KAD SU ŽIVI ZAVIDELI MRTVIMA

PROLOG

Knjigu že siju v dobra ubo vremena počeh…
svrših že tu v zlejšeje vseh vremen..
Kgda?
Jegda tolika beda i zloqutije
oblija vse gradi i strani zapadnije,
jeliki ni že uši slišasta, ni že oči videsta.
Takovij bo glad bist po vsem stranam
jakov ne bist od složenija miru!

G L A D

Bez strelj streljajei bez kopija bodi
i bez mča seki i bez paličja ubivaje;
i prosto rešti:
bez nogu gone, i bez ruk jemlje,
i bez noža zakalaje
i bez vsego oružija hode
i toliko trupija polagaje mrtva.
Vsa zemlja naša plna beše mrtvac:
i dvori plni i kušte plne,
i puti plni i rasputija plna!
I za grehi naše ni pogribatelji
ne možahu pogribati ih,
razve v žitnije rupi jedva smeštahu ih.

TURCI

I podviže se Amurat car perski
s množastvom Agaren,
jako ni že moštno iščisti ih;
jako biti pri njih naša,
jako reka mala pri mori;
i jako obstuplše i sprotiv staše našej zemlji,
inudu nemoštno be ukloniti se.
Idejaše bo zver jako lav rikaje!

LAZAREVA REČ (PRIČEST)

Idem bratije i čeda,
idem v predležeštij nam podvig.
Smrtiju dlžnaja poslužim,
proleim krvi naše,
smrtiju žizn izkupim
i udi teles naših dadim neštedno na posečenije,
za blagočastije i otačastvo naše,
i vsako umilostivit se Bog  na ostanki naše
i ne potrebit rod i zemlju našu do konca.

KOSOVO

I čto beje bahat neki i tutanj neskazan slišaše se.
Človeci vapjahu, konji viskahu,
oružja zvek tvorahu, streli letehu slnce zastupajušte;
treskove ognjani treskahu,
zemlja velmi bučaše, v'zduh grmeše
i jako dimom mračnim obvivaše se
i voinstva ot obojudu drug na druga naskakajušte.

EPILOG

Reki že krvei ot vsudu.
I mnoga vsudu trupja,
jako že na žetve klasovom sice…

(fragmenti originalnih tekstova iz 14.-15. veka)

WHEN THE LIVING ENVIED THE DEAD

PROLOGUE

I began this book in good times...
I finished it in the worst.
When?
Then, when such a misery and poverty
struck Western towns and countries,
such as eyes never saw or ears heard of.
There was such a hunger everywhere
as there never was from the Creation of the world.

HUNGER

It pierces without an arrow or a spear
and cuts without a sword
and kills without a cudgel – in a word:
footless but it pursues, handless but it catches,
knifeless but it murders;
it walks about without any weapons,
laying down so many bodies.
All our country was full of corpses  –
the courtyards full and houses full
and the roads full and tracklessness full;
and for our sins the grave-diggers
could not bury them all
but barely placed them in the corn-pits.

THE TURKS

The Persian(!) emperor Amurat
rose with such a crowd of Hagarens
that it was not possible to count them.
Against them, we were
like a small river against the sea.
And when they surrounded us and stood against our land
it was impossible to escape anywhere.
The beast advanced, roaring like a lion.

PRINCE LAZAR’S PLEA (Holy Communion)

Let us move brothers and sons,
let us move to the feat awaiting us.
Let us die answering the call of duty,
shed our blood,
redeem our lives in death,
and unsparingly offer our limbs to be cut off
for the sake of devotion and our fatherland,
and for sure God will have pity on our descendants
and will not completely exterminate our people and our land.

THE BATTLE OF KOSOVO

There was some trampling
and an indescribable thunder was heard.
Men cried for help, horses whinnied,
weapons clanked, arrows flew shielding the sun,
fireguns crashed, the earth was violently booming,
the air was rumbling enveloped in a gloomy smoke,
and the armies of both sides stormed at each other.

EPILOGUE

Rivers of blood from everywhere.
And many corpses all around –
like ears of corn after the harvest...

Translation of modernized version: Ranko Bugaraski