Preseren Day 8 Feb (Slovenian poet)

Subject: Preseren Day 8 Feb (Slovenian poet)
From: Felipa
Date: 26 Jan 22 - 05:27 PM

"France Prešeren(pronounced [f?an'ts? p??'?e???n] (audio speaker https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Sl-France_Pre%C5%A1eren.oga) (2 or 3 December 1800 – 8 February 1849) was a 19th-century Romantic Slovene poet whose poems have been translated into many languages." Prešeren himself wrote in both Slovenian and German.

"Prešeren Day, the Slovene Cultural Holiday, is a public holiday celebrated in Slovenia on 8 February. It is marking the anniversary of the death of the Slovene national poet France Prešeren on 8 February 1849 and is the celebration of the Slovenian culture." Wikipedia

Like Robbie Burns,Prešeren collected and was influenced by indigenous folk poetry. As far as I'm aware, however, Prešeren's poetry is more recited than sung. I may well be wrong; listen to this song Od Zelezne Ceste

some poems translated into English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tGjDqj0Urw

Lakeland Voice will hold a Burns/Preseren event in Kendal, England on the weekend of Jan.29-30 (2022), which comes between the two nights which normally celebrate these national poets from Scotland and Slovenia - with songs, food and drink from both countries. Their email newsletter says: January 29-30 Preseren/Burns singing weekend - songs from Slovenia and Scotland. Unitarian Church hall, Kendal. Scottish songs on Saturday with Burns night supper £30. Sunday: Slovenian songs. £25

I don't see anything about the event on the website but there is a page of Slovenian song lyrics on the site.

Subject: RE: Preseren Day 8 Feb (Slovenian poet)
From: Felipa
Date: 26 Jan 22 - 06:21 PM

Some other Prešeren poems are set to music. I don't know any Slovenian, so am not the best placed to do this research. These ones are performed as rock music; most Mudcatters will prefer Od Zelene Ceste, I think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GVl9_F0LMs Memênto móri
lyrics at https://lyricstranslate.com/en/france-presheren-mem%C3%AAnto-m%C3%B3ri-lyrics.html

Pevcu - Tadej Toš & The Band, lyrics France Prešeren, music Igor Leonardi

Pevcu lyrics

Now, this information makes me think of Robbie Burns:
https://www.travel-slovenia.si/france-preseren-a-toast/:The Toast is a song, that was written by France Prešeren in November 1844. But it wasn’t published till year 1848. In year 1991, Stanko Premrl musicalized the song for chorus and its 7th stanza became a Slovene national anthem.

France Prešeren wrote the song as a toast, probably as an initiative of Matija Vrtovec, known as winegrower from Šentvid... The song eventually overgrew only the joy at new wine and pleasant company, and so its optimism has grown in, for that time, a bold political song. In the song he brought together the idea of friendship with desire for unity, freedom, brotherhood and mutual respect among people. From personal speech to his friends it has grown into national-patriotic song. It speaks out about Slovenian nation, its destiny and wishes of all. The song was prepared to be published in 1846 in Poezije (Poetry), but it was censored. Thus the poet himself eliminated the song, as the stanza Unity, Happiness, Reconciliation was marked as raunchy by the censor France Miklošic. For the publication of the entire song it had been necessary to wait until year 1848, when it was published after March revolution. ... In year 1991, Stanko Premrl musicalized the song for chorus and its 7th stanza became a Slovene national anthem

THE TOAST - France Prešeren (TRANSLATION of ZDRAVLJICA)

1.
The vintage, friends, is over,
And here sweet wine makes, once again,
Sad eyes and hearts recover,
Puts fire into every vein.
Drowns dull care
Everywhere
And summons hope out of despair.

2.
To whom with acclamation
And song shall we our first toast give?
God save our land and nation
And all Slovenes where’er they live,
Who own the same
Blood and name,
And who one glorious Mother claim.

3.
Let thunder out of heaven
Strike down and smite our wanton foe!
Now, as it once had thriven,
May our dear realm in freedom grow.
May fall the last
Chains of the past
Which bind us still and hold us fast!

4.
Let peace, glad conciliation,
Come back to us throughout the land!
Towards their destination
Let Slavs henceforth go hand-in-hand!
Thus again
Will honour reign
To justice pledged in our domain.

5.
To you, our pride past measure,
Our girls! Your beauty, charm and grace!
There surely is no treasure
To equal maidens of such race.
Sons you’ll bear,
Who will dare
Defy our foe no matter where.

6.
Our hope now, our to-morrow –
The youths – we toast and toast with joy.
No poisonous blight or sorrow
Your love of homeland shall destroy.
With us indeed
You’re called to heed
Its summons in this hour of need.

7.
God’s blessing on all nations,
Who long and work for that bright day,
When o’er earth’s habitations
No war, no strife shall hold its sway;
Who long to see
That all men free
No more shall foes, but neighbours be.

8.
At last to our reunion –
To us the toast! Let it resound,
Since in this gay communion
By thoughts of brotherhood we’re bound
May joyful cheer
Ne’er disappear
From all good hearts now gathered here.


Words in Slovene and English on screen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-WuhiuEOQc

No words on screen, but a sweeter sound: XXL Vocal Project by Samo & Tomaž Kozlevcar

A short informational video in English https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-IY3tb6xf8

Subject: RE: Preseren Day 8 Feb (Slovenian poet)
From: Jack Campin
Date: 28 Jan 22 - 06:45 AM

Any excuse for an event with Slovenian wine is a good excuse.

Subject: RE: Preseren Day 8 Feb (Slovenian poet)
From: Felipa
Date: 27 Feb 22 - 12:07 PM

No one yet has commented on the splendid sentiments of the Slovenian national anthem; see verse 7 of the translation above of Preseren's ZDRAVLJICA