Gavril Dara the Younger
Encyclopedia
Gavril Ndre Dara commonly known as Gavril Dara Junior was an Arbëreshë
politician and poet of the 19th century. He is regarded as one of the early writers of the Albanian National Awakening.
, a town in Sicily
, southern Italy
. His family was one of the first to migrate from Albania
to Italy after Skanderbeg
's death. His grandfather Gavril Dara the Elder was among the first collectors of Arbëreshë folklore, while his father Ndre or Andrea published a dictionary of fokloric terms.
At an early age he learned Latin
and ancient Greek
. In Palermo
he received a degree in law and practised in Agrigento
. After the unification of Italy he held a variety of offices in Sicily. At first he served as the first councillor of the prefecture of Palermo and from 1867 to 1869 as governor of Trapani
, a town in western Sicily. From 1871 to 1874 he was the director of the liberal political magazine The Reform . He died in 1885 in Agrigento.
in the Italian language
and a poem in Albanian
dedicated to Saint Lazarus. Dara's best-known work is Kënka e sprasme e Balës (The last lay of Bala) originally written in Albanian and later translated into Italian. Kënka e sprasme e Balës is a four-part epic romantic ballad containing nine canto
s and recounts the adventures of Nik Peta and Pal Golemi, two Albanian heroes that lived in the era of the League of Lezhë
. It was first published in 1887 after his death in installments in the periodical Arbri i ri (Young Albania), published by Zef Skiroi
. In July 1900 it was fully published in Albanian and Italian in the journal La Nazione albanese (The Albanian nation).
Arbëreshë
The Arbëreshë are a linguistic and ethnic Albanian minority community living in southern Italy, especially the regions of Apulia, Basilicata, Molise, Calabria and Sicily...
politician and poet of the 19th century. He is regarded as one of the early writers of the Albanian National Awakening.
Life
Gavril Dara was born on January 8, 1826 in Palazzo AdrianoPalazzo Adriano
Palazzo Adriano is a town and comune in the province of Palermo, Sicily, southern Italy.-History:The first mentions of one casale Arianum date from before 1060 under the reign of the Norman Roger I of Sicily. More reliable are the data on the hamlet of Palazzo Adriano reported in a document 1243...
, a town in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, southern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. His family was one of the first to migrate from Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
to Italy after Skanderbeg
Skanderbeg
George Kastrioti Skanderbeg or Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu , widely known as Skanderbeg , was a 15th-century Albanian lord. He was appointed as the governor of the Sanjak of Dibra by the Ottomans in 1440...
's death. His grandfather Gavril Dara the Elder was among the first collectors of Arbëreshë folklore, while his father Ndre or Andrea published a dictionary of fokloric terms.
At an early age he learned Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
. In Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
he received a degree in law and practised in Agrigento
Agrigento
Agrigento , is a city on the southern coast of Sicily, Italy, and capital of the province of Agrigento. It is renowned as the site of the ancient Greek city of Akragas , one of the leading cities of Magna Graecia during the golden...
. After the unification of Italy he held a variety of offices in Sicily. At first he served as the first councillor of the prefecture of Palermo and from 1867 to 1869 as governor of Trapani
Trapani
Trapani is a city and comune on the west coast of Sicily in Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Trapani. Founded by Elymians, the city is still an important fishing port and the main gateway to the nearby Egadi Islands.-History:...
, a town in western Sicily. From 1871 to 1874 he was the director of the liberal political magazine The Reform . He died in 1885 in Agrigento.
Work
His early works include verseVerse (poetry)
A verse is formally a single line in a metrical composition, e.g. poetry. However, the word has come to represent any division or grouping of words in such a composition, which traditionally had been referred to as a stanza....
in the Italian language
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
and a poem in Albanian
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
dedicated to Saint Lazarus. Dara's best-known work is Kënka e sprasme e Balës (The last lay of Bala) originally written in Albanian and later translated into Italian. Kënka e sprasme e Balës is a four-part epic romantic ballad containing nine canto
Canto
The canto is a principal form of division in a long poem, especially the epic. The word comes from Italian, meaning "song" or singing. Famous examples of epic poetry which employ the canto division are Lord Byron's Don Juan, Valmiki's Ramayana , Dante's The Divine Comedy , and Ezra Pound's The...
s and recounts the adventures of Nik Peta and Pal Golemi, two Albanian heroes that lived in the era of the League of Lezhë
League of Lezhë
The League of Lezhë was an alliance of Albanian Principalities forged in Lezhë on the 2nd of March 1444. It was initiated and organised by Skanderbeg with the aim of uniting the Albanian principalities that had been founded in the 12th - 14th centuries, to fight the Ottoman Armies...
. It was first published in 1887 after his death in installments in the periodical Arbri i ri (Young Albania), published by Zef Skiroi
Zef Skiroi
Giuseppe Schirò was an Arbëreshë neo-classical poet, linguist, publicist and folklorist from Sicily. His literary work marked the transition to modern Albanian literature in Italy.After completing the Arbëreshë Seminar of Palermo, he studied law...
. In July 1900 it was fully published in Albanian and Italian in the journal La Nazione albanese (The Albanian nation).