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Anila Dahriu is a renowned and original voice in contemporary Albanian literature, known for her emotionally charged, introspective, and symbolically rich poetry. Her poetic collection, Many Wishes I Have Here, unfolds a rich emotional universe where each poem serves as a call to the soul and a reflection on life, love, loss, and human connections.
One of the fundamental pillars of Dahriu’s poetry is the exploration of human emotions in relation to time, memory, and identity. The poem I Let You Go Free, My Love delves into the theme of sacrificial and liberating love, where the lyrical subject sets a loved one free, reflecting a love that does not possess but understands and accepts. This motif mirrors one of humanity’s profound dimensions: the pain and beauty of emotional freedom. The poem Chameria, Oh, Land I Never Knew is a powerful elegy addressing the theme of identity and longing for a lost homeland, evoking the pain of separation and the struggle to reconnect with a place that forms part of one’s spiritual roots. Dahriu employs potent imagery to paint timeless pictures, such as “I am a flower always in migration” and “I will kiss your body by the sea,” creating a profound sense of both loss and hope.
Anila Dahriu’s style is characterized by rich symbolism, evocative imagery, and a strong musicality. Her poems often feature free verses that appear simple yet conceal a deeply considered structure. Words are valued not just as vehicles for emotion but as tools to convey atmosphere and tonal depth. The poem I Pray with You, Glorious Mother addresses the suffering of humanity and the quest for forgiveness and hope. Lines like “Oh God, why do you punish humanity?” are powerful appeals to the divine, while Dahriu crafts a dialogue between the human soul and God. The figure of Mother Teresa emerges as a symbol of purity and hope.
A distinctive aspect of Dahriu’s poetic work is her close connection with nature and its cycles. Verses in Golden Autumnand The Days of Autumn Are So Sad capture the beauty and melancholy brought by the seasons. “Ah, golden autumn” expresses the magical beauty of nature, while The Days of Autumn Are So Sad reflects on the passage of time and the sense of loss it brings. Natural elements are not mere backdrops but active participants influencing the emotional and intellectual state of the lyrical subject. For instance, images of “petals felt on the wings of dreams” evoke a duality of fragility and strength.
Symbolism is one of the most powerful elements in Dahriu’s poetry. The “swan” appears as a symbol of innocence and entrapment in the modern world, while images like “golden rain” and “newborns of songs” create a transcendent atmosphere that invites readers to meditate on life and existence. A typical poem is My Bones, where the lyrical subject describes a profound existential state, comparing their bones to a poisoned labyrinth and expressing a yearning to escape this world. This poem represents the human struggle with the limitations of self and the world, using language that is simultaneously painful and beautiful.
Dahriu’s poetry is not limited to personal emotions but also engages with the collective experiences of humanity. I Pray with You, Glorious Mother, dedicated to Mother Teresa, expresses the global suffering caused by war, poverty, and destruction. This poem highlights the power of her poetry as a tool for reflection and awareness. The poem Where Are We? is a philosophical inquiry into our place in the universe and the soul’s destination in the modern world. Dahriu uses images like “a flower touching a dream” and “a verse traveling through the sky” to evoke a cosmic sense connecting the individual with the universe.
Dahriu’s poetry frequently reflects her deep connection to Albanian culture and heritage. Poems like Vlora and My Albania are dedicated to her homeland, expressing her love for her birthplace and pain for the wounds it has endured. The vivid and impactful imagery allows readers to feel the poet’s emotions and her deep bond with her roots. Based on my experience as both a poet and a literary translator, I believe that Anila Dahriu’s poetic collection is a treasure trove of emotions and thoughts, offering a profound journey into her spiritual and intellectual universe. The themes she addresses—love, time, nature, identity, and hope—are universal and provide readers with an opportunity for deep reflection on life and the connections that shape it. Her poetic language, rich with symbolism and emotion, makes this collection a valuable contribution for readers in the English-speaking world.
Anila Dahriu was born on May 25, 1970, in Vlora, Albania. Shortly after graduating from the Industrial Institute, she enrolled in the Faculty of Letters, but had to abandon her studies due to the chaos, nearly akin to a civil war, that erupted in her country in 1997. She left her homeland in March 1997, married an Italian citizen, and from 1997 to 2009, she lived in Prato (Tuscany). She moved to Calabria in 2010. She has published five volumes of poetry in Albanian, including: “Porta e vetes” (1996), “Lërmë të vij me ty” (2011), “Mos më lëndoni ndjenjën” (2011), “Dridhërim zane” (2012), and “Drejt së panjohurës” (2012).
In Italian, she published “Ndër brinjët e mëkatit” (Between the Ribs of Sin) in 2013, with the Albanian text alongside. She received the “Roberto Farina” award in Roseto Spulico, Calabria (June 2014), the “Terre Lontane” award in Spezzano Albanese, Calabria (December 2014), and the “Don Luigi Di Liegro” award in Rome (2015).
In 2016, she published a poetry book titled “Ne jemi mësuar të mendojmë” (We Are Used to Thinking) with LEPISMA Publishing, based in Rome. In 2017, she reissued “FRA LE COSTELE DEL PECCATO” (Between the Ribs of Sin), published by Consenso Publishing, in Rossano-Corigliano.
She has received various awards in the city of Cosenza (Calabria) for her works “Ndër brinjët e mëkatit” (Between the Ribs of Sin) and “Ne jemi mësuar të mendojmë” (We Are Used to Thinking). In 2018, her work was translated into Romanian. She was invited to the international poetry festival “MIHAI EMINESCU” in Craiova, Romania, where she was honored with a participation medallion on June 17, 2018.
In 2019, the International Writers’ Association “Bondani,” based in Brussels and Pristina, awarded her the International DARDANICA Prize for her original and authentic writing. In 2020, she was honored with the “ARBËRIA” prize in Cosenza. In 2021, she received another recognition from the “Bondani International Writers’ Association” for high standards in Albanian literature. On December 18, 2021, she was honored by the “Italian Academy of Art in the World” in Lecce (Italy) with the highest award for poetry and literature, “CESIRA DORIA FERRARI.”
She currently lives and works in Mirto Crosia, Calabria, where she writes and translates works of various Italian and Albanian poets and writers known in Italy and around the world. She has contributed to many anthologies, both locally, within the Albanian diaspora, and internationally. She has collaborated with several local and national newspapers in Italy, including La Voce in Corigliano-Rossano (Calabria), EDILET in Rome, ARTI QË MË PËLQEN in Calabria (directed by artist Giuseppina Groccia), and the newspapers Fjala e Lirë (UK), Nacionale, and Mapo, based in Tirana, Albania. She also collaborates with ADA Publishing, based in Tirana, and BOGDANI Publishing in Kosovo.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAMERIA OH, LAND I NEVER KNEW
I PRAY WITH YOU, GLORIOUS MOTHER (To Mother Teresa of Calcutta)
CARVED THE VERSE FOR YOU, MY LAND
UNDER THE SHELTER OF THE CALABRIAN OASIS
TIME NO LONGER LOOKS ANYMORE FOR POETS
THROUGH THE VEINS OF AUTUMN I WROTE THE EXCLAMATION
WHAT IS THE BEAUTY OF A WOMAN FOR?
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A WOMAN’S BEAUTY
LYRICAL POETRY WITH DEVOTIONAL FEELING By Prof. Jeton Kelmendi
