![Taga za yug](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Taga_za_yug.png)
Taga za Yug (Originally spelled in
non-standardized Bulgarian orthography: Тѫга за югъ, bg, Тъга за юг, mk, Т'га за југ, in English "Longing for the South") is the name of a famous
poem
Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings in ...
by the
Bulgarian National Revival
The Bulgarian National Revival ( bg, Българско национално възраждане, ''Balgarsko natsionalno vazrazhdane'' or simply: Възраждане, ''Vazrazhdane'', and tr, Bulgar ulus canlanması) sometimes called the Bu ...
poet
Konstantin Miladinov
The Miladinov brothers ( bg, Братя Миладинови, ''Bratya Miladinovi'', mk, Браќа Миладиновци, ''Brakja Miladinovci''), Dimitar Miladinov (1810–1862) and Konstantin Miladinov (1830–1862), were Bulgarian poets ...
. It is a patriotic-reflexive song in which the author, who lives in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
, expresses his homesickness for his homeland.
By the end of the 1850s, Bulgarian poets as Miladinov started to write lyric poetry in vernacular. This poem is written specifically using the
Struga dialect
The Struga Dialect ( mk, Струшки дијалект, ''Struški dijalekt'') is a member of the western and north western subgroup of the western group of dialects of Macedonian. The dialect is spoken in Struga, Pogradec, Pustec, and up to th ...
.
Publication
![Newspaper Dunavski Lebed (Danube Swan) issue 20 from February 7, 1861, p](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Newspaper_Dunavski_Lebed_%28Danube_Swan%29_issue_20_from_February_7%2C_1861%2C_p._88.jpg)
Konstantin Miladinov was educated in Athens, but later attended
Moscow University
M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU; russian: Московский государственный университет имени М. В. Ломоносова) is a public research university in Moscow, Russia and the most prestigious ...
(1856-60), willing to continue his studies in Slavic language instead of Greek. In Moscow, Miladinov worked on the editing of the folk songs, he was given by his brother Dimitar and his Bulgarian friends, that later both brothers published as collection called
Bulgarian Folk Songs
Bulgarian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria
* Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group
* Bulgarian language, a Slavic language
* Bulgarian alphabet
* A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria
* Bul ...
. Miladinov wrote the poem there in
vernacular
A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...
, specifically using his native
Struga dialect
The Struga Dialect ( mk, Струшки дијалект, ''Struški dijalekt'') is a member of the western and north western subgroup of the western group of dialects of Macedonian. The dialect is spoken in Struga, Pogradec, Pustec, and up to th ...
. The inspiration to write the song came after his brother,
Dimitar Miladinov
The Miladinov brothers ( bg, Братя Миладинови, ''Bratya Miladinovi'', mk, Браќа Миладиновци, ''Brakja Miladinovci''), Dimitar Miladinov (1810–1862) and Konstantin Miladinov (1830–1862), were Bulgarian poets ...
sent him a letter to go back to their hometown of Ohrid, where he could continue working as a teacher.
The grief of Constantin for his homeland was strengthened by his poor health. "Longing for the South" was published for the first time by
Bulgarian National Revival
The Bulgarian National Revival ( bg, Българско национално възраждане, ''Balgarsko natsionalno vazrazhdane'' or simply: Възраждане, ''Vazrazhdane'', and tr, Bulgar ulus canlanması) sometimes called the Bu ...
activist
Georgi Rakovski
Georgi Stoykov Rakovski ( bg, Георги Стойков Раковски) (1821 – 9 October 1867), known also Georgi Sava Rakovski (), born Sabi Stoykov Popovich (), was a 19th-century Bulgarian revolutionary, freemason, writer and an impo ...
in his newspaper "Dunavski lebed" issued in
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
on February 7, 1861. Rakovski’s association with Miladinov was a result of their struggle for the
national awakening of the Bulgarians.
Content
![Konstantin Miladinov](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Konstantin_Miladinov.jpg)
Because of the cold Moscow climate, it is these dark and dreary feelings that nurture his yearning for the warm sunshine of the South. By exclusively using positive epithets to depict the native soil, the author evokes the painful, unattainable desire to return to his homeland, symbiotically embracing it. Regarding the lyrics, he mentions several cities then in the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
; Stambol that is actually
Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
, present-day
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
, and Kukush
Kilkis
Kilkis ( el, Κιλκίς) is a city in Central Macedonia, Greece. As of 2011 there were 22,914 people living in the city proper, 28,745 people living in the municipal unit, and 51,926 in the municipality of Kilkis. It is also the capital city o ...
, present day
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
. He also mentions that he wants to see his "own places" Ohrid and
Struga
Struga ( mk, Струга , sq, Strugë) is a town and popular tourist destination situated in the south-western region of North Macedonia, lying on the shore of Lake Ohrid. The town of Struga is the seat of Struga Municipality.
Name
The nam ...
, present-day
North Macedonia
North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Socialist Feder ...
.
Modern references
Miladinov's work is considered part of the 19th century history of the
Bulgarian literature
Bulgarian literature is literature written by Bulgarians or residents of Bulgaria, or written in the Bulgarian language; usually the latter is the defining feature. Bulgarian literature can be said to be one of the oldest among the Slavic peopl ...
. In North Macedonia the poem is viewed as one of the most important Macedonian literary works under the name.
[Silvana Simoska “Longing for the South” by Konstantin Miladinov viewed from the perspective of the intercultural comparison of verse translations in Informatologia, Vol.41 No.2 Lipanj 2008, str. 140-148.] It is traditionally recited at the opening ceremony of
Struga Poetry Evenings
Struga Poetry Evenings (SPE) ( mk, Струшки вечери на поезијата, СВП; tr. ''Struški večeri na poezijata'', ''SVP'') is an international poetry festival held annually in Struga, North Macedonia. During the several dec ...
. It is included also in the country's school textbooks. It has been translated to more than 60 languages.
In popular culture
The T'ga za Jug wine is named after Miladinov's poem. Produced in
North Macedonia
North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Socialist Feder ...
, the wine is semi-dry and ruby-red in color. It has been described as being similar in taste to the
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
or
Californian Barbera
Barbera is a red Italian wine grape variety that, as of 2000, was the third most-planted red grape variety in Italy (after Sangiovese and Montepulciano). It produces good yields and is known for deep color, full body, low tannins and high levels ...
. The rock band "Balkanski Banditi" (Balkan Bandits) with members from both Bulgaria and North Macedonia released an album with that name in 2012.
Bulgarian Rock Archives.
/ref>
See also
* Miladinov Brothers
The Miladinov brothers ( bg, Братя Миладинови, ''Bratya Miladinovi'', mk, Браќа Миладиновци, ''Brakja Miladinovci''), Dimitar Miladinov (1810–1862) and Konstantin Miladinov (1830–1862), were Bulgarian poets ...
* Bulgarian Folk Songs
Bulgarian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria
* Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group
* Bulgarian language, a Slavic language
* Bulgarian alphabet
* A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria
* Bul ...
* Struga Poetry Evenings
Struga Poetry Evenings (SPE) ( mk, Струшки вечери на поезијата, СВП; tr. ''Struški večeri na poezijata'', ''SVP'') is an international poetry festival held annually in Struga, North Macedonia. During the several dec ...
References
{{reflist
External links
The text of the poem on the Bulgarian Wikisource.
The text of the poem on the Macedonian Wikisource
English translation of the poem by Tala, Angelina (22 August 2012). Retrieved from the site: "Struga News" om 21.02.2020.
Bulgarian poems
Macedonian literature
1860 poems