Romantic narrative-lyric poem · France Prešeren · Krst pri Savici / The Baptism on the Savica (1836)
France Prešeren — The Baptism on the Savica: complete text
The complete public-domain Krst pri Savici — the dedication to Matija Čop, the Introduction, and The Baptism — in the Slovene original with a complete THY-REALITY English translation.
This page presents the complete Krst pri Savici — the dedication to Matija Čop, the Introduction, and The Baptism — with a complete THY-REALITY editorial translation. The translation is intentionally semantic rather than metrical: it aims to preserve narrative, imagery, and argument without imitating Prešeren's rhyme scheme.
Rights: France Prešeren (1800–1849) is the author of the public-domain original. Source transcription: Slovene Wikisource — Krst pri Savici. First edition (1836). The English translation was prepared by THY-REALITY for this project.
To Matija Čop
Slovene originalEnglish translation
Vam izročím, prijat'lja dragi mani!
ki spi v prezgodnjem grobu, pesem milo;
ločitvi od njegà mi je hladílo,
bilà je lek ljubezni stari rani.
To you, dear friend of mine, who sleep in an untimely grave, I
entrust this gentle poem. It cooled the pain of parting from you
and served as balm for an old wound of love.
Minljivost sladkih zvez na svet' oznáni,
kak' kratko je veselih dni število,
de srečen je le ta, kdor z Bogomílo
up sreče onstran groba v prsih hrani.
It proclaims to the world how fleeting sweet bonds are, how few
the days of joy, and that only the one who, like Bogomila, carries
in the breast a hope of happiness beyond the grave can be called
blessed.
Pokópal misli visokoletéče,
željá nespolnjenih sem bolečine,
ko Črtomír ves up na zemlji sreče;
I have buried my high-flying thoughts and the pain of unfulfilled
desires, just as Črtomir buries every hope of earthly happiness.
dan jasni, dan oblačni v noči mine,
srcé veselo, in bolnó, trpeče
upokój'le bodo grôba globočine.
Bright day and cloudy day alike pass into night; the depths of the
grave will bring rest to the heart, whether joyful or sick and
suffering.
Introduction
Slovene originalEnglish translation
Valjhún, sin Kajtimára, boj krvávi
že dolgo bije za kršansko vero,
z Avreljam Droh se več mu v bran ne stavi;
končano njuno je in marsik'tero
življenje, kri po Kranji, Koratáni
prelita, napolnila bi jezéro.
Valjhun, son of Kajtimar, has long waged a bloody struggle for the
Christian faith. Avrelij and Droh no longer stand against him:
their lives and the lives of many others are ended, and the blood
shed across Carniola and Carantania could fill a lake.
Gnijó po polju v bojih pokončáni
trum srčni vójvodi in njih vojšaki,
sam Črtomír se z majhnim tropom brani.
Brave commanders and their soldiers, slain in battle, rot across
the fields. Only Črtomir still resists with a small band.
Bojuje se najmlajši med junaki
za vero staršov, lepo bog'njo Živo,
za Črte, za bogóve nad oblaki.
The youngest of the heroes fights for the faith of his ancestors,
for the beautiful goddess Živa, for Črt, and for the gods above
the clouds.
On z njimi, ki še trd'jo vero krivo,
beží tja v Bôhinj, v Bistriško dolino,
v trdnjavo, zidano na skalo sivo.
With those who still maintain what the victors call the false
faith, he flees into Bohinj, into the Bistrica valley, to a
fortress built upon grey rock.
Še dandanašnji vidiš razvalino,
ki Ajdovski se gradec imenuje,
v nji gledaš Črtomírovo lastnino.
Even today, the poem says, one may see its ruins, called Ajdovski
gradec, and in them behold what was once Črtomir's stronghold.
Devetkrat veči množ'ca jih obsuje,
in zveste straže krog in krog postavi,
odvzame up jim vse pomóči tuje;
A force nine times greater surrounds them, posts faithful guards
all around, and takes away every hope of help from outside.
visoke odre tamkej si napravi,
zidovje podkopúje, vrata seka;
ne polastí se njih, ki so v trdnjavi.
The besiegers raise high platforms, undermine the walls, and hack
at the gates, yet they cannot take possession of those inside the
fortress.
Šest mescev moči tla krvava reka,
Slovenec že morí Slovenca, brata -
kakó strašnà slepota je človeka!
