Rrahman DEDAJ
Rrahman Dedaj (b. 1939) is a poet in constant evolution and one who has contributed substantially to the modernization of Albanian verse in Kosova. Dedaj was born near Podujeva and studied Albanian language and literature in Prishtina before becoming executive editor of Rilindja Publishing Company. He moved to London during the 1999 Kosova war and died there on 21 August 2005.
Dedaj’s poetic works are characterized by rich, emotive expression, by an almost mathematical precision in structure and semantics and by a search for a balance between tradition and modernity. His first collection Me sy kange, Prishtina 1962 (With eyes of song) evinced both personal and social motifs. In Simfonia e fjalës, Prishtina 1968 (Word symphony), his sensitive lyrics took on more neo-romantic tones, with an Orphean world of blossoms and butterflies. Later volumes, in particular Baladë e fshehur, Prishtina 1970 (Hidden ballad), Etje, Prishtina 1973 (Thirst) and Gjërat që s’preken, Prishtina 1980 (Things intangible), inaugurated a new stage in Kosovo verse, more attuned to contextual symbols and myths. This neosymbolist verse often runs rampant with animal and plant metaphors caught up and preserved in disciplined, elliptical structures. Recent collections include Jeta gabon, Prishtina 1983 (Life makes mistakes), Fatkeqësia e urtisë, Prishtina 1987 (The misfortune of wisdom), and Kryqëzim hijesh, Prishtina 1997 (Crossing of shadows).
Rrahman DEDAJ
Our word
You slept in our pierced bone
You wove legends and temples you toppled
Bloodstained bridge between ashes and light
Rebel child of the heart, bread and salt
Adorned bride with girlish dreams
Veil never torn in white kullas
You have threaded your name through yellow rings
Your love has been hunted with bow and arrow
Like the full moon you are born in every love
And build your home in every heart
Crimson butterfly in our bone
We have immured you as a song extracted from our flesh.
[Fjala jonë, translated from the Albanian by Robert Elsie and first published in English in An elusive eagle soars, Anthology of modern Albanian poetry, London: Forest Books 1993, p. 106]
When…
When we dream of the dead
They say it will rain,
When we dream of heroes
Our bones begin to grow.
[Kur…, from the volume Balada e fshehur, Prishtina 1970, translated from the Albanian by Robert Elsie and first published in English in An elusive eagle soars, Anthology of modern Albanian poetry, London: Forest Books 1993, p. 107]
Obstinate verse
It strives to be born
It has no head.
If it came out of another head
It would forget
The pain which nourishes it.
If it came out without a head
They would give it a number
Instead of a name.
A number which people
Would add and subtract
Multiply and divide
Always mistakenly.
[Vargu kryeneç, from the volume Etje, Prishtina 1973, translated from the Albanian by Robert Elsie and first published in English in An elusive eagle soars, Anthology of modern Albanian poetry, London: Forest Books 1993, p. 108]
Between
Between stone and stone
Bread.
Between bread and bread
Word.
Between word and word
Thirst.
Between thirst and thirst
Flower.
Between flower and flower
Name.
Between name and name
Bridge.
Who stole the hills?
[Ndërmjet, from the volume Etje, Prishtina 1973, translated from the Albanian by Robert Elsie and first published in English in An elusive eagle soars, Anthology of modern Albanian poetry, London: Forest Books 1993, p. 109]
The dog
He chases after lightning
The rain cannot drench him
He will find his friend
He circles the black tree
Stone-still in his own shadow
He will find his friend
A bat swoops
To touch his head
He will find his friend
[Qeni, translated from the Albanian by Robert Elsie and first published in English in An elusive eagle soars, Anthology of modern Albanian poetry, London: Forest Books 1993, p. 110]