As today, on March 6, 1844, the Arbëresh poet, Zef Serembe, was born.

…Arbëria /Albania/a across the sea, reminds us

That we are strangers in this land!

How many years have passed! The heart never forgets

That in the Turk left us without Motherland…

Zef Serembe 06.03.1843 – 1901 is a lyrical Arbëresh poet. He was born on March 6, 1843 in Strigar, Cosenza, Italy. He studied at the college of Saint Adrian, where he had Jeronim de Rada as his teacher, with whom he later became friends. Early on he was connected with the Garibaldi Movement and later with the liberation movement in Albania. The political and social events in Italy, after its unification, deeply disappointed him and together with his personal misfortunes (the murder of his uncle, the death of his girlfriend), caused him a deep spiritual crisis. In this state, in 1875 he set off for Brazil, in search of the grave of his beloved daughter, but soon returns to his homeland, where he still finds no peace. Spiritually shaken, he went into exile and ended his life, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 1901. Many of Serembe’s manuscripts have been lost (among them a long poem and perhaps some plays). Zef Serembe is a spontaneously inspired poet. He extensively studied lyrics with a diverse theme, created patriotic, philosophical, social and love lyrics. In the patriotic poems, he invites for open war against the Ottoman conqueror (“Vrull” /Burst/, “To Dora D’Istria”). His philosophical-social and love lyrics reflected the conflict between the individual and the society of the time, bringing forth a new hero, the rebel individual who is lonely and disillusioned with life.

One of his poems was published in the newspaper “Arbri i Ri” /New Albania/, directed by the prominent Arbëresh publicist, Zef Skiroi. 39 of the poems written in Albanian were published after his death in the collection “Poems”, in Milan, in 1926. The range of his work includes melodious lyrics about love, hymns about the homeland, poems about friendship, about nature, about the religion. Among the lyrics dedicated to the homeland, those written for Ali Pasha Tepelena and Dora D’Istria stand out.

Thanks to the search for the lost texts of Zef Serembe’s poems, several editions of his work have been made in recent years that complement the recognition of the poet’s creativity.

Beautiful birds sing with joy,

But, my heart will break in my chest.

Poisoned, I go to this one and:

I get bored in the village, alone.

All splendor opens before me, the sea,

That awakens many thoughts in my brain,

My heart was troubled by the terror, poor me,

So much so that I only rest when I fall asleep;

Arbëria /Albania/ across the sea, reminds us;

That we are strangers in this land!

How many years have passed! The heart never forgets;

That in the Turk left us without Motherland;

………………….

The Central State Archive, in this anniversary, brings together the decree for the awarding of the Order of the Flag to the poet Zef Serembe and notes on his life and activity by Nanik Resuli, copied later by Musine Kokolari.

/a.p./