In an attempt to create a piece that would be sung by all the participants of the festival, a wonderful Latin text was written by bishop Jurij Bizjak.
In the text, he merged the mythology of Koper, its landscape and people with the context of the festival. We are eternally grateful for this important contribution, as well as for his inspiration and support of the festival.
Hymnus in Honorem Aegidis Athenae
škof msgr. dr. Jurij Bizjak
O Aégis cárminá sollémniá cantórum,
Athénae Aégis, Músae Ínsulaé caprínae,
sol vínitórum, rádií oléariórum,
expérto vélum náutae, píscatóri rémus.
Sonóres mélodíae sólis, máris, vénti,
caprárum vóces, gáviárum ét Sirénum
in tóta térra résonént, contíngant caélum:
Vexíllum nóstrae ártis músicaé sit Aégis!
O Aegis, with great solemn singing,
Aegis of Athena, muse of Goat Island,
Sun of wine growers, olive farmers’ shining beams,
A sailors front sail, an oar to the fishermen.
The sounding melodies of sun, wind and the sea,
The voices of goats, seagulls and singing Sirens
may they enchant the whole world, resound into the sky:
and the vexillum of our music forever be Aegis!
O Aégis slávne slávospéve pévajóčih,
Aténe Aégis, Múze Kózjegá otóka,
vinárjev sónce, óljkarjév sijóči žárki,
mornárju prédnje jádro, véslo ríbolóvcu!
Napévi zvóčni sónca ín vetróv in mórja,
glasóvi kóz, galébov ín Sirén pojóčih -
očárajó ves svét naj, dó nebá doníjo:
In prápor náše glásbe náj bo védno Aégis!
Jurij Bizjak graduated in 1972 at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Ljubljana. He became an ordained to priesthood on 29 June 1971 in Log pri Vipavi. Between the years of 1976 and 1983 he studied Bible studies at the Pontifical Biblical Institute at the Pontifical Urban University (Urbaniana). He started his studies with a doctoral dissertation on the biblical Book of Proverbs titled: ‘’Reprehensible proverbs’’. During 1983 and 2000 he was a professor of Bible studies at the Faculty of Theology in Ljubljana. For ten years he was also a member of a group of experts, who translated and prepared the Slovenian Standard Translation of the Bible. He also translated some books from the Old Testament. In the academic year of 1990/1991 he also studied biblical archaeology and history in Jerusalem. He published a lot of papers and held a number of lectures at various courses. In 1989 his translation of the Book of Job was published.
He was appointed as a bishop on 5 July 2000 at the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Koper. For his slogan he chose from the biblical book of prophet Haggai: ‘’Courage, all you people of the land.’’
Papež Benedikt XVI. je 26. maja 2012 škofa Bizjaka imenoval za 58. rezidencialnega koprskega škofa ordinarija.
