Epic Serbia :: Strahinich Ban lyrics

The light in the age of darkness

Strahinich Ban

The Legend of the Great Man from Banyska Going by the Name of Strahinich and How He Saved the Love of His Life from the Clutches of the Wicked Conquerers

The text of the book is made up of our own - first ever! – English translation of the 845-line epic plus the original Serbian, thus being an entertaining read as well as an introduction to the Serbian language for international readers. We urge parents and teachers to use our book to introduce children to the world of the Balkans with its rich culture building a bridge between Slavic, Germanic, Romance Europe, and Osmanic and Muslim Asia.

There once was a prince Strahinich,
Lord over small Banyska he was,
Small Banyska near the Land of Kosovo;
A falcon was he, as never there had been.
One morning the lord rose with the sun,
He called upon his minions and said:
“Servants of mine! Speed up and hurry,
Saddle up my brave destrier Dyogo,
Garnish battling Dyogo as he deserves best
Gird him, my servants, as strong as you can;
Oh, my children, I think of travelling:
I want to leave the city of Banyska,
I want to tire out my stallion Dyogo
and to go, oh my children, to visit
my father-in-law at bright Krushevats.
to visit my dear old Yug Bogdan,
to see my nine young brothers, the Yugovichs
I do desire for my family!”
Faithful servants heard their master,
The lord’s brave warhorse Dyogo was saddled,
And prince Strahinich got dressed as well,
He was dressed in his best attire,
Dressed in proud silk and smooth velvet,
In colours bluer than water itself
And warmer than the beaming sun itself;
One Serbian falcon dressed up.
Then he rode away on mighty Dyogo,
And he appeared at his father-in-law’s
At his father-in-law’s bright Krushevats
Where the new kingdom already stood.
When old Yug Bogdan saw Ban approaching,
As did his dear nine brothers-in law, too,
All nine of them, all falcons like himself,
They welcomed their dear brother.
When all he had cheerfully embraced,
Devoted servants grabbed Ban’s mighty horse;
They took their brother-in-law to the Great Hall,
Where a grand feast was awaiting they sat,
Where their peers spoke of their eventful past.
Servants appeared from all directions
Some offering food, others pouring wine.
Christian lords sitting all together
And drinking the best red wine:
Crowning the table was wise Yug Bogdan
And by his right hand, closest to him,
His son-in-law, falcon prince Strahinich sat.
Seated closest to them were all nine Yug’s sons,
And down the table the other nobles;
Farther down eager young served their elders.
And all nine daughters-in-law served as well,
And they all served their lords the same,
They served their father-in-law, the great Yug
And all other present masters as well.
Above all their strong, proud brother-in-law.
All were served the same wine by the servants
Served all of them from the golden goblet
Nine litres filled with wine, the golden goblet.
If you could see all the different viands,
The various victuals full of flavour,
My brother, this is the kingdom indeed.
For long they entertained the mighty prince
And for a long time the prince paid visit,
Proud, the prince felt for his father-in-law.
More lords present in the city of Krushevats
Pleaded from dawn banquet till dusk dinner,
They beseeched great, wise old Yug Bogdan:
“Oh, our lord, glorious Yug Bogdan!
We kiss your courteous garments
As well as your fair, right hand high up,
Bring all your power and all of your lords
And, oh, bring along your most precious son
Bring along your falcon, prince Strahinich,
Bring him to our homes and our castles.
So we can honour you, show you respect.”
Yug gave ear to each one most patiently,
Oh, for a long time they diligently begged,
It lasted for a long time – so time did pass,
And the prince stayed for a long time
But, look at this, unforeseen misery!
Oh, this break of day when the sun rose high,
Mezyl came, bringing with him the fair book,
A message from the town of Banyska,
The fair book, word from his kind old mother;
Strahinich Ban took the book to his knees.
When he had looked and read through the fair book;
The book had spoken as thunder to the prince,
Spoken damning words of his old mother:
“Where are you my son - my prince Strahinich!?
Cursed the wine in the town of Krusevats!
Oh cursed the wine and your hosts as well!
Read the book and, oh, hear its misery!
Out of nowhere fighting forces appeared!
Turks, my son, from the city of Jedar.
