Song of Çelo Mezani

The Song of Çelo Mezani (Albanian: Kënga e Çelo Mezanit) is an Albanian polyphonic folk song. It is considered to be the best-known Cham Albanian song. The song increased the awareness in Albania about the Chameria region and its history.The song was composed during the period of the Albanian National Awakening and is a narrative and a lament of the death of Çelo Mezani, a well-known Cham Albanian revolutionary from the village of Perdika in modern north-western Greece (Çamëria). Çelo Mezani lived in the late 19th century and was a kaçak who fought against Ottoman rule in his homeland. The Ottoman agents managed to kill him through betrayal.



Song
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The song of Çelo Mezani consists of three parts and is sung by two soloists and a drone group.It was recorded officially in 1957 in Fier in the Myzeqe region and in Skelë in the area of Vlorë by Cham Albanian refugees who had settled in those areas after the expulsion of Cham Albanians. In both recording the groups sang a cappella.

Albanian





Song of Çelo Mezani

The sun arose in Malavire,
Çelo came out in Harile,
Çelo came out in Harile,
Out to offer his condolence,
Out to offer his condolence,

Near the well of Sulejmani
They awaited Çelo Mezani.

When the rifle rang the first time,
Çelo turned and looked around him,
Çelo turned and looked around him.

When the rifle rang the second time,
Çelo folded, closed his eyelids,
Çelo folded, closed his eyelids.

When the rifle rang the third time,
Çelo then was truly slaughtered,
Çelo then was truly slaughtered.

Off they went to tell his mother
That her son had now been slaughtered,
That her son had now been slaughtered.

“Do not utter these words to me,
For my Çelo is still living,
For my Çelo is still living.”