Footnotes
John Bowring translation
George Brankovich’s History of Servia, MS. in Karlovitz.
Julinac’s vvedencie v istoria slaveno-serbskag Naroda.
Raicz’s Kratkaia Serblii, Rassii, Bosny i Ramy Istoria; and by the same author, Istoria Slavenskich Narodov, &c.
Von Engel’s Geschichte von Servien und Bosnien.
Neshkovicz’s Istoria Slaveno-bolgarskog Naroda, and Davidovicz’s Jeianija k Istoria Srbskoga Naroda. See Schaffarik’s Slawische Sprache und Literatur, p. 196.
Dr. Vuk has also published Narodne Srpske Pripovijetke. A collection of Servian tales. Vienna, 1821.
A Comparison between the Servian and other Slavonic Idioms. Vienna, 1822.
A Specimen of a Translation of the New Testament into Servian. Vienna, 1824.
Stately was she, as the mountain pine tree; White and rosy-colour intermingled Were her cheeks, as she had kiss’d the dawning; Dark and flashing, like two noble jewels, Were her eyes; and over them were eyebrows, Thin and black, like leeches from the fountain; Dark the lashes too; although the ringlets Hung above in clusters rich and golden. Softer were her eyelids than the pinions Of the swallow on the breeze reposing; Sweeter were the maiden’s lips than honey; White her teeth, as pearls in ocean ripen’d; White her breasts, two little panting wild doves; Soft her speaking, as the wild dove’s murmur; Bright her smiling, as the burst of sunshine.
These are both Servian names, and the point of the ballad must be seen in their affinity to the verb stojiti, to stand, stojnitza, standing (statio).
Full of wine, white branches of the vine-trees To white Buda’s fortress white had clung them: No! it was no vine-tree, white and pregnant! No! it was a pair of faithful lovers, From their early youth betrothed together. Now they are compell’d to part untimely. One address’d the other at their parting, “Go! my soul! burst out and leave my bosom! Thou wilt find a hedge-surrounded garden, And a red-rose branch within the garden; Pluck a rose from off the branch, and place it, Place it on thy heart, within thy bosom; Then behold!—ev’n as that rose is fading, Fades my heart within thy heart thou loved one!” And thus answer’d then the other lover: “Thou, my soul! turn back a few short paces. There thou wilt discern a verdant forest; In it is a fount of crystal water; In the fount there is a block of marble; On the marble block a golden goblet; In the goblet thou wilt find a snow-ball. Love! take out that snow-ball from the goblet, Lay it on thy heart within thy bosom; See it melt—and as it melts, my lov’d one! So my heart within thy heart is melting.”
“Ako bi te u pjesmu pjevala, Pjesma ide od usta do usta, Pa che dochi u pogana usta; Ako bi te u rukave vesla, Rukav che se odma isderati, Pa che tvoje ime poginuti; Ako bi te u Knigu pisala Kniga ide od ruke do ruke, Pa che dochi u pogane ruke.” Vuk i. p. 200.
Talvj remarks, that Ljad, in Russ, signifies misfortune. In common parlance, Lele mene (Servian) imports Woe is me!