Date: Wed, 25 May 94 6:07:13 EDT >From: Nicholas P Zymaris sgjen.ndonji.zok A gay Albanian love song (by Nechin of Premet, 19th century) (diacritical marks omitted for clarity) S'gjen ndonji zok qi kendon, You'll find no bird that sings, Te gjithe jane e po qajne. They all sit there [lit., "are" ] and cry. I mjeri ashik sa fort po duron, The poor lover, how strongly he endures, Prej dyllberit po e dajne. [For] they separate him from [his] beloved. Dilli, qi len ne mengjes The sun, which rises in the morning Si ti, o djal, kur me zallandise [Is] like you, boy, when you are near me. Kur me kthen syt' e zes' When you turn your black eyes to me Shpirt ment prej kres' mi gremise. You drive me crazy. (lit.,"destroy the spirit and mind from my head") (Note: the terms "ashik" and "dyllber" are analogous to the Greek terms "erastes" and "eromenos", respectively. Also, the gender of both ("lover" and "beloved") here is male. The dialect is Geg, with some nonstandard spelling). (See J.G. von Hahn, _Albanesische Studien_ (Jena, 1854) re archaic terms). +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Nicholas Zymaris I C | X C P.O. Box 741 ----------- East Northport, NY 11731-0496 N I | K A "Perendia eshte dashuria" "Lavdi Perendise ne me te larte" +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++