Himni i Flamurit

"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 were written by Albanian poet Asdreni. The anthem was originally titled "Betimi mbi Flamur" ("The Pledge on the Flag").^[2]

Himni i Flamurit

English: 'Hymn to the Flag'
Sheet music
National anthem of Albania
Lyrics	Asdreni, 1912
Music	Ciprian Porumbescu, c. 1883
Adopted	28 November 1912; 112 years ago (1912-11-28)
Audio sample
Instrumental rendition in A-flat major by the U.S. Navy Band (single verse) file help

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 composer, 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

The second half of each verse is considered refrain and is repeated. Usually only the first stanza of the anthem is performed, such as during sporting events.

Albanian original[3][4][5]

English translation

Rreth flamurit të përbashkuar Me një dëshir' e një qëllim, Të gjith' atij duke u betuar[a] Të lidhim besën për shpëtim. 𝄆 Prej lufte veç ai largohet Që është lindur tradhëtor, Kush është burrë nuk frikohet, Po vdes, po vdes si një dëshmor! 𝄇[b] Në dorë armët do t'i mbajmë, Të mbrojmë atdheun në çdo kënd, Të drejtat tona ne s'i ndajmë; Këtu armiqtë s'kanë vend![c] 𝄆 Se Zoti vetë e tha me gojë Që kombe shuhen përmbi dhe, Po Shqipëria do të rrojë;[b] Për të, për të luftojmë ne! 𝄇 O Flamur, flamur, shenj' e shenjtë Tek ti betohemi këtu Për Shqipërin' atdheun e shtrenjtë,[d] 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! 𝄇[e] [rɛθ fla.mu.ɹit tə pəɹ.baʃ.ku.aɹ |] [mɛ ɲə də.ʃiɹ ɛ ɲə c͡çə.ɫim ‖] [tə ɟ͡ʝiθ a.tij du.kɛ‿u bɛ.tu.aɹ |] [tə li.ðim bɛ.sən pəɹ ʃpə.tim ‖] 𝄆 [pɹɛj luf.tɛ vɛt͡ʃ a.i laɹ.gɔ.hɛt |] [c͡çə‿əʃ.tə lin.duɹ tɹa.ðə.tɔɾ ‖] [kuʃ əʃ.tə bu.rə nuk fɹi.kɔ.hɛt |] [pɔ‿vdɛs | pɔ‿vdɛs si ɲə dəʃ.mɔɹ ‖] 𝄇 [nə dɔ.ɹə aɹ.mət dɔ ti‿mbaj.mə |] [tə‿mbɹɔj.m‿at.ðɛ.un nə‿t͡ʃdɔ kənd ‖] [tə dɹɛj.tat tɔ.na nɛ si‿ndaj.mə |] [kə.tu aɹ.mic͡ç.tə ska.nə vɛnd ‖] 𝄆 [sɛ zɔ.ti vɛ.t‿ɛ θa mɛ gɔ.jə |] [c͡çə kɔm.bɛ ʃu.hɛn pəɹm.bi ðɛ ‖] [pɔɹ ʃc͡çi.pə.ɹi.a dɔ tə rɔ.jə |] [pəɹ tə | pəɹ tə luf.tɔj.mə nɛ ‖] 𝄇 [ɔ fla.muɹ | fla.muɹ ʃɛɲ ɛ ʃɛɲ.tə |] [tɛk ti bɛ.tɔ.hɛ.mi kə.tu ‖] [pəɹ ʃc͡çi.pə.ɹi.n‿at.ðɛu̯n ɛ ʃtɹɛɲ.tə |] [pəɹ‿ndɛɹ ɛ.ðɛ lav.dim.n‿ɛ tu ‖] 𝄆 [tɹim bu.rə c͡çu.hɛt ðɛ‿ndɛ.ɹɔ.hɛt |] [at.ðɛ.ut kuʃ iu̯ bə θɛ.rɔɹ ‖] [pəɹ.jɛ.t‿a.i dɔ tə kuj.tɔ.hɛt |] [mbi ðɛ | nən ðɛ si ɲə ʃɛɲ.tɔɹ ‖] 𝄇[f]

Around our flag united we stand, With one wish and one intention. A sacred oath we bestow upon it, Faith for our pardon we blazon. 𝄆 From battle only he abstains, For who is born a traitor. He who a true man frightened not, But to the cause dies a warrior. 𝄇[g] We are armed with weapon in hand, In defending our motherland. Our sacred rights we shall cede not, On our land the foe has a place not. 𝄆 For God himself proclaimed: Some nations of the earth will end, And yet Albania will live and succeed. For her, for her we shall defend. 𝄇 O Banner, banner, you symbol sacred Upon you we now swear. For Albania, our dear motherland, For your glory and honour. 𝄆 Now the hero's named and honoured, The one who died for the motherland. Forever shall he be remembered On earth and under as a saint! 𝄇

In other alphabets

Albanian has historically been written in a number of different alphabets, and alternate alphabets are used to write different Albanian dialects.^[h]