The Sultan conquered the Field of Kosovo
The Sultan arrived and brought his viziers
Those viziers, those terrible warriors,
The Sultan’s army occupied the land.
All the Turkish armies arose in force
And subjugated the Field of Kosovo.
They took our lands at the Kosovo.
The Turk army now lies on both waters
Spread ‘tween the rivers Lab and Sitnica
All Kosovo has been seized by them.
Rumours, my son, which people are speaking:
From the slopes of Mramor up to dry Yavor,
From dry Yavor, son, up to Sazliya,
To Sazliya, oh, to sad Chupriya,
From Chupriya, my son, up to Zvecan’sv
From Zvecan’s, they say, to the top of Chechan’s
From the top of Chechan’s to the mountains,
Turkish forces triumph over all of Kosovo.
The hordes, my son, oh, there are scores and scores
More than a hundred thousand, son, of them.
And in the Sultan’s service are Spahiyas;
Oh, their fiefdoms are everywhere around,
And they all eat the Sultan’s bread,
And they all ride spirited warhorses.
They don’t, my son, carry much armour
Except for one sabre, hung from their belt;
In the Sultan’s, my son, in Turkish service!
People tell of another army,
An army like fire, son, Yanichar Turks!
Who captured the fair house, my son, of Yedrene.
Yanichars are a hundred thousand,
People tell! Oh son, people are saying,
Turks have a third strong army, oh my son.
Some are Tukas, others Mandzukas:
Like they yell, oh my son, like they fight well.
Among Turks all kinds of armies are present,
Among Turks, son, there is one powerful force
A strong-willed Turk, my son, Vlah Aliya.
He doesn’t listen even to the Sultan,
Of the viziers he does not think much;
And as for other Turks, people tell,
He looks at them, son, as ants on the ground.
Such force, son, is in that Turk warrior;
Evil follows him wherever he goes.
He went not with the rest to Kosovo,
He picked, oh my falcon, his own path
And he took up, son, to our Banyska!
He devastated, my son, all our lands,
He turned to ashes all our Banyska
And he, oh my son, razed it to the ground.
Your faithful servants he scared away,
Your old mother, oh my son, he seized,
With his horse, son, he broke all of her bones,
Took your faithful love, subjugating her!
Oh, he took her to the Field of Kosovo
And under his tent he kisses your love.
And I, son, am weeping by the ashes of our home
While you are drinking wine in Krusevats!
Damn the wine you drink, let it be your last!”
When prince Strahinich read his mother’s words
Grief and sorrow for his mother befell him.
Strahinich Ban’s face lost all his colour
Oh, how his dark moustache drooped,
How his moustache slumped to his shoulders
Oh, how Strahinich turned bleak and angry,
Tears flowed from his eyes like rising rivers.
At that moment old Yug Bogdan appeared
Seeing his son low-down at sunrise.
Yug glared at Ban, like living fire,
He said to his dearest prince Strahinich:
“Son, Strahinich Ban, may God be with you!
Say, why did you get up early today?
Oh, why are you sitting here in sorrow?
What did happen that makes you look like that?
Who maketh you that furious at dawn?
Did your brothers-in-law make fun of you?
Oh, did anyone speak badly of you?
Oh, did their wives, son, not serve you well?
Did you get offended by anyone?
Speak son, my falcon, what and how it is!”
The prince glared at Yug Bogdan as well, too,
“Oh, leave me now father, old Yug Bogdan!
With my brothers-in-law I get along well
And their wives are all ladies as well.
They all speak well of me, they serve me well.
This family, old Bogdan, has no faults,
But I will tell you why I am so sad:
This book cometh from my little Banyska,
Oh, the book did come from my old mother,
She speaks of misery in my Banyska,
Of how my castle, my home, had been robbed.
Speaks of how my servants have been scared off,
Speaks of how my mother has been beaten
Speaks of how my love has been enslaved:
And so, father-in law, old Yug Bogdan,
Oh, even on this day she stays my love,
She is my love and your daughter as well,
A shame fell on both of us on this day;
Now then, father-in-law, old Yug Bogdan!
If you think to grieve for me, Yug Bogdan,
Oh grieve for me as I am still alive!
