Dhori Qiriazi

I should have included this in the last post. To be honest i forgot I had this information, and only discovered it today, but still the last post was long enough without this!. Here is some information on Dhori Qiriazi.

( I find it interesting that he has written "Krishterimi në Shqiperi: botohet me rastin e 2000 vjetorit te Krishterimit në Shiperi". I wonder if he is any relation to Gjerasim Qiriazi. That I have not found out yet!)

from the Irvine Burns Club

A special item is the Works of Burns, translated into Albanian, by Dhori Qiriazi, who sent us two copies, one of which is in our library, the other of which we have presented to the Mitchell Library, Glasgow, to include in its excellent Burns section.
Robert Bërns, Poezi, dhe një ese nga T. Karlajli ne shqip nga origjinali: Dhori Qiriazi (Poems: The essay of Thomas Carlyle and Translations from the orginals by Dhori Qiriazi)
Dhori Qiriazi inscribed the volumes: "To Irvine Burns Club - In admiration for my most beloved poet and the most sincere poet in the world. 9 March 2003".
When we sent him booklets, he wrote back: "I saw the photo of the Irvine statue of Robert Burns and I think this is the best statue of the poet that I have seen till now. Also I wish to compliment Colin Hunter McQueen for his album of the life of Robert Burns. My translation of the verses of Robert Burns into Albanian lasted fifteen years and it is the first - and only - translation in Albanian of him from the original language. I am glad to say the poet has lost nothing of his flavour in Albanian. To the crown of world poetry Robert Burns, I am sure, is the brightest jewel. He is very sincere and wrote in an unaffected way the truth and only the truth."
For a flavour of Albanian, here are the lines from Tam O'Shanter, which start "O Tam, had'st thou but been sae wise" where lines 3-6 are telling Tam off for being a "drunken blellum":
O Tam, ti s'mbajte në rradake
asnjë këshillë të Kates sate:
"Një grosh nuk vlen, të thotë, lum miku,
kur flet me grahma pijaniku,
se të gjithë vitin, gjer në fund,
çdo ditë pazari bëhesh thumb!"

I was born on 16 December 1932 in the village of Lëngëzë near the Erseka town in the region of Kolonja in south-eastern Albania. I have studied at the Faculty of History and Philology of the University of Tirana. In 1958 I'm graduated in Albanian language, literature and history. I have worked as a teacher of Albanian language and literature in Erseka and in the region of Kolonja from 1958 till 1988.
I began publishing in the 50' s in varying kinds of publications. From 1958 I have published several verse collections: Kur zemra rreh së pari ('When the heart first beats') 1958, Ballada intime ('Intimate ballad') 1963, (second edition in 2001), Poema e ushtarit ('A soldier's poem') 1968, Pishat me kristale ('The crystal torch') 1971, Vitet ('Years') 1982, Kukuli dhe shigjeta ('Kukul and the arrow' - satires) 1984.

I have also published several short stories. After 1982 I began to focus more on translation work. I know Russian language and I have translated several authors as well as Pushkin, Esenin, Necrasov, Tolstoy, etc.
In the 70's I began to learn English. In 1984 I had translated the book you have now with selected poems songs and ballads of Bums. Some of them are: Tam 0 'Shanter, The Jolly Beggars, The Twa Dogs, The Brigs of Ayr, Poor Mailie's Elegy, Scotch Drink, To a Mouse, Holy Willie's Prayer, John Anderson, My Jo, Mary Morison, My Love is like a Red Red Rose (My Luve's like a red red rose), Afton Water, Duncan Gray, Scots Wha Hae, etc. This book was published only in 1998 with the title: Poetry and an essay by Thomas Carlyle. I have also translated from English George Byron, John Keats, John Cam Hobhouse (A Journey through Albania), etc.
I have translated from Italian language the Italian classical poet Petrarca (The Book of Songs), the poet Salvatore Quasimodo, Leopardi, etc.
I have written a few historical research books: Krishterimi në Shqipëri ('Christianity in Albania'), Dhimitër Kamarda (an Albanian-arbëresh linguist) and I have translated also from Italian language a historical book of Gjon Muzaka (Remembrances) a prince and a general of our national hero Scanderbeg.

I include Qiriazi's translation of the classic "A red, red rose" again by Robert Burns.

Dashuria ime

Si trëndafil më je, moj dashuri,
që hapet në qershor
dhe kaq e ëmbël rrjedh si melodi
që derdhet nga një kor

Si ty moj çupë kurrë nuk kam hasur,
të dua, dot s'përmbahem,
do të të dua ty gjithmonë, e dashur,
gjer detet krejt të thahen.

E dashur, gjer të thahen detet
gjithnjë do të të dua,
gjer guri copa-copa të tretet,
të bjerë baltë mbi mua.

Ah, lamtumirë e vetmja dashuri
ah, lamtumirë për pak
nga fundi i dheut do vija përsëri
tek ty, po t'isha larg.

Burns Original

O, my luve's like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June.
O, my luve's like the melodie,
That's sweetly play'd in tune.
2.
As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I,
And I will luve thee still, my Dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.
3.
Till a' the seas gang dry, my Dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun!
O I will luve thee still, my Dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.
4.
And fare thee weel, my only Luve,
And fare thee weel a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho' it were ten thousand mile!