For six months a river of blood soaks the ground. A Slovene is
already killing a Slovene, his brother — what terrible blindness
can seize a human being!
Ko niso meč, sekira in lopata
jih mogle, lakota nepremagljíva
pretí odpreti grada trdna vrata.
When sword, axe, and spade cannot defeat them, unconquerable
hunger threatens to open the stronghold's heavy gates.
Dalj Črtomir jim reve ne zakriva,
besede te tovar'šem reče zbranim:
»Ne meč, pregnala bo nas sreča kriva.
Črtomir no longer hides their misery. He addresses the gathered
companions: “It will not be the sword but hostile fortune that
drives us out.
Le malo vam jedila, bratje, hranim,
braníli smo se dolgo brez podpore,
kdor hoče se podati, mu ne branim;
Brothers, I have only a little food left for you. We have defended
ourselves for a long time without support. I will not prevent
anyone who wishes to surrender.
kdor hoče vas dočakat' tèmne zore,
neprôste dni živét', nočém enake,
ne branim mu, al' jutra čakat' more.
Nor will I prevent anyone who wishes to live through the dark dawn
that awaits you, though I myself do not wish to live days without
freedom — if dawn can even be reached.
S seboj povabim druge vas junake,
vas, k'terih rama se ukloniti noče;
temnà je noč in stresa grom oblake;
But I invite with me those heroes whose shoulders refuse to bend.
The night is dark and thunder shakes the clouds.
sovražnik se podál bo v svoje koče,
le majhen prostor je tje do goščáve;
to noč nam jo doseči je mogoče.
The enemy will have withdrawn to his shelters; only a short
distance separates us from the woods. Tonight we may be able to
reach them.
Narvéč svetá otrokom sliši Slave,
tje bomo našli pot, kjer nje sinovi
si prosti vól'jo vero in postáve.
Most of the world belongs to the children of Slava. There we shall
find a road to where her sons may freely choose their faith and
their laws.
Ak' pa naklonijo nam smrt bogovi,
manj strašna noč je v črne zemlje krili,
ko so pod svetlim soncem sužni dnovi!«
And if the gods have destined us for death, the night within the
black earth is less terrible than days of bondage beneath the
shining sun!”
Ne zapusti nobeden ga v ti sili,
molčé orožje svoje vsak si vzame,
strahljívca v celem ni imel števili;
Not one abandons him in this extremity. Silently each man takes up
his weapon; there is no coward among them.
al' komaj vrata so odprta, vname
se strašen boj, ne boj, mesarsko klanje:
Valjhún tam s celo jih močjó objame.
But scarcely have the gates opened when a terrible struggle begins
— no battle, but butchery. Valjhun falls upon them with all his
force.
Tud' on se je zanésel na njih spanje,
prelesti mislil je ozidje grada,
in ponevédoma planiti nanje.
He too had counted on their sleep, intending to scale the fortress
walls and surprise them unawares.
Ko svojo moč najbolj vihar razklada,
okrog vrat straža na pomoč zavpije,
in vstane šum, da mož za možem pada.
At the very moment when the storm displays its greatest power, the
guards around the gates cry for help, and a roar rises as man
after man falls.
Ko se neúrnik o povodnji vlije,
iz hriba strmega v doline plane,
z derečimi valóvami ovije,
As a cloudburst rushes down from a steep mountain into the
valleys, wrapping everything in raging water,
kar se mu zoper stavi, se ne ugane
in ne počije pred, da jez omaga;
tak vrže se Valjhún na nekristjane.
as it yields to nothing in its path and does not rest until the
dam gives way, so Valjhun throws himself upon the non-Christians.
Ne jenja préd, doklèr ni zadnja sraga
krví prelita, dòkler njih kdo sope,
ki jim bilá je vera čez vse draga.
He does not stop until the last drop of blood is shed, until not
one still breathes among those to whom their faith was dearer than
all else.
Ko zor zasije na mrličev trope,
ležé, k' ob ajde žetvi al pšenice
po njivah tam ležé snopóvja kope.
When dawn shines over the heaps of dead, they lie across the
fields like piles of sheaves after the harvest of buckwheat or
wheat.
Leži kristjanov več od polovice;
med njimi, ki so padli za malike,
Valjhún zastonj tam išče mlado lice
njegà, ki kriv moritve je velike.