I implore you and I kiss your fair hand
For you to give me all of your nine sons,
Your sons and my dear brothers-in-law
So I can, father, go to Kosovo!
To go and to seek for my enemy
The Sultan’s most powerful warrior,
Who has captured and has taken them slave.
And, oh my father, do not be afraid,
Don’t think of your falcons, your nine brave sons,
On account of your children, my brothers,
I will mask all nine and all their clothes
I will disguise them all to look like Turks,
Put white kepis, old Yug-Bogdan, on their heads
I will dress them, my father, in green shirts
And dress them in shalvar trousers as well.
I will decorate them with precious sabres,
I’ll call upon servants and show: Hero;
Oh, let servants saddle our horses
Saddle them, bind them as strong as you can,
Let them all be covered with great bear fur;
I’ll make your sons look like Yanichars!
I’ll counsel my brothers all the way,
Till we all arrive at Kosovo field
And when we all sneak through the Sultan’s lines
Ah, leading them I’ll be Delibasha!
Let them all be ashamed and scared of me
Let them all be afraid of their leader!
Whoever stops us in the Sultan’s army
Whoever stops us in order to speak
Asks in Turkish or Manovish lingo
Oh , with Turks, father, I can speak them both
I can speak Turkish and Manovish as well,
Even Arabic I can understand
and I understand Arnauts as well.
I will take all children through Kosovo
And the Turkish army will be spied on,
While I seek out my deadly enemy
That powerful Turk - mighty Vlah Ali,
Who took all the treasures away from me!
Let my brothers-in-law be the trouble
‘cause if I am by myself I may die,
With brothers by my side I shall not die.
It is easy for one to get wounded.”
Thus did old Yug Bogdan hear the prince’s words.
He did glare at Strahinich without ire,
To his dearest son Yug Bogdan said:
“Ban Strahinich my dear son-in-law!
I can see this morning that you have no brains!
Why you ask from me all my nine brave sons?
To take them with you to the Kosovo field?
To Kosovo, to be slaughtered by Turks?
Do not you say a word, my son, anymore!
I won’t let my nine go to Kosovo!
May never I see my daughter again!
My dear son-in-law, Strahinich Ban
Why did you lose your mind like this today?
Do you know, son? If people only knew!
And if she spent only one night with him,
Only one night under his tent with him,
She cannot be in your heart any longer
Oh, God gave up on her, she has been damned,
She’s giving love to him, not to you, my son.
Let her go, my son, she’s now the devil’s.
I shall find you, my son, a better bride!
I want to drink with you our cold wine!
I want to be friends with you for all time!
But my sons shall not go to Kosovo.”
Ban flew into a rage, he went ablaze,
Oh, in his grief and aching misery
The prince didn’t call upon his servants,
Not a call for a trusty stable boy
But he himself went for brave Dyogo
How the prince saddled his pride Dyogo
Oh, how strong the lord girded his Dyogo
With harness the prince bridled Dyogo.
Ban took him out in front of the castle
To the great white stone
Ah, where he climbed Dyogo’s strong shoulders.
The prince looked over at his nine brothers
His brothers held their heads down to the ground.
Ban looked at another cousin of his
He was of the Nemanjic family.
The Nemanjic took his eyes to the ground.
When they were drinking rakija and wine
They all were showing off as great heroes
They all bragged and heartfelt they swore by God:
“Oh, we love you our great Strahinich Ban!
Love you more than this empire of ours!”
Oh, look at this gloom in these troubled times!
Prince Strahinich finds no friends this morning.
It is no easy way to Kosovo.
The prince found himself alone, a lone rider,
Who went over and through Krusevats field.
When at the middle of the field, lone Ban,
He turned his eyes toward fair Krusevats
Hoping to see his nine brothers-in-law,
Hoping to see them join him in his woe;
When this morning, in time of need, he saw
That he had been left by his finest friends
Oh, Prince Strahinich fondly remembered
He remembered his true hound Karaman,
Whom he loved like his fine stallion Dyogo.
And so the prince called him with his clear voice:
In Krusevats had his Karaman remained,
But on his master’s call he came running.
He ran to his master and his friend Dyogo
He barked and jumped beside Dyogo
Even Karaman’s gold choker clanged,
Happy hound he was – talking to his lord
The prince rode on his stallion Dyogo,
And he rode over fields and mountains.
