Misto Treska (19 April 1914 – 23 June 1993) was an Albanian translator, diplomat (Ambassador), writer and politician of Albania during communist regime. He has translated French authors such as

Hugo Hugo or HUGO may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Hugo'' (film), a 2011 film directed by Martin Scorsese * Hugo Award, a science fiction and fantasy award named after Hugo Gernsback * Hugo (franchise), a children's media franchise based on ...

Maupassant Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant (, ; ; 5 August 1850 – 6 July 1893) was a 19th-century French author, remembered as a master of the short story form, as well as a representative of the Naturalist school, who depicted human lives, destin ...

, Stendhal and Diderot into Albanian. He has served in the Albanian diplomacy, particularly in exchanges of cultural relations of

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

with foreign countries. He has notably been Ambassador in Paris. Treska was also one of the prosecutors of the military trial in which Axis collaborators

Lef Nosi Lef Nosi (born Elefter Nosi; 9 April 187720 February 1946) was an Albanian publisher, archivist, philologist, folklorist, ethnographer, numismatist, archaeologist and politician. On 28 November 1912, he was as one of the signatories of the Decla ...

, Anton Harapi,

Maliq Bushati Maliq Bey Bushati (8 February 189020 February 1946) was an Albanian public official and politician. After the Italian invasion of Albania he became an Interior Minister in the Vërlaci government and afterwards Prime Minister of Albania during t ...

were sentenced to death.

Early life

Misto Treska was born in Treskë,

Korçë Korçë (; sq-definite, Korça) is the eighth most populous city of the Republic of Albania and the seat of Korçë County and Korçë Municipality. The total population is 75,994 (2011 census), in a total area of . It stands on a plateau som ...

, on April 19, 1914. He attended the Lycée of Korça along with other outstanding names like Pandi Geço,

Vedat Kokona Vedat Kokona (August 8, 1913 – October 14, 1998) was an Albanian translator, writer and lexicologist of the 20th century, well known for his dual dictionaries English-Albanian and French-Albanian and his contributions in Albanian lexicology a ...

and

Mahir Domi Mahir Domi (1915–2000) was an Albanian linguist, professor, and academic. He was one of the organizers and main participants of the Albanian Orthography Congress, and member of the follow up commission responsible for deploying the orthograp ...

. Since at his early life, he was distinguished for his active help in the cultural and artistic life of the city. Under the pen name Mitre S. Toska, he published regularly articles and translations in "''Rilindja"'' (Eng. ''Renaissance'') and ''"Bota e Re"'' (Eng. ''New World''), the socio-political and literary journals of the time, together with the then distinguished writers, like Sterjo Spase,

Migjeni Millosh Gjergj Nikolla (; 13 October 191126 August 1938), commonly known by the acronym pen name Migjeni, was an Albanian poet and writer, considered one of the most important of the 20th century. After his death, he was recognized as one of th ...

Petro Marko Petro Marko (November 25, 1913 – December 27, 1991) was an Albanian writer. His best-known novel is titled '' Hasta La Vista'' and recounts his experiences as a volunteer of the Republican forces during the Spanish Civil War. Petro Marko is ...

, Nonda Bulka etc. Also, Treska put on stage plays ''" Den Politiske Kandestøber"'' (Eng. ''The Political Tinker'' or ''The Pewterer turned Politician'') by

Ludvig Holberg Ludvig Holberg, Baron of Holberg (3 December 1684 – 28 January 1754) was a writer, essayist, philosopher, historian and playwright born in Bergen, Norway, during the time of the Dano-Norwegian dual monarchy. He was influenced by Humanism, ...

, ''"En Folkefiende"'' (Eng. '' An Enemy of the People'') by Henrik Ibsen, and other plays by

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and worl ...

Jean Racine Jean-Baptiste Racine ( , ) (; 22 December 163921 April 1699) was a French dramatist, one of the three great playwrights of 17th-century France, along with Molière and Corneille as well as an important literary figure in the Western traditi ...

and

Victor Eftimiu Victor Eftimiu (; 24 January 1889 – 27 November 1972) was a Romanian poet and playwright. He was a contributor to ''Sburătorul'', a Romanian literary magazine. His works have been performed in the State Jewish Theater of Romania. Eftim ...

, playing at the same time as an actor. In later years, he worked for the Albanian Encyclopedic Dictionary, entries dedicated to the period of the 1920s and 1930s.