More than half the Christians lie among those who fell for the old
gods. Valjhun searches in vain among them for the young face of
the man he holds responsible for the great slaughter.
The Baptism
Slovene originalEnglish translation
Mož in oblakov vojsko je obojno
končala temna noč, kar svetla zarja
zlatí z rumenmi žarki glavo trojno
snežnikov kranjskih sivga poglavarja,
Bohinjsko jezero stoji pokojno,
sledu ni več vunanjega viharja;
al somov vojska pod vodó ne mine,
in drugih roparjov v dnu globočine.
The dark night has ended both armies — the army of men and the
army of clouds. As bright dawn gilds with yellow rays the
threefold head of the grey lord of Carniola's snowy peaks, Lake
Bohinj lies calm. No outward trace of the storm remains; yet
beneath the water the host of catfish and other predators in the
depths has not disappeared.
Al jezero, ki na njega pokrajni
stojiš, ni, Črtomír! podoba tvoja? -
To noč je jenjal vojske šum vunajni,
potihnil ti vihar ni v prsih boja;
le hujši se je zbudil črv nekdajni,
ak prav uči me v revah skušnja moja,
bolj grize, bolj po novi krvi vpije,
požrešniši obupa so harpíje.
And is not the lake on whose shore you stand, Črtomir, an image of
yourself? The outward noise of war ceased this night, but the
storm of battle has not grown quiet in your breast. An older worm
has awakened more fiercely; if my experience in misfortune teaches
me rightly, the harpies of despair bite harder and thirst ever
more greedily for new blood.
Na tleh ležé slovenstva stebri stari,
v domačih šegah vtrjene postave;
v deželi parski Tesel gospodari,
ječé pod težkim jarmam sini Slave,
le tujcam sreče svit se v Kranji žari,
ošabno nósjo tí pokonci gláve.
Al, de te jenja ta skeleti rana,
ne boš posnel Katóna Utikána!
The old pillars of Slovene life lie on the ground, the laws rooted
in native customs. The Bavarian Tassilo rules the land; the sons
of Slava groan beneath a heavy yoke, while in Carniola fortune
seems to shine only on foreigners, who carry their heads proudly.
Yet to end this gnawing wound, do not imitate Cato of Utica.
Prenesla pričujoče ure teže
bi ne bila let poznih glava siva;
v mladosti vender trdniši so mreže,
ki v njih drži nas upa moč goljfiva;
kar, Črtomír! te na življenje veže,
se mi iz tvojih prejšnjih dni odkriva,
ko te vodila ni le stara vera
tje na osredek Bléškega jezéra.
A grey head burdened with many years could not have borne the
weight of these hours. In youth, however, the nets in which
deceitful hope holds us are stronger. What still binds you to
life, Črtomir, is revealed to me by your earlier days, when it was
not only the old faith that led you to the island in the middle of
Lake Bled.
Tje na otok z valovami obdani,
v današnjih dnevih božjo pot Marije;
v dnu zad stojé snežnikov velikani,
poljá, ki spred se sprósti, lepotije
ti kaže Bléški grad na levi strani,
na desni griček se za gričam skrije.
Dežela kranjska nima lepšga kraja,
ko je z okolšno ta, podoba raja.
There, on the island surrounded by waves — now a pilgrimage place
of Mary — giant snowy mountains stand in the distance. Open fields
lie before you; Bled Castle shows its beauty on the left, while
hill after hill disappears on the right. Carniola has no fairer
place: with its surroundings it is an image of paradise.
Tam v časih Črtomíra na otoki
podoba bóginje je stala Žive,
ki so zročeni ji mladenčov stoki;
ki so ji, vé dekleta ljubeznive!
zročeni vaši smehi, vaši joki,
orožja, ki so nam nepremagljive. -
Tam bógnje vežo Staroslav in lepa
njegova hči odpira in zaklepa.
In Črtomir's time an image of the goddess Živa stood upon the
island. To her were entrusted the sighs of young men; to her, dear
maidens, your laughter and your tears — weapons against which men
are powerless. Staroslav and his beautiful daughter opened and
closed the goddess's sanctuary there.
Hči Bogomila, lepa ko devica,
sloveča Hero je bila v Abidi,
nedolžnost vnema ji oči in lica,
lepote svoje sama le ne vidi,
priliznjena mladenčov govorica
je ne napihne, ji srca ne spridi.