When Ban arrived at the Field of Kosovo,
Oh, he glimpsed powerful Turkish forces,
Strahinich Ban felt fear arise in him.
He called upon the almighty Lord himself,
And he strode into the Turkish hordes.
He proceeded through the Field of Kosovo,
He proceeded in all four directions,
He was searching for mighty Vlah Ali.
Ban was searching but he could not find him.
Then Ban headed for the stream Sitnica,
Where fate revealed him miraculously
On the shores of the river Sitnica:
And by the river stood a great green tent,
So vast, dominating Kosovo field.
Topped by a golden apple the tent was,
Shining like the Sun itself the apple was.
By the tent’s entry a spear, fast in the earth,
To the spear a black stallion was fastened.
The stallion’s head showed the cap of Stamboul,
Ah, he pranced left and he pranced right.
When the prince Strahinich spied the stallion
Oh, he held his step so as to ponder.
It is mighty, this tent of Vlah Ali,
Strahinich dismounted his Dyogo,
Strahinich grabbed his strong spear from his back
And he opened the flap of the grand tent,
Seeing who under the tent resided:
‘twas not the Turk, the mighty Vlah Ali,
‘twas an old man, a wise Turkish dervish.
His white beard stuck deep in the dervish’s belt.
In the tent the dervish sat all alone,
A true roisterer was this old dervish,
Turkish dervish was drinking lots of wine,
Oh, he pours, oh, he drinks, wine all alone.
The dervish’s eyes bloodshot already showed
When Strahinich came face to face with him.
Out he called to the drunken old dervish.
The drunken dervish saw brave Ban disguised,
The dervish answered in sore voice Ban’s call:
“Oh, be welcomed! Oh, my Strahinich Ban!
You of Banyska by Kosovo Field!”
Fear again arose in the prince’s heart.
Oh, then Ban spoke Turkish to the dervish:
“Hey! Dervish, in sorrow is your mother,
Why do you drink, why are you getting drunk?
That, in this drunkenness, you speak wrong of me
And you name an honest Turk a convert?
Why do you bring up some Strahinich Ban?
Since in front of you is no some Strahinich Ban,
It is one of our Sultan’s victors.
Did Sultan’s messages not come to you?
All messengers have gone out and lost way,
And all the victors are on the move,
The Sultan sent his heroes to catch them.
If I tell the Sultan and his Viziers
in what manner you did just speak to me,
Then great misery will come upon you!”
But now the old dervish started to laugh,
“Oh, my victor, oh, Strahinich Ban,
Oh, did you know, oh, may you never know!
Were I on far and high Golech peak now
I could see you ‘tween the Sultan’s army,
I could recognise you and your Dyogo
Even your faithful dog – true hound Karaman,
Whom you love as you love your Dyogo.
Oh, do you know, Ban of little Banyska,
My Ban, I know your fine face anywhere.
And I know the look of your eyes as well.
Ah, I make out your dark and grim moustache!
Oh, do you know, oh my Strahinich Ban?
Once I was locked up and was in strong chains.
Oh, your knights, your servants, they got me good,
They found me at Suhara’s mountain peak
Oh, and they carried me in front of you
And you locked me up in your deep dungeons.
I had been slave to you, suffered greatly,
Oh, and I was imprisoned for nine years,
Nine years did pass and the tenth year had come
And then, Ban, you felt sorry for my lot,
Then you called out for my dungeon guards,
And then they came to my dungeon door
Oh Ban, they brought me in front of your seat.
Oh, did you know, oh my Strahinich Ban?
And then, oh Ban, you asked and questioned me:
“Oh, my Turkish slave, oh, my Turkish snake,
Why did you come to rot in my dungeon,
Shall you, my slave, be ransomed a hero?”
You had asked me and I answered truly:
“I could get ransom and buy myself out
Only if I could reach my citadels
In my fatherland, oh, where my roots are;
Oh, rich I am with many a treasure.
I have lots of men and lots of fiefdoms.
So I suppose I could get me ransomed.
But then, oh Ban, you would not trust my word
To let me go to my marvellous castle.