Years of World War II

Misto Treska took part in the first anti-fascist organizations of the city of Korca. In April 1939, he was arrested for resistance against the Italian occupiers and was transferred into the prisons of

Durrës Durrës ( , ; sq-definite, Durrësi) is the second most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Durrës County and Durrës Municipality. It is located on a flat plain along the Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast between the mouths of ...

Zvërnec Zvërnec ( sq-definite, Zvërneci; el, Σβέρνιτσα, Svernitsa) is a community in Vlorë County, Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Vlorë. It is situated northwest of the city of Vlorë. It is ...

(in Vlora), Kruja and from there to Messina, Italy, where he stayed for two years. Upon release from prison, he joined the Albanian Anti-Fascist National Liberation Army, the 20th

Brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. B ...

, where he was ranked as its Commissar. The lyrics of this brigade would retain his signature. Throughout this period, Treska continued contribution to the country's literary life as a publicist, when his pen against the fascist invaders was felt particularly strong. He attended the Conference of Berati in 1944 and was one of the Albanian delegates to the Peace Conference in 1946. Being a member of the Presidium of the

League of Writers and Artists of Albania The League of Writers and Artists of Albania () is a non-profit organization founded with the goal of promoting and advancing the literary and artistic creativity of Albanian writers and artists, as well as to assess and reassess the finest works ...

, he submitted for publication novels of

Maxim Gorky Alexei Maximovich Peshkov (russian: link=no, Алексе́й Макси́мович Пешко́в; – 18 June 1936), popularly known as Maxim Gorky (russian: Макси́м Го́рький, link=no), was a Russian writer and social ...

, ''"Malva"'' and ''"Birth of a Man"'', which were received warmly by readers.

After World War II

He was one of the founders of the Albanian League of Writers and Artists. The opus of his translation is broad and multidimensional, not only as a translator of prose but also as a translator of poetry. He was awarded with various orders and medals in the field of diplomacy and he was evaluated and awarded as a translator several times. He enriched his translation by writing introductions for them, in which he gives explanations for the time they were written and ideas conveyed by the authors. Treska translated masterpieces: ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its origin ...

'' and ''

Ninety-Three 93 may refer to: * 93 (number) * one of the years 93 BC, AD 93, 1993, 2093, etc. * 93 Seine-Saint-Denis, French department, Paris, Île-de-France * Atomic number 93: neptunium * '' Ninety-Three'', English title of ''Quatrevingt-treize'' (same meani ...

'' by

, '' La Religieuse'' (Eng. The Nun) by

Denis Diderot Denis Diderot (; ; 5 October 171331 July 1784) was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer, best known for serving as co-founder, chief editor, and contributor to the '' Encyclopédie'' along with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. He was a promi ...

, ''

Lucien Leuwen ''Lucien Leuwen'' is the second major novel written by French author Stendhal in 1834, following ''The Red and the Black'' (1830). It remained unfinished due to the political culture of the July Monarchy in the 1830s and Stendhal's fears of losin ...

'' by Stendhal, ''

Bel-Ami ''Bel-Ami'' (, "Dear Friend") is the second novel by French author Guy de Maupassant, published in 1885; an English translation titled ''Bel Ami, or, The History of a Scoundrel: A Novel'' first appeared in 1903. The story chronicles journalist ...

'' by

Guy de Maupassant Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant (, ; ; 5 August 1850 – 6 July 1893) was a 19th-century French author, remembered as a master of the short story form, as well as a representative of the Naturalist school, who depicted human lives, destin ...

, '' Colas Breugnon'' by

Romain Rolland Romain Rolland (; 29 January 1866 – 30 December 1944) was a French dramatist, novelist, essayist, art historian and mystic who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1915 "as a tribute to the lofty idealism of his literary production a ...

, ''

Le Petit Chose ''Le Petit Chose'' (1868), translated into English as ''Little Good-For-Nothing'' (1878, Mary Neal Sherwood) and ''Little What's-His-Name'' (1898, Jane Minot Sedgwick), is an autobiographical memoir by French author Alphonse Daudet. Contents Tak ...

'' by

Alphonse Daudet Alphonse Daudet (; 13 May 184016 December 1897) was a French novelist. He was the husband of Julia Daudet and father of Edmée, Léon and Lucien Daudet. Early life Daudet was born in Nîmes, France. His family, on both sides, belonged to the ...

