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The Albanian anthem was written by the Albanian poet Asdreni (an accronym for Aleks Stavre Drenova), who was born in 1872 and died in 1947. The original title of the hymn was "Betimi mi flamur", or "Pledge to the Flag". The hymn was first published as a poem in Liri e Shqipërisë (Freedom of Albania), an Albanian newspaper in Sofia, Bulgaria, in its issue of April 21, 1912. Later that year it appeared in a volume of collected poems by Asdreni, under the title èndra e lot‘ (Dreams and Tears), which was published in Bucharest. The official anthem is two verses shorter than the original poem. The music of the anthem was composed by the Romanian composer Ciprian Porumbescu.

The original text in Albanian is in rhyme and meter. Next to it is an English translation in free verse, which is adapted from a translation found in an Albanian Bulletin published in USA.

Hymni Kombëtar

Rreth flamurit të përbashkuar,
Me një dëshirë dhe një qëllim,
Të gjithë Atij duke iu betuar,
Të lidhim besën për shpëtim.

Prej lufte veç ay largohet,
Që është lindur tradhëtor,
Kush është burrë nuk friksohet,
Po vdes, po vdes si një dëshmor.

Në dorë armët do t'i mbajmë,
Të mbrojmë Atdheun në çdo vend,
Të drejtat tona ne s'i ndajmë,
Këtu armiqtë s'kanë vend.

Se Zoti vet e tha me gojë,
Që kombe shuhen përmbi dhé,
Po Shqipëria do të rrojë,
Për te, për te luftojmë ne.

The National Anthem

United around the flag,
With one desire and one goal,
Let us pledge our word of honor
To fight for our salvation

Only he who is a born traitor
Averts from the struggle.
He who is brave is not daunted,
But falls - a martyr to the cause.

With arms in hand we shall remain,
To guard our fatherland round about.
Our rights we will not bequeath,
Enemies have no place here.

For the Lord Himself has said,
That nations vanish from the earth,
But Albania shall live on,
Because for her, it is for her that we fight.

Introductory text provided by Antoni Berishaj and Uk Lushi.