Servian Popular Poetry |
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Common terms and phrases
address'd aged mother ah Laso Amurath answer'd Banitza Belgrade beloved beneath Bogdan Bojana bosom branches brother call'd cheeks church courser crystal water curse Dalmatia Danube Dmitar dost ducats eyes fain faithful falcon fell fir-tree flow'ret flung forehead fortress gave Goiko golden Gusle hast thou hasten'd heard heart heaven hero holy Jelitza kiss Kossova Lado Leka look'd lovely maiden Mahmoud Pasha maid marriage Moorish mountain Neimar Nenad never noble nursling o'er pass'd poetry Predrag princely Marko Ranko reach'd rose round sabre Sarajevo seek seized Servian shalt Sharaz silken sister Slavonian Slavonic sleep snowy song sorrow steed Stojana Suko sultan sweet swiftly tear tell thee thine thou art thou hast thou wilt trochaics trusty Turkish Turks Twas Tzar verdant forest Vila Visir voivode Vukashin wall's foundations wandering warriors white days white dwelling wife wine youth
Popular passages
Page xliv - the pathos with which these songs are sometimes sung. I have witnessed crowds surrounding a blind old singer, and every cheek was wet with tears — it was not the music, it was the words which affected them.
Page 52 - Hassan thus his faithful wife commanded: " In my house thou shalt abide no longer — Thou shalt dwell no more among my kindred." When his wife had heard this gloomy language, Stiff she stood, and full of bitter sorrow. When the horses, stamping, shook the portal, Fled the faithful wife of Hassan Aga — Fain would throw her from the castle window. Anxious two beloved daughters followed, Crying after her in tearful anguish — " These are not our father Hassan's coursers; 'Tis our uncle PintorOvich...
Page 116 - My love ! A few short paces backward move, And to the verdant forest go ; There's a fresh water-fount below ; And in the fount a marble stone, Which a gold cup reposes on ; And in the cup a ball of snow — Love ! take that ball of snow to rest Upon thine heart within thy breast. And as it melts unnoticed there, So melts my heart in thine, my dear ! " A more ornate translation occurs in the unpublished work reviewed in the Quarterly.
Page 56 - To the girls, long and resplendent dresses ; And to the poor baby in the cradle, For the time to come, a little garment. ' Near them sat their father, Hassan Aga, And he call'd in sorrow to his children : " Come to me, poor children ! to your father ; For your mother's breast is turned to iron, Closed against you, harden'd 'gainst all pity.
Page 53 - Crying after her in tearful anguish — " These are not our father Hassan's coursers; 'Tis our uncle PintorOvich coming." Then approached the wife of Hassan Aga — Threw her arms, in misery, round her brother — " See the sorrow, brother, of thy sister: He would tear me from my helpless children.
Page 72 - Didst thou never dream that thou must perish ? Why hast thou our little one abandoned ? Who will bathe our little one, thou absent ? Who will bare the breast to feed the nursling ?" More, and more, and more, he fain would utter ; But the king allow'd it not. Vukashin, By her white hand seizes her, and summons Master Rado, — he the master-builder; And he summons his three hundred workmen. But the young-espoused one smiles, and deems it All a laughing jest, — no fear o'ercame her.
Page 160 - ... went out to the harvest ; she held A sickle of silver in fingers of gold : And the sun mounted high o'er the parched harvest field, And the maiden in song all her sympathies told. 'I'll give my white forehead to him who shall bind All the sheaves which my sickle leaves...
Page 126 - THE KNITTER. THE maiden sat upon the hill, Upon the hill and far away, Her fingers wove a silken cord, And thus I heard the maiden say : " O with what joy, what ready will, If some fond youth, some youth adored, Might wear thee, should I weave thee now ! The finest gold I'd interblend, The richest pearls as white as snow. But if I knew, my silken friend, That an old man should wear thee, I The coarsest worsted would inweave, Thy finest silk for dog-grass leave, And all thy knots with nettles tie.
Page 186 - A fish thus answered from the sea ; " O maid ! thou art a foolish girl. The heaven is broader than the sea ; The sea is longer than the field ; The eye is swifter than the steed ; Sugar more sweet than honey dew ; Dearer than brother is thy love.
Page 82 - Help, 0 God! and help, 0 holy Nicholas! Would that thou, where'er thou art, wert with us!' So I hurried down to help the suppliants — So I saved the whole three hundred friars So I shipped them full of joy and courage; Brought their offerings to the holy mountain, Brought their golden wax, their snowy incense; — And meanwhile I seem'd in gentle slumber, And my cup fell on the golden table.