The Highland Lute

[2] In the poem the struggle against the Ottoman Empire became secondary[2] and as a central theme substituted with fighting Slavs (Serbs and Montenegrins),[3][4] whom he saw as more harmful after the recent massacres and expulsions of Albanians by them.

[8] The English translation of The Highland Lute was published in 2005 by Canadian Albanologists Robert Elsie and Janice Mathie-Heck (ISBN 978-1845111182).

Together this creates a charming ensemble of characters, mythological or not, as they convey the message of survival of the Albanian and his nation, even though it is filled with tragedy.

The unity of the work directly affects the craft, and the mythology, including fairies, dragons, lizards, and shadows.

The poems have a time span of two generations, beginning in 1858 when Montenegro, driven by the Russian Pan-Slavism, seeks to invade Albanian territory.

The poem ends when the Albanian independence is proclaimed and the London Conference has decided to split the territories in half awarding lands to Serbia and Montenegro.

The cycle begins with "Oso Kuka", continuing with the song of "Dervish Pasha", and the "Berlin Assembly".

Various scholars have attempted to find clashes between Homer's "Lahuta of the Highlands" and "The Iliad", especially in the atmosphere by the two poems.

Albania's time establishes a completely human, almost parental, relationship with Ali Pasha of Gucia when the moment is played with the fate of the nation.

The great fairy is the poet's life-long sister, giving him courage and the spirit to follow the development of events, such as poems and curses.

At the end of the fighting, the alien remains captured in Tringa's tomb, taking revenge on his Albanian sister.

Fishta manages to bring in this verse with dozens of characters, each of them completely individualized, with unique traits that cannot be removed from the reader's memory.

He also individualizes dozens of battles, and scenes, painted with its own special colors to be distinguished from the myriad surrounding it.

There are also rapid dialogues, philosophical sentiments, vows, prayers, wishes, curses, blasphemies, interruptions and rhetorical questions creating variety for the reader.

Unrepeatable in the poem is the use of euphemisms with artistic effects, sometimes caressing, worshiping, and praising, at times suing, harsh and macabre.