I leave you the most precious guarantee,
Most precious of all – by the one true Lord,
My strong and true faith is your guarantee,
So I can leave and bring you rich ransom.”
And you Strahinich Ban believed in me,
you did let me go to my wanted home
To fatherland and this homeland of mine;
So, when I came to my beloved homeland,
There, all those sorrows, oh, revealed themselves:
In these castles, in the homeland of mine,
In these citadels, pestilence did rule,
It exhausted our men and our women,
And nobody left at the fire.
So those fortresses of mine - forfeited,
Forfeited, and razed down into the ground,
Elder overgrows our ruined walls;
You could see my fiefs,
Conquered violently by the Turks
Then I saw closed the Iron Gates:
No treasures, no friends;
I pondered and the idea came to me
I laid my hands on the horse of Mezyl,
I was off to the city of Jedren,
Came to the Sultan, came to the Vizier.
The Vizier saw and informed the Sultan,
Oh, what a man for combat I will be;
The Sultan’s vizier did lead aside me,
He led aside me and gave me a tent;
The Sultan bestowed me a battle horse,
And he gave me bright and shiny weapons;
The Vizier of the Sultan confirmed me,
That I will always be his warrior.
And at present you, Ban, come before me,
So that you can gather the dues I owe,
But I, my prince, do not have any means.”
Lord Strahinich fell into deep distress.
“Why lose one’s precious life in hopeless fight
In Kosovo, with the Sultan’s army!”
The prince recognised the poor old dervish,
So he freed himself from brave Dyogo.
Thereafter he embraced the old dervish:
“God bless you brother! My dear old dervish!
I release you of the load I imposed!
I don’t demand, my brother, any money,
Don’t think of your charge,
But I look for the great Vlah-Alija,
Who devastated all my fortresses,
and who seized my dearest, fairest darling;
Please, my dear old friend and dervish, tell me,
Please point him out to me - my enemy?
I beg you as my brother once again,
Please, don’t surrender me to the army,
So that the Turks cannot encircle me.”
And the pious dervish promised by God:
“To you, our Falcon Strahinich Banovich!
My faith is harder than stones of the Field,
If you draw forth your sword at this moment,
And vanquish half of the Turkish army,
I will not betray you,
Nor will I offend your beloved breed,
And though I was in your cold dungeon,
Enough wine you have given me to drink,
And white bread you have given me to eat,
I was warmed by the sun over your lands,
You did let me go free just on my word;
I’ll not betray you, I’ll not turn you in
My word I couldn’t keep when I had no choice
Don’t be afraid of me, master, this time.
As for your inquest, dear honourable,
For the vigorous Turk Vlah Aliyah,
Oh, he erected his stately white tent
On the high mountain of Golech.
But, oh great prince, let me advise you!
Take Dyogo - flee the Field of Kosovo,
Because you will lose your life for nothing!
Do not be too proud of yourself, my prince,
Nor of your firm hand or your lethal sword;
Not even be sure of your fatal lance,
You will find the Turk over on the mountain,
You will find him but you will suffer greatly
Your brave horse, your weapons won’t aid you
The fighter will grab you with his bare hands
And break your strong hands,
Oh, and how he will gouge out your bright eyes!”
The prince Strahinich merrily laughed:
“God praise you my brother, dear old dervish!
Don’t tell of me to nobody, brother,
Chiefly not the Turkish warriors!”
So the Turk spoke to him yet again:
"Do you listen, my friend Strahinich?
My great faith is harder than all stone,
Now, if you prompt Dyogo to fight,
And now, if you bare your mighty sword,
If you vanquish half the Turkish army -
I won’t betray you,
Nor will I expose you to the Turkish.”
Reflect on it, Ban, don’t hurry so much!
The prince looked down from Dyogo’s back:
“Oh, my dear brother, my dear old dervish!
Each morning and evening your horse drinks,
Your horse drinks from the river Sitnica,
And do not fool me but quickly tell me
What the place is, to cross this cold river,
That I do not hurt my stallion Dyogo.
And the dervish answered Prince Strahinich:
“Oh Strahinich Ban, Serbian falcon,
With your valour and your warhorse Dyogo
You find no hurdles, choose the path you like.”
The prince and his steed crossed the river well.
