeku, Murat Isaku, Abdylazis Islami,
lished prose versions of Ismail Kadare and Dritero Agolli,
Din Mehmeti, Fahredin Gunga, Azem Shkreli, Rrahman
as well as a number of anthologies of Albanian literature,
including Anthologie de la prose albanaise (Paris, 1984; see
Dedaj, Ali Podrimja, Resul Shabani, Agim Vinca, Eqrem
Basha, Edi Shukriu, Sabri Hamiti, Nehas Sopaj, Shazim
WLT 59:3, p. 472), La poesie albanaise: Les cahiers de poesie-
Mehmeti, Shkelzen Halimi, and Daut Dauti.
rencontres 26 (Lyons, 1989), and Voix albanaises dans la
nuit: Aires 13 (Saint-Etienne, 1991). The present collec- What is particularly notable in an anthology of this
tion would seem, however, to be the crowning achieve- scope is that the poets are not, as is often the case, repre-
ment of his many years of dedication to an as yet underes- sented by only one or two poems each, but rather by a
timated European culture. more substantial number (an average of five), which en-
In its nine chapters, the Anthologie de la poesie albanaise ables the reader to appreciate the particular style of each
offers an extremely wide spectrum of Albanian verse fromwriter somewhat better. Albanian poetry is diverse, not
the beginnings to the present day, including an introduc-only in its historical and geographic development (Alba-
tory text to each section and author. The first chapter, nia, Kosovo, Macedonia, southern Italy, and the diaspo-
"Au commencement etait le peuple," is devoted exclusive- ra), but also in the preoccupations and concerns of its
ly to oral verse (forty-one poems) from Albania, Kosovo, contemporary writers. This innate diversity has now be-
southern Italy, and Greece, including the heroic Songs of come eminently visible, palatable, and savorous in Alexan-
the Frontier Warriors (kenge kreshnikesh) , historical and dre Zotos 's new representative anthology.
Robert Elsie
legendary verse, poems of conscription and emigration, of
Olzheim/Eifel, Ger.
love and marriage, popular ballads on birth, and funerary
chants.
Chapter 2, "Les peres fondateurs," provides a good se- Greek
lection of the early Catholic authors of the seventeenth
and eighteenth centuries: Pjeter Budi, Pjeter Bogdani,
Nikolle Brankati, Nikolle Filja, Nikolle Keta, and Jul Vari-Karen Van Dyck. Kassandra and the Censors: Greek Poetry
boba. Chapter 3, "La tradition islamique," focuses on the Since 1967. Ithaca, N.Y. Cornell University Press. 1998. xvi
so-called Aljamiado literature of the Bejtexhinj, whose verse+ 305 pages, ill. $49.95 ($19.95 paper). ISBN 0-8014-2704-
in Arabic script infused with Oriental tradition is now lit- 5 (9993-3 paper).
tle appreciated in Albania: Nezim Frakulla, Hasan Zyko
Kamberi, Zenel Bastari, and Muhament Kycyku. More Rhea Galanaki, Jenny Mastoraki, Maria Laina. The Re-
within the mainstream of the Albanian tradition are the hearsal of Misunderstanding: Three Collections by Contemporary
nineteenth-century writers of La Renaissance nationale GreekinWomen Poets. Karen Van Dyck, ed. & tr. Hanover,
chapter 4: Jeronim De Rada, Gavril Dara i Riu, Zef N.H. University Press of New England / Wesleyan Univer-
Serem-
be, and of course Nairn Frasheri, whom most Albanians sity Press. 1998. xxx + 294 pages. $45 ($16.95 paper).
regard as their "national poet." Early-twentieth-century ISBN 0-8195-6327-7 (6333-1 paper).
verse "Dans les affres de l'independance" is represented
in chapter 5 by the classic poets Filip Shiroka, Andon Two Christmases ago, I told my eight-year-old son, as
Zako-Qajupi, Ndre Mjedja, Gjergj Fishta, Asdreni, and Fan we entered Toys 'R' Us, that he could have all the
Noli, and in chapter 6, "La vague des annees trente," by toys he could carry. As expected, he picked up more than
Ali Asllani, Lasgush Poradeci, Migjeni, Petro Marko, his arms would allow, and some of the items he chose
Shevqet Musaraj, and Veli Stafa. were, in any case, difficult for him to operate. Karen Van
What could be called modern Albanian verse is present- Dyck's Kassandra is a book like that: it tries to contain
ed in chapter 7, "Vers l'Albanie nouvelle," with the works more than it can handle comprehensively, and some of

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