Arvanitic alphabet	Elifba alphabet	Elbasan alphabet
Ρ̇εθ φλαμȣριτ τε̱ πε̱ρπ̇ασ̈κȣaρ' Με̱ ν̇ε̱ δ̇ε̱σ̈ιρ ε ν̇ε̱ κ̇ε̱λ̇ιμ, Τε̱ γ̇ιθ ατιϳ δ̇ȣκε ȣ π̇ε̱τȣαρ Τε̱ λιδιμ π̇εσε̱ν πε̱ρ σ̈πε̱τιμ. 𝄆 Πρε̱ϳ λȣφτε βε̱τσ̈ αι λαργοχετ Κ̇ε̱ ε̱σ̈τε̱ λινδ̇ȣρ τραδε̱τορ, Κȣσ̈ ε̱σ̈τε̱ π̇ȣρ̇ε̱ νȣκ φρικσοχετ, Πορ βδ̇ες, πορ βδ̇ες σι ν̇ε̱ Δ̇ε̱σ̈μορ! 𝄇 Νε̱ δ̇ορε̱ αρμε̱τ δ̇ο τι μπ̇αϳμε̱, Τε̱ μπ̇ροϳμε̱ ατδεȣν νε̱ τσ̈ο κε̱νδ̇! Τε̱ δ̇ρεϳτατ τονα νε σι νδ̇αϳμε̱; Κε̱τȣ αρμικ̇τε̱ σκανε̱ βε̱νδ̇! 𝄆 Σε Ζοτι βετε̱ ε θα με γοϳε̱ Κ̇ε̱ κομπ̇ε σ̈ȣχεν πε̱ρμπ̇ι δε, Πο Σ̈κ̇ιπε̱ρια δ̇ο τε̱ ρ̇οϳε̱; Πε̱ρ τε̱, πε̱ρ τε̱ λȣφτοϳμε̱ νε! 𝄇 Ο Φλαμȣρ, φλαμȣρ, σ̈εν̇ ε σ̈εν̇τε̱ Τεκ τι π̇ετοχεμι κε̱τȣ Πε̱ρ Σ̈κ̇ιπε̱ρινε̱, ατδεȣν ε σ̈τρεν̇τε̱, Πε̱ρ νδ̇ερ εδε λαβδ̇ιμν ε τȣ. 𝄆 Τριμ π̇ȣρ̇ε̱ κ̇ȣχετ δε νδεροχετ Ατδεȣτ κȣσ̈ ιȣ π̇ε̱ θερ̇ορ. Πε̱ρϳετε̱ αι δ̇ο τε̱ κȣϳτοχετ Μπ̇ι δε, νε̱ν δε σι ν̇ε̱ σ̈εν̇τορ! 𝄇	رّاث فلامورىت ت پرباشكوأر ما ڽ دشىر ا ڽ ڃلّىم ت ڷىث آتىي دوكا او باتوأر ت لىذىم باسن پر شپتىم پراي لوفتا واچ آئ لارگهات 𝄇 ڃ اشت لىݢور تراذتر كوش اشت بورّ نوك فرىكسهات 𝄆 پر وداس، پر وداس سى ڽ دشمر ن در آرمت د تى ݦايم ت ݦريم آتذاؤن ن چد كݢ ت درايتات تنا نا سى ݢايم كتو آرمىڃت سكان وݢ سا زتى وات ا ثا ما گي 𝄇 ڃ كݦا شوهان پرݦى ذا پ شڃىپريا د ت رّي 𝄆 پر ت، پر ت لوفتيم نا ا فلامور، فلامور، شاڽ ا شاڽت تاك تى باتهامى كتو پر شڃىپرىن، آتذاؤن ا شتراڽت پر ݢر، ادا لاودىمن ا تو ترىم بورّ ڃوهات ذا ݢارهات 𝄇 آتذاؤت كوش ايؤ ب ثارّر پريات آئ د ت كويتهات 𝄆 ݦى ذا، نان ذا سى ڽ شاڽتر	𐔚𐔇𐔞 𐔉𐔐𐔀𐔒𐔟𐔙𐔍𐔝 𐔝𐔈 𐔗𐔈𐔙𐔁𐔀𐔜𐔏𐔟𐔀𐔙 𐔒𐔇 𐔕𐔈 𐔄𐔈𐔜𐔍𐔙𐔈 𐔇 𐔕𐔈 𐔘𐔈𐔑𐔍𐔒, 𐔝𐔈 𐔋𐔍𐔞’ 𐔀𐔝𐔍𐔎 𐔄𐔟𐔏𐔇 𐔟 𐔁𐔇𐔝𐔟𐔀𐔙 𐔝𐔈 𐔐𐔍𐔆𐔍𐔒 𐔁𐔇𐔛𐔈𐔓 𐔗𐔈𐔙 𐔜𐔗𐔈𐔝𐔍𐔒. 