Spolníla komej je šestnájsto leto;
srce mladó ni za noben'ga vneto.
His daughter Bogomila, as beautiful as the celebrated Hero of
Abydos, had innocence glowing in her eyes and cheeks. She alone
was unaware of her own beauty; the flattering speech of young men
neither made her vain nor corrupted her heart. She had barely
completed her sixteenth year, and her young heart burned for no
one.
Darí opravit bógnji po navadi
prinese Črtomíra lahka ladja,
od tega, kar raste pri njega gradi,
od čede, žita in novine sadja;
ko bliža z njimi se devici mladi,
zadene ga, ko se je nármanj nadja,
iz nje oči v srce ljubezni strela,
plamén nepogasljiv je v njemu vnela.
As custom required, Črtomir's light boat brought gifts to the
goddess: what grew on his lands, from livestock, grain, and the
year's fruit. As he approached the young maiden with them, when he
least expected it, a bolt of love flew from her eyes into his
heart and kindled there an inextinguishable flame.
O blagor, blagor, Črtomír! ti vneta
je deklica od tvojega pogléda,
kak od zamáknjenja je vsa prevzeta,
kak gleda v tla, kak trese se beseda!
Ko zarija, ki jasen dan obeta,
zarumení podoba njena bleda,
in v tvoji roki roka nje ostane
zadŕžana ji od moči neznane.
O joy, Črtomir! The girl too is set aflame by your gaze. How
completely she is seized by rapture, how she looks at the ground,
how her speech trembles! Like dawn promising a clear day, colour
rises into her pale face, and her hand remains in yours, held
there by an unknown power.
Naj pevec drug vam srečo popisuje,
ki célo leto je cvetla obema:
kak Črtomír osredek obiskuje,
kak oča omladí med njima dvema,
ki ni, ko meni, mu veselje tuje,
ki srečna ga ljubezen v prsih vnema,
pijanost njino, ki tak hitro mine,
pregnana od ločitve bolečine.
Let another poet describe the happiness that blossomed for them
through a whole year: how Črtomir visited the island, how the
father grew young again between the two lovers, unlike me, to whom
joy is alien, and how their happy love filled him too with delight
— the intoxication of the pair that passed so quickly, driven away
by the pain of separation.
Že, Črtomír! je treba se ločiti,
ne slišiš, kak glasnó trobenta poje?
Pripodil s sabo je Valjhun srditi
požigat božje veže divje roje;
povsod vzdigujejo se vere ščiti,
ki si prejel od matere jo svoje,
té vere, ki ji deklica ta služi,
ki zdaj te z njo ljubezen čista druži.
Now, Črtomir, you must depart. Do you not hear the trumpet
sounding loudly? Furious Valjhun has brought savage bands to burn
the sanctuaries. Everywhere the shields of the faith inherited
from your mother are being raised — the faith served by this girl,
whom pure love now joins to you.
Kak težka, bridka ura je slovesa!
Stojé po licah jima kaplje vroče,
objeta sta, ko bi bila telesa
enga, spustiti žnabel žnabla noče;
si z levga oča, desnega očesa
jok briše, ki ga skriti ni mogoče,
ko vidi v táko žalost nju vtopljene,
in de tolažbe zanje ni nobene.
How heavy and bitter is the hour of farewell! Hot drops stand upon
their cheeks. They cling together as though they were one body;
lip does not wish to leave lip. Each wipes the other's tears,
which cannot be hidden, seeing them sunk in such sorrow and
knowing that there is no consolation for them.
Bi spomnil njima zmage večno slavo,
ak bi, de jo doseči móč je, sodil;
al preveliko trumo je čez Dravo
po Kokri doli v Kranj Valjhun pripodil.
Se možu zdi, de gre le v smrt krvavo,
brez de bi vero, brate osvobodil. -
List pride, kak vasi in veže božje
goré; - čas, Črtomír! je vzet orožje.
He might remind them of eternal glory in victory, if he believed
victory possible. But Valjhun has led too great a force across the
Drava and down the Kokra into Carniola. The man believes he goes
only to a bloody death, without freeing either faith or brothers.
Then a letter comes: villages and sanctuaries are burning. It is
time, Črtomir, to take up arms.
