ZAKO, Anton (Zako-Çajupi). Sheper in South Albania 27.3.1866 — Cairo 11.6.1930. Albanian Poet and Translator of Indian Literature. Zako was his real name, Çajupi a nom-de-plume. He was Orthodox Christian and spent most of his life in Egypt. Son of Harito Zako, the owner of a succesful tobacco business. After local Greek school studied from 1882 French at Saint Catheriae des Lazaristes in Alexandria. From 1887 studied law in Geneva, degree in 1892, then practised three years in Switzerland. In 1892 returned to Albania and 1894 moved to Egypt. Now he was less active in law and concentrated on writing. Even in Egypt he was active in Albanian nationalist movement. Married Eugenia (d. 1892), one child.
Publications: Lulé te hindit. 44 p. Cairo 1922 (Flowers of India, poems transl. from Sanskrit).
– Published poetry since 1902, then republ. as: Stihotvorenija. Perevod s albanskogo. 102 p. M. 1952; Pëvratta në vjersna. Tirana 1954; Vepra. Tirana 1957; Shqipëtar. 1964; Poezia. 1966; also plays.
Sources: Albanian encyclopedia contains a long article on him, but I cannot read it; http://www.geocities.ws/letersi1/cajupibece.html?1040804031570; briefly in S. Skendi, The Albanian National Awakening. Princeton 1967, 125.
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