March of Shkup

Skopje after being captured by Albanian revolutionaries in August, 1912 who defeated the Ottoman forces holding the city.





The March of Shkup is an Albanian folk song composed in 1912, when Albanian revolutionaries captured the city of Skopje(Capital of Kosovo Vilayet) from the Ottomans after more than 500 years of Ottoman rule.
In July, 1912 Albanian revolutionaries gathered their forces in Kosovo after capturing most major cities of the region like Pristina, Ferizaj and Gjakova from the Ottoman Empire. In early August 1912 the Albanian troops marched southwards towards Skopje, capital of province. On August 13 the first Albanian troops, five hundred under Idriz Seferi and Isa Boletini entered the city and demanded from the 4000 Ottoman troops of the city to surrender it to the Albanian revolutionaries.On August 14 the Ottoman garrison surrendered, while more Albanian troops reached the city from the areas of Kumanovo, Pristina and Dibër.By the end of August more than 30,000 Albanian troops were stationed in Skopje.




Song
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The song March of Shkup was first performed by one of the Albanian Catholic bands -- possibly the band of Gjakova -- that marched towards Skopje in August 1912. When the Albanian troops entered the city on August 14, Albanian newspapers and magazines like Drita reported that March of Shkup was sung by a large part of the troops. The song is a call to arms to all Albanians to join the Albanian uprising of 1912 that led to the establishment of the state of Albania.

Albanian

Ngri, Shqyptar flamurin!
Tash n'luft' boria na thrret;
Me derdh për vend tonë gjakun,
Na pushka po na pret.



English

Raise Albanian the flag!
Now to war the command calls us;
To shed blood for our land,
The weapons await us.