𝄆 𐔗𐔙𐔇𐔎 𐔐𐔟𐔉𐔝𐔇 𐔠𐔇𐔃 𐔀𐔍 𐔐𐔀𐔙𐔊𐔖𐔌𐔇𐔝 𐔘𐔈 𐔈𐔜𐔝𐔈 𐔐𐔍𐔅𐔟𐔙 𐔝𐔙𐔀𐔆𐔈𐔝𐔖𐔙, 𐔏𐔟𐔜 𐔈𐔜𐔝𐔈 𐔁𐔟𐔚𐔈 𐔓𐔟𐔏 𐔉𐔙𐔍𐔏𐔛𐔖𐔌𐔇𐔝, 𐔗𐔖𐔙 𐔠𐔄𐔇𐔛, 𐔗𐔖𐔙 𐔠𐔄𐔇𐔛 𐔛𐔍 𐔕𐔈 𐔄𐔈𐔜𐔒𐔖𐔙! 𝄇 𐔓𐔈 𐔄𐔖𐔙𐔈 𐔀𐔙𐔒𐔈𐔝 𐔄𐔖 𐔝’𐔍 𐔒𐔁𐔀𐔎𐔒𐔈, 𐔝𐔈 𐔒𐔁𐔙𐔖𐔎𐔒𐔈 𐔀𐔝𐔆𐔇𐔟𐔓 𐔓𐔈 𐔃𐔄𐔖 𐔏𐔈𐔅, 𐔝𐔈 𐔄𐔙𐔇𐔎𐔝𐔀𐔝 𐔝𐔖𐔓𐔀 𐔓𐔇 𐔛’𐔍 𐔅𐔀𐔎𐔒𐔈; 𐔏𐔈𐔝𐔟 𐔀𐔙𐔒𐔍𐔘𐔝𐔈 𐔛’𐔏𐔀𐔓𐔈 𐔠𐔈𐔅! 𝄆 𐔛𐔇 𐔣𐔖𐔝𐔍 𐔠𐔇𐔝𐔈 𐔇 𐔞𐔀 𐔒𐔇 𐔊𐔖𐔎𐔈 𐔘𐔈 𐔏𐔖𐔒𐔁𐔇 𐔜𐔟𐔌𐔇𐔓 𐔗𐔈𐔙𐔒𐔁𐔍 𐔆𐔇, 𐔗𐔖 𐔜𐔘𐔍𐔗𐔈𐔙𐔍𐔀 𐔄𐔖 𐔝𐔈 𐔚𐔖𐔎𐔈 𐔗𐔈𐔙 𐔝𐔈, 𐔗𐔈𐔙 𐔝𐔈 𐔐𐔟𐔉𐔝𐔖𐔎𐔒𐔈 𐔓𐔇! 𝄇 𐔖 𐔉𐔐𐔀𐔒𐔟𐔙, 𐔉𐔐𐔀𐔒𐔟𐔙, 𐔜𐔇𐔕’ 𐔇 𐔜𐔇𐔕𐔝𐔈 𐔝𐔇𐔏 𐔝𐔍 𐔁𐔇𐔝𐔖𐔌𐔇𐔒𐔍 𐔏𐔈𐔝𐔟 𐔗𐔈𐔙 𐔜𐔘𐔍𐔗𐔈𐔙𐔍𐔓𐔈, 𐔀𐔝𐔆𐔇𐔟𐔓 𐔇 𐔜𐔝𐔙𐔇𐔕𐔝𐔈, 𐔗𐔇𐔙’ 𐔇𐔆𐔇 𐔐𐔀𐔠𐔄𐔍𐔒𐔓 𐔇 𐔝𐔟. 𝄆 𐔝𐔙𐔍𐔒 𐔁𐔟𐔚𐔈 𐔘𐔟𐔌𐔇𐔝 𐔆𐔇 𐔅𐔇𐔙𐔖𐔌𐔇𐔝 𐔀𐔝𐔆𐔇𐔟𐔝 𐔏𐔟𐔜 𐔍𐔟 𐔁𐔈 𐔞𐔇𐔚𐔖𐔙. 𐔗𐔈𐔙𐔎𐔇𐔝𐔈 𐔀𐔍 𐔄𐔖 𐔝𐔈 𐔏𐔟𐔎𐔝𐔖𐔌𐔇𐔝 𐔒𐔁𐔍 𐔆𐔇, 𐔓𐔈𐔓 𐔆𐔇 𐔛𐔍 𐔕𐔈 𐔜𐔇𐔕𐔝𐔖𐔙! 𝄇

Notes

1. Atij ('it') is sometimes replaced with atje ([a.tjɛ]; 'there'),^[6] and duke u is sometimes written duk' iu,^[7][3] duk' ju^[8][9] or similar.
2. Po ('but') is sometimes written por,^[10][6] an ancestral form.^[11]
3. Alongside the standard form vend ('place') one can also find the variant vënd,^[5][6] found in most Tosk dialects, with which the lyrics were originally written, as evidenced by the now lost rhyme with kënd.
4. Për ('for') is sometimes written pë,^[3][8] and atdheun ('homeland') is sometimes written atdhenë.^[8][12]
5. Apostrophes represent the elision of word-final ë's, and representation of this among different sources varies.
6. See Help:IPA/Albanian and Albanian phonology.
7. Only when the first verse alone is performed.
8. See Albanian alphabet and its references.