The Maiden Margita and Rayko the Voyvoda

Not yet the dawn had whitened, nor the day star shown its face;
Men thought not of day — forth Margita the maid walked in the place,
In Sriyem over Slankamen; barefoot the damsel sprang
Over the stone so early. In delicate wise she sang,
But Rayko in the song she cursed: "Rayko, may God thee slay!
The Turks have plagued us grievously in Sriyem, since the day
When thou becamest voyvoda. When Mirko ruled the land,
We heard of no Turk, nor ever saw one before us stand;
But now they plague us grievously. Their horses' feet are sore
For riding night and morning in our country evermore.
The very fields on their horsehoofs are lifted and stolen away,
And the air is full of javelins and their throwingdarts to-day."
So sang the girl of Sriyem, and deemed that none could hear,
But Voyvoda Rayko saw her, and the curse came to his ear;
And he called the maiden Margita: "Sister," he saith, "do thou
No more curse Rayko the voyvoda. What more can he do now?
What may he do for himself? And what for Sriyem in this hour?
What shall he do in Sriyem against the Turkish power?
While Mirko was the voyvoda, in our cities in their turn
Were many voyvodas. Stay thou; their number thou shalt learn.
At Potserye on Sava his dwelling Milosh made.
He was vizier of Lazar in many-towered Belgrade.
In Krushevats, the white city, glorious Lazar had his hall,
With his fair son beside him, the good lad Stevan the Tall.
Yug Bogdan, the old hero, with the nine sons of his might,
Dwelt in another city, Prokuplye the white.
At the white town of Kurshumliya was Strahin, the great ban;
At Toplitsa, Milan Toplitsa, where the chill waters ran.
At flat Kosaynitsa, Ivan Kosanchich, the mighty man,
In Travnik, the white, Vuk Brankovich was Lazar's high vizier;
Duke Stepan in Herzegovina ruled the country without fear.
At Skadar on the Boyana, Vukashin was the king.
With his brethren Goyko and Uglyesha, to help in governing.
And in Prizrend, where the plowland reacheth so fair and far,
With his little son, Prince Urosh, was Stepan the Servian tsar.
Starina Novak held the rule on Stara, the mountain old;
And with him Radivoye, his brother, called the bold,
And Tatomir and Gruitsa dwelt with them in the hold.
And, moreover, Bey Kostadin dwelt in Kumanovo white.
And Prince Marko in white Prilip, in the mansion of his might.
"Harken thou, sister Margita, our voyvodas were they;
All of them were among us, and all have passed away.
Some died in their beds, sister, and some in battle were slain;
To-day doth Rayko alone of them in Sriyem yet remain,
Like a dry tree in the mountain grove. What shall he do in this hour?
What shall he do in Sriyem against the Turkish power?"
From his belt he drew a dagger — through his live heart it sped;
On the black earth Rayko of Sriyem, the voyvoda, lay dead.
And Margita ran to him; with a wailing cry she said:
"My brothers, Servian voyvodas; you have been and have passed away!
How have you left your children and your faithful wives this day?
Are they not now a footstool, that Turkish feet may rest?
Are not your monasteries become a Turkish jest?"
She snatched the dagger of Rayko, through her live heart smote it well,
And dead the wretched maiden by the dead Rayko fell.