Name Ignjat Durdevic | Role Poet | |
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Died January 21, 1737, Dubrovnik, Croatia | ||
Ignjat Durdevic (also Ignazio Giorgi; February, 1675 - January 21, 1737) was a Croatian baroque poet and translator best known for his long poem Uzdasi Mandaljene pokornice ("Sighs of Repentant Magdalene"). Durdevic was born in Republic of Ragusa and was a member of the House of Giorgi. His mother is of the Zlataric family.
As a member of a rich and respectable family, he lived recklessly and often in debauchery. His love adventures cost him the position of the duke on Sipan. Because of his unrequited love towards a diklica (girl) from Dubrovnik and a libertine poem he wrote to her, Durdevic even had to leave the city for a while.
He was a tri-lingual poet (he wrote in Latin, Italian and Croatian) with deep feelings, unrestrained by Catholic morals. His fiery Ljuvene pjesni (Love Poems) are some of the best lyric poems from Dubrovnik, with influences of Bunic's verse. Suze Marunkove (Marunko's Tears), Durdevic's poem about Marunko from the island of Mljet, who is sighing because of a beautiful djevicina (maid) Pavica, were obviously inspired by Dervis, written by his namesake Stijepan Durdevic. Still, Ignjat often manages to surpass Stijepan because of his freer style.
After more than twenty years of preparations, Durdevic printed Uzdasi Mandaljene pokornice ("Sighs of Repentant Magdalene") in Venice in 1728, together with the cycle of Pjesni razlike (Various Poems). Magdalene is his most beautiful work, while Poems have exceptionally varied themes and forms. Experts in Croatian literature like Mihovil Kombol and Ivo Franges noticed that the themes and forms of Durdevic's Poems are similar to the poems of Fran Krsto Frankopan.
In 1729, his Saltijer slovinski (Slavic Psalms) were printed in Venice. They contain translations or paraphrases of the psalms of King David. Their fine language and style distinguish them from many similar translations made by the poets of Dubrovnik.