Arber Thesproti: Per detashmenin Otoman

Nga Arber Thesproti

Asnjehere se kisha menduar se mes shqiptarve mund te dilte ndonje koker agurridhe e te guxonte e vinte ne dyshim figuren e te madhit Gjergj Kastriot Skenderbeu. Isha i gabuar. Keta nuk jane nje e dy, por nje detashmen i tere, nje horrdhi e tere seraskenesh. Sic duket, 500 vjetet e sundimit ottoman na kane lene ne dere keto pjella te shemtuara. Hej ju taborri i seraskenjve qe lehni kunder Heroit Kombetar te Shqiptarve; ne qofte se doni te dini per SHQIPTARIZMIN e Gjergjin tone, ja ku eshte, pergjigjen e keni nga goja e tij: Ketu keni leterkembimin e Skenderbeut me Princin e Torantos. Antonio kishte sulmuar Ferdinandin e Napolit dhe gati po i mirte mbreterine, por me ndihmen e Skenderbeut , Ferdinandi e shpartalloi plotesisht ate. Me kete raste ju seraskenet do te mesoni se sa shqiptar ishte Gjergji yne.

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This entire Part 5 was originally written in French by Pagnel, a writer in the XV century in his publication entitled ÒTHE TURKS AND THE HISTORY OF SKANDERBEGÓ. [NOTE: It was translated into Italian (perhaps by Conforti?) and then I translated this draft
from Italian to English. - **** Vara, 1997]

The letter to Skanderbeg: Ò Giovanni Antonio, Prince of Taranto, to Georgio albanese, greeting. (Conveniva a te?), that the luck you had shown in the war with the enemies of the Christian religion, which sometimes had forced combat, then leaving that field, you came to Italy to drive your armies against Christians? What cause do you hold against me? What have I done against you? What controversies do they make between us? You have spoiled my territories and are crudely giving vent against my subjects, and first you have (mosso?) the war that (proposta?). You boast that you are a great warrior for the Christian religion and (pur?) yet you persecute this (geate?) which for every reason is called Christianity. You have turned your iron against the French of the Kingdom of Sicily. Perhaps you have thought to take the army against the effeminate Turks that you are accustomed to wounding in the back. You will find other men who all support your proud appearance (?) and no one will avoid your face. Our Italian soldiers will challenge you very well and have no fear of the Albanese. We already know your generation and respect the Albanese like sheep, and it is an embarrassment to have such cowardly people for enemies; (neÕ?) would you have embarked on such a business if you had stayed to dwell in your house.. You have avoided the onslaught of the Turks, and not having the power to defend your own house, have thought to invade other peopleÕs. You are deceitful. Instead of a new house you are looking for your grave. Goodbye..... .Ó Letter from Skanderbeg to the Prince of Taranto: Ò Giorgio, gentleman of Albania, to Giovanni Antonio, Prince of Taranto, greeting. Having made a truce with the enemy of my religion I have not wanted that my friend remain (fraudato) of my aid. (Spesse?) times, Alfonso, his father, invited my help while I waged war against the Turks. Therefore I would be very ungrateful if I had not resisted (lÕistesso?) service to his son. I remember what your king did because now (non deve vedere succedergli? ) this who is his son? You adored his father, and why now do you try to throw out his son? Where did this power come from? Who has the power to set up the King of Sicily, you or the Roman Pontiff? I came to aid Ferrante, son of the king and seat of the Apostolica. I came opposing your unfaithfulness and innumerable great betrayals in this kingdom. (NeÕ?) will you ever be unpunished for your perjury. This is the reason for my war against you. I merit this no less than I merited making war against the Turks, nor are you less Turk than them. (ImperoccheÕ vi sono alcuni?) that guide you in a straight line not to be of some sect. You my opponents the French and the names of those people, and those for the religion wage grand war. I do not want to dispute ancient matters with you, matters that perhaps were much less than what was told about them. Certainly in our times the Aragonese armadas have often coursed the Aegean Sea, have plundered the Turkish coasts, have (riportata?) the prey of the enemies; and even today the Aragonese armies defend Troja from the jaws of the enemy. Why do I remember the old things and leave the new parts? If they change the family costumes and the plowmen of the kingdom, and the kings of the plowmen return? (NeÕ troverai nobilitaÕ piuÕ antica della virtuÕ.) Nor can I deny that you are not with the obnoxious French nation, (imperoccheÕ) you being mainly in aid of King Alfonso, you hunted the French of this kingdom. I do not know now what new virtue shines in this. Perhaps it is some new star that you have now seen among the French? Moreover, you scorned our people, and compared the Albanese to sheep, and according to your custom think of us with insults. Nor have you shown yourself to have any knowledge of my race. My elders were from Epirus, where this Pirro came from, whose force could scarcely support the Romans. This Pirro, who Taranto and many other places of Italy held back with armies. I do not have to speak for the Epiroti. They are very much stronger men than your Tarantini, a species of wet men who are born only to fish. If you want to say that Albania is part of Macedonia I would concede that a lot more of our ancestors were nobles who went as far as India under Alexander the Great and defeated all those peoples with incredible difficulty. From those men come these who you called sheep. But the nature of things is not changed. Why do your men run away in the faces of sheep? In the past the Albanese have (fatto?) experience if the Pugilese were armed; (neÕ) I would again find some who would have been able to aspired to my nature. I have well noted from the back how many of your soldiers are well armed but have never been able to see their helmets or (tanpoco?) the face except those that have become prisoners. (NeÕ?) I seek your house (Bastandomi? ) my own. Besides, it is well known that you often would have shot your neighbors for their possessions, as now you would force out the king of your house and your kingdom. (Che se?) If I fall in the difficult task I have embarked on I will be buried as (mi vai?) wishing in your letter, will bring back my soul as a reward from the Chancellor of the universe, of God. Not only will I have perfected my intention, but also I will have planned and attempted some distinguished deed. Good bye.... "