Shkrimtari dhe poeti italo-shqiptar Nikollė Keta, lindi diku rreth vitit 1740 nė Contessa Entellina (Kundisa), njė nga vendbanimet mė tė hershme shqiptare nė Sicili, themeluar nė vitin 1450 dhe 1467.

Keta mėsoi nė seminarin grek nė Palermo. Ai u vendos si drejtor i kėtij seminari nė vitin 1777. Si poet, ai shkroi krijime fetare si dhe vargje poetike nė shqip dhe greqisht. Keta, njihet si shkrimtari shqiptar i cili ka shkruar sonetin e parė nė shqip nė vitin 1777.

Ai vdiq nė vitin 1803!


Krijimet mė poshtė janė pėrkthyer nė anglisht nga Robert Elsie. Shpresoj qė ndonjėri nga ju t'i sjellė dhe nė shqip.


Of honourable lineage
(Farie sė ndeerme nė Kuntisė u bii)


Of honourable lineage in Contessa was born
Nick Chetta, a scion of the Albanian soil.
He went to Palermo, to the Albanian home
Which received him like a featherless bird in a nest.

It clothed him, girded him with manners, with wisdom,
In the heat it refreshed him with its shade, like
The vine-stock readorning its withered branches,
And now a priest, the church took him for her spouse.

Like a lost bird he stretched his two wings
In Palermo and Contessa, both here and there
He sought honour for the Albanians in all his writings.

Like a silkworm he exhausted himself
And wove, embellished and wrote this treasure
To enrich Albania in every possible way.

[1777, u publikua pėr herė tė parė nė anglisht tek History of Albanian literature, New York 1995, vol. 1, p. 147]



I Travelled the Earth
(Po rraha dhera)


I travelled the earth in search of treasures,
Caused all Albania to blush at my sins,
Alas, how this hellish life deceived me,
Promised me honours, gold and pleasures.

On the verge of seizing that golden trove,
Those vile wooden boards enclosed my worn body...
Around my tomb weep the folk of Contessa,
I beg you, Lord, forgive them their sins.

[Ėshtė shkėputur nga volumi 'Tesoro di notizie su de' Macedoni, 1777']