In šel je boj bojvat brez upa zmage,
in skazal se je korenine prave,
kjer suče meč, na čeli smrtne srage
ležé sovražnikov trupla krváve
mrtvih, al izdihjočih duše drage;
vender ne meč, ne moč gradu trdnjave
bogov ne more rešit slavnih staršov,
in ne pred smrtjo ohranít tovaršov.
He goes to battle without hope of victory and proves himself
worthy of his roots. Wherever his sword turns, with the sweat of
death upon his brow, the bloody bodies of enemies lie dead or
breathe out their dear souls. Yet neither sword nor the power of a
fortified castle can save the gods of his glorious ancestors or
preserve his companions from death.
Premagan pri Bohinjskem sam jezéri
stoji naslonjen na svoj meč krvávi,
z očmi valov globoki brezen meri,
strašne mu misli rójijo po glavi,
življenje misli vzet si v slepi veri;
al nekaj mu predrzno rôko ustavi -
bila je lepa, Bogomila! tvoja
podoba, ki speljala ga je 'z boja.
Defeated, alone beside Lake Bohinj, he stands leaning on his
bloody sword and measures with his eyes the deep abyss of the
waves. Terrible thoughts swarm through his mind; in blind
conviction he means to take his own life. But something stops the
reckless hand — your beautiful image, Bogomila, the image that had
once led him away from battle.
Enkrat videt želi podobo milo,
pozdravit prejšnjega veselja mesto;
al srečno je prestala časov silo,
al njeno mu srce še bije zvésto,
al morebit pod hladno spi gomilo,
al premagávec mu je vzel nevesto,
al živa, al mŕtva je, zvedet móre,
ločiti préd se iz sveta ne móre.
He wishes to see that beloved face once more, to greet the place
of former happiness. Has she safely endured the violence of the
times? Does her heart still beat faithfully for him? Does she
perhaps sleep beneath a cold mound? Has the victor taken his
bride? He must learn whether she is living or dead; before that he
cannot leave this world.
Znan ribič privesla od une stráni,
opomni ga, kak sam sebe pozabi,
kako povsod ga išejo kristjani,
kak z vjetimi Valjhun srditi rabi,
prijazno delj mu tam ostati brani,
stopiti k sebi ga v čolnič povabi,
de ga pripelje v varniši zavetje;
vda Črtomír se v to, kar ribič svétje.
A fisherman he knows rows over from the other side. He warns
Črtomir how he has forgotten himself, how Christians search for
him everywhere, and how harshly Valjhun treats prisoners. Kindly
he forbids him to remain there longer and invites him into the
boat, to bring him to safer shelter. Črtomir accepts the
fisherman's advice.
In brž veslata v konec ta jezéra,
kjer bistra vanjga pribobni Savica;
ker srečen veter nji roké podpéra,
čolnič leti, ko v zraki urna tica.
Se ribič po sovražnikih ozéra,
čoln vstavi, kjer je gosta senc temnica.
Ker se mu zdi, de lakota ga grudi,
junaku, kar je v torbici, ponudi.
They quickly row toward the end of the lake where the clear Savica
thunders into it. A favourable wind supports their arms, and the
little boat flies like a swift bird through the air. The fisherman
watches for enemies and stops the boat where thick shadow offers
darkness. Thinking hunger torments the hero, he offers him what is
in his bag.
Želi dat Črtomír mu povračilo,
al v vojski dnarji so bili razdani;
de Staroslav, se spomni, z Bogomilo
mu v skrivnem kraji tovor zláta hrani,
nju poiskati da mu naročilo,
in da mu prstan sámo njima znani,
de bo pri njima storil mu resnico; -
prinesti zláta reče četrtníco.
Črtomir wishes to repay him, but his money has been distributed
during the war. He remembers that Staroslav and Bogomila are
keeping a store of his gold in a secret place. He tells the
fisherman to find them, gives him a ring known only to them as
proof, and asks him to bring back a quarter of the gold.
Po Bogomili prašat mu ukaže:
al gleda svetlo sonce, je še živa,
al so obvárvale jo mokre straže,
al pred sovražniki drugéj se skriva,
in kod narvárniši se pot pokaže,
tje, kjer zdaj draga deklica prebiva?
Pri slapi čakal jutro bo Savice,
vesele ali žalostne novice.
He orders him also to ask about Bogomila: does she still look upon
the bright sun, is she still alive, did the waters protect her, or
is she hiding elsewhere from the enemy? What is the safest path to
the place where the beloved girl now lives? At the Savica
waterfall he will wait until morning for joyful or sorrowful news.
