An Anthology of Jugoslav Poetry; Serbian Lyrics Part 3

XVII

DEER AND VILA

A young deer tracked his way through the green forest, One lonely day--another came in sadness; And the third dawn'd, and brought him sighs and sorrow: Then he address'd him to the forest Vila: "Young deer!" she said, "thou wild one of the forest, Now tell me what great sorrow has oppress'd thee?

Why wanderest thou thus in the forest lonely: Lonely one day,--another day in sadness,-- And the third day with sighs and anguish groaning?"

And thus the young deer to the Vila answer'd: "O thou sweet sister! Vila of the forest!

Me has indeed a heavy grief befallen; For I had once a fawn, mine own beloved, And one sad day she sought the running water: She enter'd it, but came not back to bless me: Then tell me, had she lost her way and wander'd?

Was she pursued and captured by the huntsman?

Or has she left me?--has she wholly left me?-- Loving some other deer--and I forgotten.

O! if she has but lost her way, and wanders, Teach her to find it--bring her back to love me.

O! if she has been captured by the huntsman, Then may a fate as sad as mine await him.

But if she has forsaken me--if, faithless, She loves another deer--and I forgotten-- Then may the huntsman speedily o'er take her."

S. J. B.

XVIII

VIRGIN AND WIDOW

Over Sarajevo flies a falcon, Looking round for cooling shade to cool him.

Then he finds a pine on Sarajevo; Under it a well of sparkling water; By the water, Hyacinth, the widow, And the Rose, the young, unmarried virgin.

He look'd down--the falcon--and bethought him: "Shall I kiss grave Hyacinth, the widow; Or the Rose, the young, unmarried virgin?"

Thinking thus--at last the bird determined-- And he whisper'd to himself sedately, "Gold--though long employ'd, is far, far better Than the finest silver freshly melted,"

So he kiss'd--kiss'd Hyacinth, the widow.

Very wroth wax'd then young Rose, the virgin: "Sarajevo! let a ban be on thee!

Cursed be thy strange and evil customs!

For thy youths they love the bygone widows, And thy aged men the untried virgins."

S. J. B.

XIX

NIGHTINGALES

All the night two nightingales were singing At the window of th'affianced maiden; And th'affianced maiden thus address'd them: "Tell me, ye two nightingales, O tell me!

Are ye brothers? are ye brothers' children?"

Thus the nightingales made speedy answer: "Brothers are we not, nor brothers' children: We are friends--friends of the verdant forest.

Once we had another friend--another-- But that friend is lost to us for ever.

We have heard that nuptial bliss awaits him; And we came the youthful bride to look on, And to offer her a golden spindle, With the flax of Egypt bound around it."

S. J. B.

XX

THE RING

The streamlet ripples through the mead, beneath the maple tree; There came a maiden that stream to draw--a lovely maid was she; From the white walls of old Belgrade that maid came smilingly.

Young Mirko saw, and offer'd her a golden fruit and said: "O take this apple, damsel fair! and be mine own sweet maid!"

She took the apple--flung it back--and said, in angry tone, "Neither thine apple, Sir! nor thee--presumptuous boy, be gone!"

The streamlet ripples through the mead, beneath the maple tree; There came a maid that stream to draw--a lovely maid was she; From the white walls of old Belgrade that maid came smilingly.

Young Mirko saw, and proffer'd her a golden brooch, and said: "O take this brooch, thou damsel fair! and be mine own sweet maid!"

She took the brooch, and flung it back and said, in peevish tone, "I'll neither have thee nor thy brooch--presumptuous boy, be gone!"

The streamlet ripples through the mead, beneath the maple tree; There came a maid that stream to draw--the loveliest maid was she; From the white walls of old Belgrade that maid came smilingly.

Young Mirko saw, and proffer'd her a golden-ring, and said: "O take this ring, my damsel fair! and be mine own sweet maid!"

She took the ring--she slipp'd it on--and said, in sprightliest tone, "I'll have thee and thy golden ring, and be thy faithful one."

S. J. B.

XXI

THE FRATRICIDE

Between two mountains sank the sun-- Between two maids the enamour'd one.

He gave his kiss to one alone; The other maid grew jealous then: "Most faithless thou of faithless men!"

She said--and he replied--"Fair maid!

I fain would kiss thy cheeks of red, But thou hast got a bickering brother, Who loves to quarrel with another, And I no quarrel seek, my love!"

She hied her to the darksome grove-- Silent--she turn'd o'er many a rock, And look'd 'neath many a broken stock; Probed weeds and briars, till she found A poisonous serpent on the ground.

She smote it with her golden ring, Tore from its mouth the venomy fang; Its poisonous juice her hands did wring Into a wine cup--and she sprang On swiftest feet to Raduli--

Her own--her only brother he-- Her hands the fatal cup supplied-- He drank the poison--and he died.