frymėzim                  Albanian

Anton B. Fistani

The word inspiration frymėzim in Albanian has the same meaning as in English. It can indicate creative inspiration, divine inspiration even negative inspiration (“frymėzim i mbrapshtė”). However, in the official dictionary of Standard Albanian (1980), published before the collapse of the communist dictatorship, the word inspiration was defined as follows:

“Inspiration, An elevated state of conscience, during which the creative vigor of a person under the influence of powerful ideas and sentiments explodes; an elevated state of spirit which greatly revives the creative ability of a person, (for art or achievements) the creative spirit. Powerful inspiration (deep inspiration). Inspiration of the artist (of the poet). Inspiration for new victories [achievements].”

As we can see, the dimensions of the word are severely limited. There is no reference to divine influence, which can change people’s lives. The reason is very simple: Albania was officially declared an atheist state in 1967, when the regime abolished religion and began persecuting believers, executing Christian and Muslim clergy.

Other expressions in Albanian which are closely related to inspiration include the following:

To give spirit (soul): to give life; to inspire; to elevate the sentiments; the idea that give spirit (soul).

(Inspiration is a conscious phenomenon which revives the entire human being spiritually, mentally and physically enabling him to create, to bring to light an original and advanced idea, a work in the field of beneficence, faith, religion, thinking, art, science etc. Usually the inspiration find echo among sensible peoples, gifted by a great spirit forged with creative ideas, which incites them to leave as a legacy to the entire humanity works of art, culture, scientific discoveries and most of all spiritual guidance and moral enlightenment.)

North Albania, Shkodėr. Rozafat Castle: The remains of Saint. Stephan Church  (XII-XIII century B. C.)

While Albanians can look back with pride to historical figures that protected a faith (Roman Emperor Constantine, founder of Constantinople) in the 4th century, or a nation (Gjergj Katrioti, Skanderbeg) after the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in the 15th century, they can still be inspired by the life of a village girl named Agnes Gonxhe Bojaxhhiu (1910-1997) who heeded God’s call to serve the poorest of the poor in India, and whose missions in Albania today continue affect the lives of the country’s and the region’s most needy families.

Interview Questions:

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Can you tell me about the first time you experienced inspiration?

I think that every person during his life experience many attempts to achieve something, however one can reach that state of mind and spirit only if the inspiration can fuel it. Another significant step after the inspiration momentum are the results produced. As the Latin maxim says “Finis Coronat Opus” The End Crowns the Work, the fertile inspiration guides you toward the achievements.

I had that kind of humble inspiration in 1981 discovering for the first time and studying the Oldest Prehistoric sites of Gajtan and Baran in South-East of Shkodėr, North Albania. This inspiration was crowned by extending the unknown Albanian Prehistory from 30,000 B.C. to 600,000 B.C. Nevertheless, the Communist and Neo Communist Academy of Science of Tirana still plays a deaf ear to such discoveries and publications in prestigious journals, which by contrast are approved by American and European scientific communities. Although after 21 years of hard research, my flame of inspiration still remains alive, even today to give my modest contribution in that field.

Can you tell me more about what negative inspiration ("frymėzim i  mbrapshtė") means?  Do you have some examples?

By “frymėzim i mbrapshtė” or negative inspiration, I can describe it as following: In the Actual Dictionary of Albanian Language on page 107 [Fjalor i Gjuhės sė Sotme  Shqipe; Tiranė, 1980. Pg.107] we find this phrase related to the word Inspiration: [The ideas of Communist Party inspire the entire population.].  Also, the destruction of churches, mass execution of clergy, turning the sacred objects into warehouses were based upon a negative inspiration suggested from J. V. Stalin and later on culminated from the Cultural Revolution of China which in his turn desecrated Tibet.
 

I have wondered about negative inspiration as well. I am glad that you brought up the subject. I wondered about dictators like Hitler and Mussolini who inspired the people and used their inspiration to destroy people. This is the same case with Stalin and Mao, etc. What does this tell us about inspiration? That it is not to be totally trusted?

In most of our religious traditions, e.g. Christianity, even in Hinduism, good and evil, negative and positive, black and white are seen as part of the duality of human existence. So, in that respect there can be no good or positive and creative Inspiration without negative and twisted Inspiration. They seem to be the two faces of the same coin. In our lives we have seen that we can be inspired by good, positive Inspirations, but also we have been tested by negative, twisted Inspirations. Hence, we should be well prepared to resist to these attempts, developing to the fullest extent one virtue: the fortitude.

I would say that, if the world would have been in one color we could not perceive it. That’s the reason why God said Fiat lux and there was light, which subdued the darkness.

If we expose even the negative, twisted inspiration, in that case we can make the positive Inspiration stronger and more capable to fight the negative one.
 

I am still unclear about “frymėzim i mbrapshtė”. What is the literal translation of this?

The word "mbrapsht" means: bad; twisted; negative; perversely; naughtily.  So, in essence is a larger meaning of "negative inspiration" in Albanian language.

Do you have any questions that you would ask about inspiration?

 Maybe, my questions will sound pessimistic, but for one thing I am sure, I am saying what I think and what I truly feel. I wish to be wrong….

Can we trace the evolution of inspiration from dark ages until our days?

It is true, that we are living in a century in which we need to look back in times in order to discover the meaning of a true inspiration.  And today, can we be so harsh as to state that this noble phenomenon of mind and spirit of humanity is inclining more and more toward the facets of materialistic “inspiration” or better saying is going near the threshold of  its extinction? “