Slap drugo jutro mu grmi v ušesa;
junak premišlja, kak bolj spodej lena
voda razgraja, kak bregove stresa,
in kak pred njo se gôre ziblje stena,
kak skale podkopuje in drevesa,
kak do nebes leti nje jeze pena! -
Tak se zažene, se pozneje ustavi
mladenič, Črtomír pri sebi pravi.
The next morning the waterfall roars in his ears. The hero
reflects on how the water, gentler farther below, rages here and
shakes the banks, how the mountain wall seems to tremble before
it, how it undermines rocks and trees, and how the foam of its
fury flies toward the heavens. So too, the young man tells
himself, a man may rush forward violently and later come to rest.
Zbudi ga 'z misel teh mož govorica,
ki bližajo se z blagam obloženi,
spozna koj ribiča poštene lica;
neznan mož pride po stezi zeleni;
talar in štola, znamenja poklica,
povesta mu, de služi Nazareni.
Po meč bi desna se bila stegnila,
v ti priči se prikaže Bogomila.
The voices of men approaching with burdens wake him from these
thoughts. He immediately recognizes the fisherman's honest face.
An unknown man comes along the green path; cassock and stole,
signs of his office, tell Črtomir that he serves the Nazarene. His
right hand would have reached for his sword — at that moment
Bogomila appears.
ČRTOMÍR
ČRTOMIR
»O, sem na sŕce moje, Bogomila!
Skrbí je konec, žalosti, nesreče,
se trese od veselja vsaka žila,
kar gledam spet v obličje ti cveteče,
naj brije zdaj okrog viharjov sila,
naj se nebo z oblaki preobleče,
ni meni mar, kar se godi na svéti,
ak smejo srečne te roké objeti.«
“O Bogomila, come to my heart! Care, sorrow, and misfortune are
ended. Every vein trembles with joy because I see your blooming
face again. Let storms rage around us now, let the sky clothe
itself in clouds; I care nothing for what happens in the world if
these happy arms may embrace you.”
Iz njega rok izmakne se počasi,
in blizo se na prvi kamen vsede,
in v trdnem, ali vender milem glasi
mladenču vnetmu reče té besede:
»Ne združenja, ločitve zdaj so časi,
šel naj vsak sam bo skoz življenja zmede;
de b' enkrat se sklenile póti naji,
me tukaj vidiš zdaj v samotnem kraji.
She slowly slips from his arms, sits upon the nearest stone, and
in a firm yet gentle voice speaks these words to the ardent young
man: “This is not a time for union but for parting. Each of us
must walk alone through the confusion of life. That our paths may
one day join again is why you see me here now in this lonely
place.
Povedat moram ti, de sem kristjana,
malikov zapustila vero krivo,
de je bežala ta, k' ob sonci slana,
de dal krstit je oča glavo sivo,
soseska je Marije službi vdana
v dnu jezera utopila bógnjo Živo.
Kako prišla k resnice sem poglédi,
moj Črtomír! v besedah kratkih zvédi:
I must tell you that I am a Christian. I have abandoned what I now
call the false worship of idols; it vanished like frost before the
sun. My grey-haired father has allowed himself to be baptized. Our
community has devoted itself to Mary's service, and the image of
the goddess Živa has been drowned in the depths of the lake. How I
came to see what I call the truth, my Črtomir, hear in a few
words.
Večkrat v otoka sem samotnem kraji,
ko te je ladja nesla preč od mene,
si mislila, al bo ljubezen naji
prešla, ko val, ki veter ga zažene,
al hrepenečih src željé narslaji
ogásil vse bo zemlje hlad zelene,
al mesta ni nikjer, ni zvezde mile,
kjer bi ljubjóče srca se sklenile.
Often in the lonely places of the island, when your boat had
carried you away from me, I wondered whether our love would pass
like a wave driven by the wind; whether the cold green earth would
extinguish the sweetest desires of longing hearts; whether there
was nowhere, no gentle star, under which loving hearts could be
joined.
Te misli, ko odšel si v hude boje,
miru mi niso dale več siroti.
V nevarnosti življenje védet tvoje,
zaprte vse do tebe videt póti,
ni védlo kam se djati sŕce moje,
tolažbe nisem najdla v taki zmoti.
Obupala sem skorej tákrat reva;
kak sem želela v noči ti svit dneva!
