An Anthology of Jugoslav Poetry; Serbian Lyrics Part 18

TRANSPLANTING A FLOWER

O maiden, mother's golden treasure!

Purest gold of perfect pleasure!

Do they beat thee, and ill-treat thee, That I meet thee all alone?

Do they beat thee, that I meet thee All too often, all too late, After nightfall, at the gate Of the garden, all alone?

Tell me, tell me, little one, Do they do it? If I knew it, They should rue it! I would come Oftener, later, yet again, (Hail, or snow, or wind, or rain!) Oftener, later! Nor in vain: For if mother, for my sake, Were to drive thee out of home, Just three little steps 'twould take (Think upon it, little one!)-- Just three little steps, or four, To my door from mother's door.

Love is wise. I say no more.

Ponder on it, little one!

O. M.

XCIX

ISOLATION

The night is very dark and very lonely: And as dark, and all as lonely, is my heart: And the sorrow that is in it night knows only: For the dawn breaks, and my heart breaks. Far apart From my old self seems my new self. And my mother And my sister are in heaven,--so they say: And the dear one dearer yet than any other Is far, far away.

The sweet hour of his coming ... night is falling!

The hour of our awakening ... bird on bough!

The hour of last embraces ... friends are calling "Love, farewell!" ... and every hour is silent now.

O. M.

C

FATIMA AND MEHMED

Beneath a milk-white almond tree, Fatima and Mehmed be.

The black earth is their bridal bed; The thick-starred sky clear-spread Is their coverlet all the night, As they lie in each other's arms so white.

The gra.s.s is full of honey-dew; The crescent moon, that glimmers through The unrippled leaves, is faint and new: And the milk-white almond blossoms All night long fall on their bosoms.

O. M.

CI

MORAVA HORSES[32]

On the banks of Morava, Sleek black horses danced, "Could not we," one horse did say, "Over this river swim to-day?"

But the second cried, "Beware, Deep flows the stream, beware, beware!

'Twas by these banks of Morava, At set of sun a knight was drowned, And dawn had broke ere he was found.

If mother this poor knight had had, Within a day his fate she'd know, And him to seek next day would go; The third day, finding him, would weep, And who knows how long sad heart keep?"

To which a third black horse replied "No mother mourns him as lost son, But mother-in-law the knight has one!

She in one year would surely cry: 'What has my daughter's husband done?'

And in two years find time to go Toward the place where he lay low; And when there should have pa.s.sed years three, His grave, perchance, she then might see-- Where long since green gra.s.s had grown, The peac.o.c.k preened himself and flown."

J. W. W.

CII

THE GIRL AND THE GRa.s.s

In the green gra.s.s a girl fell asleep; When she awoke the gra.s.s was red, And her ruddy cheeks were green instead.

Before the Kadi the girl sued the gra.s.s: Give me, O gra.s.s, my color red!"

And to the girl the red gra.s.s said: "Thy color red, I'll give it thee, When my color green thou dost give me."

Then before the Kadi they exchanged color And became bosom-sisters for ever and ever.

J. W. W.

CIII

THE SUN AND THE GIRL

To the great sun a radiant maiden cried: "Bright sun, thy beauty cannot equal mine!"

Whereon the burning orb complained to G.o.d: "Let me bring low her pride, and scorch her face."

To which request his mighty Maker said: "The burden that she bears is weight enough; Her father and her mother, both I've taken; One simple, smiling youth alone is left to her; Touch not their joy, let him be fond of her."

J. W. W.

CIV

CURSE AND BLESSING

To the river ran the mother, To her Mary by the water, Dreaming there, the pretty daughter: "Have you washed the linen, Mary?"

"Why, mother dear, not yet begun; A naughty youth did come my way, And muddy made the silvery water."

"I'll curse him, then; I'll curse him, daughter!