Tsar Lazar and Tsaritsa Militsa

When the servant Goluban has heard this, Down his white face are the fast tears falling, He obeys, and stays his swan-white charger, By her fair white hands lifts up his lady, Brings her then into the slender tower; But his heart cannot endure the order That he rides not with his lord to battle, And he goes back to his swan-white charger, Mounts him, and rides swiftly to Kosovo.

On the morrow when the dawn has broken, Flying, come two ravens, two black ravens, Flying from the wide plain of Kosovo; They alight upon the slender tower, On the tower of Lazar the Glorious; Croaks the first, begins to speak the second: “Is this Tsar Lazar’s white slender tower? In this tower is there none that lived?” In the tower nobody has heard them, Saving only Tsaritsa Militsa; She comes down from her white slender tower, And she asks the ravens, two black ravens, “Whence do you come flying here this morning? Tell me, have you seen two mighty armies? Do these mighty armies fight together? Which of these two armies doth now conquer?”

Answer her ravens, two black ravens: “God be with you, Tsaritsa Militsa, We come from the wide plain of Kosovo, On the plain we saw two mighty armies, Yesterday the armies fought together, And both monarchs perished in the fighting. Of the Turkish hordes a few are living, And a few are living of the Serbians, Living, but sore wounded all, and bleeding.”

As the two black ravens thus were speaking, Then, came riding Milutin the servant, In his left hand, see, he bears his right hand, He has countless wounds upon his body, And his horse is bathed in blood beneath him. Questions him the Tsaritsa Militsa: “Milutin, what evil thing had happened? Have you left the lord upon Kosovo?” Milutin the servant makes her answer: “Help me to dismount; I beg you, lady, Bathe me also with the cooling water, And with red wine let my lips be moistened, For my wounds have nearly overcome me.” Then the Tsaritsa Militsa helps him, Bathes his cruel wounds with cooling water, And his lips with good red wine she moistens.

When the servant’s heart revives within him Questions him the Tsaritsa Militsa: “Milutin, how went it on Kosovo? Where Lazar, the Prince of Serbia, perished, Where the Jug Bogdan, my father, perished, And where perished his nine sons, my brothers; Where the brave Voyvoda Milosh perished, Where Vuk Brankovitch with them has perished, And where perished mighty Ban Strahinya.” Milutin the servant tells his story: “All remain, oh lady, on Kosovo, Where has fallen Tsar Lazar the Glorious. There are broken many battle-lances, Serbian lance and Turkish, both are broken, But more Serbian lances broke than Turkish While defending Tsar Lazar, oh lady, Glorious Tsar Lazar, the lord of Serbia. And the Jug Bogdan has fallen also, And with him eight Jugovitch, lady; There where no man would desert his brothers Whilst a single one could move his weapon, Boshko Jugovitch still fought, oh lady; Raged the battle round him on Kosovo And he threw the Turks into disorder As the falcon strikes the homing pigeons. And there perished mighty Ban Strahinya, There too, perished Milosh, oh dear lady, By Sitnitsa, by the chilly water, There where very many Turks have fallen. Milosh slew the Turkish Sultan, Murad, And he also slew of Turks twelve thousand. May God bless the woman who has borne him! He left glory to the name of Serbia While there lives a people and Kosovo.

And what of the’ accursed Vuk, you ask me! Cursed he, and cursed who bore him, Cursed his race unto all generations! He betrayed the Tsar upon Kosovo, Led away with him twelve thousand warriors, Mighty men-at-arms, oh my dear mistress.”

Tsar Lazar sits at the evening banquet, With him sits the Tsaritsa Militsa; Says to him the Tsaritsa Militsa: “Tsar Lazar, oh golden crown of Serbia, You will go tomorrow to Kosovo, And will lead the men-at-arms and nobles, But you leave no one in the castle Who for me could carry hence a message To Kosovo, and bring back your greeting. You don't lead away my nine dear brothers, You don't lead away nine Jugovitch; Leave me one at least of these my brothers, That I have a brother left to swear by.”

Then the Serbian prince Lazar makes answer: “Oh dear lady, Tsaritsa Militsa, Tell me you then, which of the nine brothers I shall leave with you in thy white castle.” “Leave me Boshko Jugovitch, oh monarch!” And the Serbian prince Lazar makes answer: “Oh dear lady, Tsaritsa Militsa, When the white day dawns again tomorrow, When the day dawns and the bright sun rises And the great gates of the city open, Walk then, lady, to the city portals; That way goes the army in its splendors, All the battle-horses with their lancers. Boshko Jugovitch will ride before them, In his hand will bear the battle-standard, And then stay with you in thy white castle.” When the dawn has broken on the morrow, And the great gates of the city open, Then walk out the Tsaritsa Militsa; She stands there beside the city portals And beholds the army in its splendors: All the battle-horses with their landers, Boshko Jugovitch before them riding. Of the finest cloth-of-gold his garments, And the standard with a cross emblazoned, Oh my brothers, falls in folds around him, Covers him and rests upon his charger. On the standard, lo, a golden apple, From the apple rise the golden crosses, From the crosses hang long golden tassels And the tassels droop upon his shoulders. Closer comes the Tsaritsa Militsa, Catches at the war-horse by its bridle, Puts her arm around her brother’s shoulder And begins to whisper to him softly: “Boshko Jugovitch, oh you my brother, Now to me the Tsar Lazar did give you, And you shall not ride with him to battle, Shall not ride with him into Kosovo; And he bids me tell thee with his blessing Thus shall give to whom you will the standard And remain with me here in Kroushévatz, That I have a brother left to swear by.”

Boshko Jugovitch then makes her answer: “Go Militsa, to the fair white tower, For I may not stay with you, my sister, Nor let from my hand the battle-standard That the Tsar gave to me at Kroushévatz; For I will not that my comrades mock me: See the coward! See the coward Boshko! He who ride not with Lazar to battle, Dared not ride with him into Kosovo, There to shed his blood for Christ his honor, For the Holy Cross to fight and perish.” And he spurred his charger through the gateway.

Came the Jug Bogdan her father, riding, And with him rode seven Jugovitch, But not one of them did look upon her.... And when they had passed out through the gateway Far behind there came her brother Voin Leading with him Tsar Lazar’s great chargers Covered with their shining golden trappings. She holds Voin’s grey horse by its bridle, Puts her arm around her brother’s shoulder, Holds him thus, and whispers to him softly: “Voin Jugovitch, oh you my brother, Now to me the Tsar Lazar did give you, And he bids me tell thee with his blessing You shall give to whom you will his chargers, And remain with me here in Kroushévatz That I have a brother left to swear by.”

Voïn Jugovitch then makes her answer: “Go Militsa, to the fair white tower, I a hero may not leave my comrades, Nor give up the Tsar’s steeds to another, Even knowing that I die in battle. I go now, oh sister, to Kosovo, There to shed my blood for Christ his honor, For the faith to die there with my brothers.” And he spurred his charger through the gateway. Seeing this, the Tsaritsa Militsa Falls down lifeless on the cold hard roadway; And behold, the Tsar himself comes riding. When he sees the Tsaritsa Militsa Down the Tsar’s face are the fast tears falling,