Riding on his mighty stallion Dyogo,
Ban advanced towards the Golec mountain,
He was below and the sun high above.
The sun had warmed up the Field of Kosovo
And it had shone on the Sultan’s army,
And if you could see the mighty Vlah Ali,
Oh, all night long he was kissing Ban’s love
On the Golec mountain beneath his tent;
A sleepless night for mighty Vlah Ali.
And he fell asleep as the sun arose,
He fell asleep as the sun got warmer.
He had closed his eyes and started dreaming;
Oh, how the lady was dear to his heart,
That slave of his, the love of Strahinich.
He dreamed how his head, oh, rests in her lap.
She held the mighty Turk on that morning,
On that morning with the tent’s door opened.
And she looked over the Field of Kosovo.
She looked over all the Sultan’s army,
She watched the wide extent of Turkish tents,
Saw the many soldiers with their horses,
She felt terrible gloom and she despaired.
Her sad eyes went down Golec mountain slopes.
Oh, she saw the rider and his fine horse.
When she had seen the rider and his fine horse.
Oh, how she slapped the mighty Vlah Ali
She slapped the mighty Vlah Ali’s right cheek,
She slapped him and she began to tell him:
“Oh, my master, oh mighty Vlah Ali,
Will you get up or never leave your rest?
Oh, get up and put on your battle dress,
Oh, get up and arm yourself now quickly!
Here comes the falcon, the great Strahinich,
He comes and he will cut your head off you.
He comes and he will cut out my eyes too!
The mighty Vlah Ali glared burningly,
He glared out and he looked at the rider,
Mighty Vlah Ali thunderously laughed:
Oh, my sweetheart, oh, Prince Strahinich’s love,
This strange Turk brings such fear into your soul?
So much terror he arouses in you?
If I take you to my city of Jedrene,
Will Ban be appearing to you as well?
Oh, there is no Prince Strahinich coming,
That’s a Sultan’s warrior approaching,
Who has been sent by the Sultan himself;
May be the Sultan or vizier Mehmed?!
The Sultan may call for my submission,
That I not break up the Sultan’s army.
The Sultan’s viziers are afraid of me,
So I do not go with my sword to them.
If you could only see what I can see;
My love need not be fearful any more,
Be not afraid when I use my sword now,
I will show my sword to this warrior,
So the Sultan won’t send me anyone.”
Strahinich’s dearest said to Vlah Ali:
“Oh, my master, oh mighty Vlah Ali,
Are you blind or what – can’t you see at all?
This rider is no Sultan’s champion,
This is my guv’nor, my lord Strahinich.
I know Ban, recognise his proud forehead,
I recognise his eyes from far as well.
Ah, I make out his dark and grim moustache.
I know as well his strong and brave Dyogo,
And I recognise his true Karaman.
Don’t joke about your head, lord Vlah Ali!”
When the Turk heard these words from his sweetheart,
The mighty Turk felt fear and went sombre.
Oh, now he got moving, he raised himself,
And he had put his weapons’ belt on,
His weapons’ belt, with pointed and sharp knives.
He also hung his sabre on the belt.
And over the Turk’s horse the black crow looked.
Before long the prince Strahinich arrived.
Oh, how wisely the brave prince chose his words.
This morning Ban did not speak politely,
Ignored the Turkish custom of Salam,
But spoke his words with intent to offend:
“Oh, so here you are, you Turkish bastard,
You rotten servant of a rogue master!
Do you know whose lands you have ravaged?
Whose minions, Turk, you have taken with you?
Whose love you hold under this grand white tent?
Come to me and fight as a hero!
Offended, the Turk furiously jumped,
With one dart he was at his black stallion,
With another he sat on the steed’s back.
He had girded his sturdy mount strongly.
But Ban did not wait for the Turk’s advance,
He let Dyogo run to battle Vlah Ali.
The prince threw his spear fast against the Turk,
One hero attacked another hero.
Vlah Ali reached for his powerful spear,
He took the spear and he held it strong,
And he spoke with thunder in his deep voice:
“Oh, you bastard, lowly born Strahinich,
What do you think of yourself, foolish Ban?
These are not some Serbian grandmothers
for you to come, groan at and scare away.
