SELECTIVE AND ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF CLASSICAL PERSIAN LITERATURE TRANSLATED INTO ALBANIAN

Abstract

Persian literature, with its deep-rooted connection to Sufi thought, found fertile ground for spreading in the Balkans, facilitated by the Ottoman Empire’s expansion. The establishment of Sufi orders in Albania led to the expansion of Persian mystical texts and the translation of significant Persian classical literature into Albanian. This study aims to review and introduce classical Persian literary works that have been translated into Albanian and consequently recorded in library repositories. Using advanced searches in COBISS instances for Albania, Kosovo, Northern Macedonia, and Serbia with the Boolean query “LO=per AND LA=alb” (original language Persian & translation language Albanian), and the database of National Library of Albania (NLA) the results indicate that notable Persian classical literary works have been translated into Albanian. While a brief overview of classical Persian literature is provided, the study highlights how Persian literary and spiritual texts have been popular in the region, especially in Albania.