, poems by

Louis Aragon Louis Aragon (, , 3 October 1897 – 24 December 1982) was a French poet who was one of the leading voices of the surrealist movement in France. He co-founded with André Breton and Philippe Soupault the surrealist review ''Littérature''. He ...

and

Paul Éluard Paul Éluard (), born Eugène Émile Paul Grindel (; 14 December 1895 – 18 November 1952), was a French poet and one of the founders of the Surrealist movement. In 1916, he chose the name Paul Éluard, a matronymic borrowed from his maternal ...

, etc. Translation of the epopee ''

'' saw the light of translation in Albanian about a century after

Sami Frashëri Sami bey Frashëri ( tr, Şemseddin Sami Bey; June 1, 1850 – June 18, 1904) or Şemseddin Sâmi was an Ottoman Albanian writer, philosopher, playwright and a p ...

had translated it in Turkish. The then

regime In politics, a regime (also "régime") is the form of government or the set of rules, cultural or social norms, etc. that regulate the operation of a government or institution and its interactions with society. According to Yale professor Juan Jo ...

would not allow the full publication of this novel, but Misto Treska refused to step out even a small part. Better not published than to offer it in a mutilated form to the reader – he insisted. For this reason this work remained in his drawers for about 18 years. Treska's translations are to be found in Hugo Museum in Paris, together with one of his dedication introductions, titled Translating Hugo means translating France. During the years 1957–1974, Misto Treska served as President of the Albanian Committee for Cultural and Friendly Relations with the Outside World. In the years 1979–1981, he was appointed ambassador to France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

. On January 24, 1981, he was selected as an honorary citizen of the city of Rubelles, France. Treska developed close friendship with many French personalities prominent in the field of politics and culture.

''Translations''

Among the translations made by Treska are the following:National Library of Albania
Skedarët online. *

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...

, ''

'', '' Quatrevingt-treize'' *

, ''

'' * Stendhal, ''

'' *

, '' La Religieuse'' *

, ''

'' *

, ''Malva'', ''Birth of a Man'' *

, '' Le Fou d'Elsa'', Selected Poems *

, Selected Poems *

Gabriel Péri Gabriel Péri (Peri) (9 February 1902 — 15 December 1941) was a prominent French Communist journalist and politician, and member of the French Resistance. He was executed in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. Early life Péri was ...

, ''Richard the Lionheart'' *

, '' Colas Breugnon'' (This translation is awarded 'First Class Price of the Republic of Albania') * Claire Etcherelli, ''Elise ou la vraie vie'' * Jean Bruller (Vercors), ''

Le Silence de la mer ''Le Silence de la mer'' (, ''The Silence of the Sea'') is a French novel written during the summer of 1941 and published in early 1942 by Jean Bruller under the pseudonym "Vercors". Published secretly in German-occupied Paris, the book quic ...

'' *

Harry Mulisch Harry Kurt Victor Mulisch ( ; 29 July 1927 – 30 October 2010) was a Dutch writer. He wrote more than 80 novels, plays, essays, poems, and philosophical reflections. Mulisch's works have been translated into over thirty languages. Along with Wi ...

, ''De Aanslag'' (Eng. '' The Assault'') *

, '' Les Plaideurs'' *

, ''

Les Fourberies de Scapin ''Scapin the Schemer'' (french: Les Fourberies de Scapin) is a three-act comedy of intrigue by the French playwright Molière. The title character Scapin is similar to the archetypical Scapino character. The play was first staged on 24 May 1671 in ...

'' * French Road Code and Rail Transport (available at the Ministry of Transports and Public Works)

Post Mortem

Misto Treska was awarded First Prize 'For Contribution in Relations between France and

'. In 2004, he is honored with the title 'Honorary Citizen of

'. In 2006, with the decision of the City Council, Library No. 5 of the capital of

Tirana Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...

, is given the name 'Misto A. Treska'.News Archive
Library 5 in the capital city takes the names of the ex-diplomat, translator and publicist Misto Treska. In 2010, one of the streets of

bears the name of Misto Treska, in tribute and respect to his work and contribution.

References

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Treska, Misto 1914 births 1993 deaths People from Korçë Albanian translators French–Albanian translators Ambassadors of Albania to France 20th-century translators Albanian National Lyceum alumni Labour Party of Albania politicians 20th-century Albanian politicians Albanian journalists Ambassadors of Albania to the Netherlands Ambassadors of Albania to Belgium Ambassadors of Albania to Luxembourg 20th-century journalists