No, this is terrifying Vlah Ali,
Scared not of the Sultan nor his viziers,
I, who in this realm is a full army!
I look at all the Sultan’s grand armies,
These unimportant ants on these pastures.
Oh, and you, Prince, start fighting me alone!”
When the Turk had finished his spear flew fast,
But luck looked kindly on Strahinich Ban,
The one God helped mighty Strahinich Ban.
Luck found him through his jousting horse Dyogo
As Vlah Ali’s spear whiffed over the peak,
Dyogo lightning-fast turned from the swift spear
He kneeled down as the spear flew over Ban
The spear ran beyond Ban and hit a stone.
As it hit the stone it broke into bits,
As many bits as are stars in the sky.
But both men had broken their mighty spears,
Both heroes took up their deadly bludgeons,
Mighty Vlah Ali was hammering hard
Hammering hard, hammering Strahinich.
Making Ban shift in his saddle to the left,
Making Ban shift in his saddle to the right.
The one God helped mighty Strahinich Ban,
Luck found him through his jousting horse Dyogo.
Such jousting mounts Serbs do not find today,
A stallion that neither Serbs nor Turks have,
The steed forcefully moves body and head
The stallion shifts and holds his Ban firmly
And when the prince Strahinich hit with force,
Hit the dragon, the gruesome Vlah Ali,
The prince could not from his saddle move him.
Ali’s stallion beat was into the ground
The steed’s four legs driven into the earth
And both their maces were broken as well.
Their maces broken, shards flying around,
Oh, that they both reached for their sharp-edged swords,
For their swords so they could keep on battling .
But you should see the falcon Strahinich,
And about the falcon’s sword people said:
The falcon’s blade was made by two blacksmiths,
Made by two blacksmiths and their three helpers.
They hammered it from Sunday to Sunday,
They had made the falcon’s blade out of steel,
They hammered thin the steel to a strong blade.
The Turk attacked and the prince defended
One sabre hit on the other sabre,
Ban’s sabre split Vlah Ali’s asunder,
As the prince saw his strike he felt delight,
On and on Ban attacked valiantly,
Full of ire the prince aimed for the Turk’s head,
But the Turk defended himself fiercely.
Hero fought hero!
Vlah Ali would not give up in his life
Nor would he let Ban hurt his hands as well.
With his broken sword he battled away,
With half a sabre crossed over his neck
He thwarted attack on his valued neck.
And his broken sabre blunted Ban’s sword.
The Turk ripped apart Ban’s sword piece by piece,
And both their sabres were destroyed as well.
Both their sabres were destroyed to their heart.
What’s left of their swords they threw to the side.
Then they jumped off their bravely fighting steeds,
When they had jumped they started to struggle,
Oh, they struggled as two dragons would struggle.
Oh, struggle on high Golech mountain they did,
Struggled alone until summer’s day noon.
At this summer’s day noon Vlah Ali spewed,
His phlegm as white as the mountain’s peak.
But Ban white and red spewed - torn that he was
And the prince’s clothes soaked full with blood.
As was blood filling Strahinich Ban’s boots.
And when the prince was wearied from fighting
The fierce Strahinich Ban spoke out loudly:
“Oh, my dearest love, may God disgrace you!
For watching this misery on this peak.
Oh, you better take a piece of the sword
And then stab, my love, myself or the Turk!
Oh, imagine, my love, which one you choose.”
But the Turk in anger shouted out, too:
“Oh my dear, once Strahinich Ban’s love,
Do not stab me but stab Prince Strahinich!
You’ll never again be dear to him,
He forever, oh, ever would blame you.
You will be judged from sunrise to sunset
Because you spent nights in my tent with me.
Forever will you be dear to me,
I’ll take you to the city of Jedren,
I’ll order thirty servants to serve you,
All thirty of them to please and serve you!
I will feed you with sugar and honey
And then I will wrap you in gold ducats,
Put them all from your head to your sole.
So you better now stab Strahinich Ban!”
Easy it is to fool a woman’s mind,
Oh, how she jumped quickly in her desire
She picked up one piece broken from the sword,
And she wrapped it in her soft scarf of silk
That she would not hurt her gentle pale hand.