When you went into the cruel fighting, these thoughts gave poor me
no peace. Knowing your life was in danger, seeing every road to
you closed, my heart did not know where to turn, and in such
confusion I found no comfort. I almost despaired then; how I
longed for the light of day in your night!
En dan sem prašat šla po vojske sreči,
al skozi se še ni sklenila z vami;
učil ljudi je mož bogaboječi,
duhovni mož, ki zdaj ga vidiš z nami:
kako nas vstvaril vse je Bog narveči,
kak greh prišel na svet je po Adámi,
kak se je božji sin zato učlovečil,
de bi otel naróde in osrečil.
One day I went to ask about the fortune of the war, whether the
struggle with you had ended. A devout man was teaching the people
— the priest whom you now see with us — how the greatest God
created us all, how sin entered the world through Adam, and how
the Son of God became human so that he might save peoples and make
them blessed.
De pravi Bog se kliče Bog ljubezni,
de ljubi vse ljudi, svoje otroke,
de zemlja, kjer vijó viharji jezni,
je skušnje kraj, de so naš dom visoke
nebesa, de trpljenje in bolezni
z veseljam vred so dar njegove rôke,
de čudno k sebi vód' otroke ljube,
de ne želi nobenega pogube.
He taught that the true God is called the God of love, that he
loves all people as his children; that earth, where angry storms
rage, is a place of trial and that our true home is the high
heavens; that suffering and sickness, together with joy, are gifts
of his hand; that by strange paths of love he leads his children
to himself and desires the ruin of no one.
De ustvaril je ljudi vse za nebesa,
kjer glorja njega sije brez oblaka,
oko ni vidlo, slišale ušesa
veselja, ki izvoljene tam čaka,
de spróstenim bo vseh težav telesa
se srečnim izpolnila volja vsaka,
de bodo tamkej božji sklepi mili
té, ki se tukaj ljubijo, sklenili.
He taught that God created all human beings for heaven, where his
glory shines without cloud; that eye has not seen and ear has not
heard the joy awaiting the chosen; that, freed from every burden
of the body, the blessed will see every good desire fulfilled; and
that there God's merciful decrees will unite those who love one
another here.
Ko šla domú sem z družbo najno v glavi,
me mož, ki je ta uk učil, doide;
prijazno v svoji šegi me pozdravi,
pove, de préd je štet bil med druide,
de preobrnil se je k veri pravi,
de v naše kraje oznanvat jo pride;
ker so vasi bile mu krog neznane,
z menoj iti želi, ker noč postane.
As I went home with thoughts of the two of us in my mind, the man
who had taught this doctrine caught up with me. He greeted me
kindly in his manner and told me that he had once been counted
among the druids, that he had turned to the true faith and had
come to our lands to proclaim it. Because the villages around him
were unknown, he asked to go with me as night was falling.
Doma očetu, meni razodeva,
kar prerokváli nékdaj so preroki,
kak, kar grešila sta Adám in Eva,
na križi operó krvi potoki,
popiše nama strah sódnega dneva,
vse čudeže, ki vere so poroki;
kar védet treba je, zloži po vrsti,
ker sva mu vse verjela, naju kŕsti.
At home he revealed to my father and me what the prophets had once
foretold: how streams of blood upon the cross would wash away what
Adam and Eve had sinned, the terror of the Day of Judgment, and
all the wonders that serve as pledges of the faith. He explained
in order everything one must know, and because we believed him, he
baptized us.
Al ena skrb me je morila vedno,
de tí med njimi si, ki Bog jih čŕti;
večkrat sem v sanjah vidla glavo čedno,
bledó ležati na mrtvaškem prti;
sem trepetala zate uro sledno;
de bi nebes ne zgrešil v bridki smrti.
Mož božji mi bolnó srce ozdravi,
ker, de zamóre vse molitev, pravi.
But one anxiety tormented me constantly: that you were among those
whom God rejects. Often in dreams I saw your noble head lying pale
upon a funeral cloth; every moment I trembled for you, fearing you
would miss heaven in a bitter death. The holy man healed my aching
heart by telling me that prayer can overcome all.
Kolikokratov sem od tod v samoti
klečala, klícala pomoč Marije:
'Zavreči v jezi ga, moj Bog! ne hôti,
ker v zmoti žali te, ne 'z hudobije,
ne daj v oblast sovražni ga togoti,
pred njo naj milost tvoja ga zakrije!'