She then moved around them closely watching,
Careful was she not to hurt Vlah Ali,
She came within reach and stabbed her master,
She hit her old master Strahinich Ban,
Onto his head she had gored Strahinich,
And now she hit the prince’s fair features,
And now she cut open his gold helmet,
And she cut his lovely visage as well.
Ban was slashed open, he had been wounded,
Thus blood gushed down the Serbian hero’s face.
Blood gushed over his eyes, thwarting his view.
Oh, fear again took over the lord’s heart
On this wild day there of senseless battle.
But then, oh, Strahinich Ban remembered:
A thunderous bellow with his last breath,
He shouted for his true dog Karaman,
The hound he often went on the hunt with.
Ban shouted once and again, one more time,
Hearing his master, Karaman ran up,
As he came he jumped at Strahinich’s love,
And the woman was easily frightened,
She was scared stiff and lost in her panic,
She threw the broken shard into the grass,
Screaming and shouting were heard far away.
Oh, she was fighting Ban’s dog Karaman,
And they did fight on the slopes of mount Golech,
And the Turk was afraid for his sweet’s life,
And he felt sorrow for her painful plight.
While he was watching what happened to her
The fading strength of Strahinich revived.
With fresh vigour swaying his hero’s heart
Ban battered Vlah Ali both left and right,
Ban ousted the Turk till Vlah lost his ground.
Oh, so fast and sharp was Strahinich Ban,
He looked not for weapons down on the ground,
With passion he closed his hands on Vlah’s neck.
Ban went for the Turk’s throat with his teeth bared,
Ban slew Vlah Ali with his own bare teeth!
The prince roared triumphantly with new breath.
And Ban could again restrain Karaman,
With Karaman restrained his love was saved,
But his sweetheart ran down the mountain slopes,
His love ran down to the Turkish armies.
But Strahinich caught up with his true love
He took hold of her arm, her right arm he held.
Ban took her to his mighty steed Dyogo.
He set his dear love on Dyogo’s strong back,
He put his dear love on Dyogo’s strong back.
And then Ban set out on his ride back home
He sought a way around the Turks army,
And finally they got away from Turks.
When they had made it to fair Krusevats,
To Krusevats, to his love’s family,
Where wise old Yug Bogdan saw him coming,
Where his nine brothers-in-law ran unto him,
They met him with kisses and open arms.
And worried they asked for Strahinich’s health.
When he saw his beloved son wounded,
His falcon, his son-in-law with deep wounds
Yug Bogdan poured tears down his noble cheeks:
“Welcome again, my falcon, in my home!
Battling the Turks more heroes be helpful,
A brave hero should have gone after you,
But who may have followed my dear falcon,
As there’s none like my falcon - none ever!”
Also his brothers-in-law did worry.
Ban finally opened his mouth, he spoke:
“Don’t you, oh father-in-law, be worried,
And you, my nine brothers, don’t be afraid,
With the Turk no more heroes were needed,
No hero to help when I was at risk!
I tell you who came when I was in need,
And let me tell you how I got these wounds:
“When I fought with the mighty Vlah Ali
Oh, my father-in-law, old Yug Bogdan,
My dearest love Andyeliya did save me,
My beloved one and your beloved daughter.
She did not help me but did help the Turk.”
Hearing this old Yug Bogdan went berserk,
He called upon all his nine waiting sons:
“Oh, my children take out your sabres now!
Take your sabres and rip this bitch to shreds!”
All his sons listened to their father’s call,
All Yug’s nine drew swords and went after her.
But the falcon Strahinich Ban held them,
Calmly he told his fierce brothers-in-law:
“My brothers, oh my nine Yug Bogdan sons,
Oh, what disgrace fell upon you today?
Oh brothers, who do you aim your knives at?
If such great heroes, my brothers, you are,
Where were your knives and where were your sabres?
Where were you when I was in Kosovo?
Where you could have been heroes, fighting Turks?
Where you could have been at my side helping?
I won’t give you your sister to be slaughtered!
Oh, I could strike her down without your help,
And I shall strike all her family down!
If I should lose who drink red wine with me.
But I give life to my lady and you.”
Few men only there are like he was one
Men like Strahinich Ban – great falcon he

Epic Serbia

Strahinich Ban

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