In čudno te je tisto noč ohranil,
ko ni noben tovarš se smrti ubranil.
How many times I have knelt here alone and called upon Mary for
help: ‘My God, do not reject him in anger, for he offends you in
error, not from wickedness. Do not give him into the enemy's cruel
power; let your mercy shelter him from it!’ And wonderfully you
were preserved that night when not one of your companions escaped
death.
Iz spanja svojga, Črtomír! se zbudi,
slovo daj svoji strašni, dolgi zmoti,
po potih se noči temne ne trudi,
ne stavi v bran delj božji se dobroti,
in njene milosti dni ne zamúdi,
de sklenete se enkrat najni póti,
ljubezen brez ločitve de zazóri
po smrti nama tam v nebeškem dvóri.«
Awake from your sleep, Črtomir! Say farewell to your terrible,
long error. Do not wander farther along the paths of dark night,
do not resist God's goodness any longer, and do not let the day of
his grace pass you by, so that our paths may one day come together
and a love without parting may dawn for us after death in the
heavenly court.”
ČRTOMÍR
ČRTOMIR
»Kak bom povrnil, Bogomila draga!
ljubezen, skrb, kar si trpela zame?
V veselji skorej mi srce omaga,
ki v njemu tvoja ga ljubezen vname,
dokler krvi ne vteče zadnja sraga,
in groba temna noč me ne objame,
ti sužno moje bo življenje celo,
ti gospoduj čez vero, misli, delo.
“How can I repay you, dear Bogomila, for the love, the care, and
all you have suffered for me? My heart almost fails from the joy
your love kindles in it. Until the last drop of blood runs out of
me and the dark night of the grave embraces me, my whole life will
be your servant; rule over my faith, my thoughts, and my deeds.
Kako bi mogel tebi kaj odreči,
storiti tega ne, kar boš želela!
Al zmisli ran, ki jih Valjhuna meči
so stórili, in pšic njegovih strela,
kaj videli krvi smo v Kranji teči,
kristjanov tvojih vse preudari dela,
in mi povej, al ni črt nárbolj jezni
njih Bog, ki kličeš ga Boga ljubezni?«
How could I refuse you anything or fail to do what you desire? But
remember the wounds made by Valjhun's swords and by the flight of
his arrows. Consider how much blood we have seen flow in Carniola
and all the deeds of your Christians, and tell me whether their
God, whom you call the God of love, is not the most hateful of
demons.”
DUHOVNI
THE PRIEST
»Po celi zemlji vsem ljudem mir bodi!
tako so peli angelcov glasovi
v višavah pri Mesijesa prihódi;
de smo očeta enega sinovi,
ljudje vsi bratje, bratje vsi naródi,
de ljúbit' mórmo se, prav' uk njegovi.
Valjhun ravna po svoji slepi glavi,
po božji volji ne, duhovni pravi.«
“Peace be to all people throughout the earth! So the voices of
angels sang in the heights at the coming of the Messiah: that we
are sons of one Father, that all people are brothers, all nations
brothers, and that his teaching commands us to love one another.
Valjhun acts according to his own blind will, not according to the
will of God,” the priest says.
ČRTOMIR
ČRTOMIR
»Ljubezni vere, in miru in sprave,
ne branim se je vere Bogomile,
vem, de malike, in njih službo glave
služabnikov njih so na svet rodile,
v njih le spoštvál očetov sem postave;
al zdaj ovrgle so jih vojske sile.
Ak sklene me s teboj krst, Bogomila!
kdaj bo zakóna zveza me sklenila?«
“I do not oppose Bogomila's faith of love, peace, and
reconciliation. I know that human minds and the service of their
priests brought idols and their worship into the world; in them I
honoured only the laws of my fathers. But now the force of war has
overthrown them. If baptism joins me with you, Bogomila, when will
the bond of marriage join me to you?”
BOGOMILA
BOGOMILA
»Odločeni so roži kratki dnóvi,
ki pride nanjo pomladanska slana,
al v cvetji jo zapadejo snegovi!
tak mladi deklici, ki zgodnja rana
srce ji gloda, vsmŕti mir njegovi,
le kratka pot je skoz življenje dana;
al je za majhen čas se združit vredno,
de bi ločitve spet se bala vedno?
“Short days are appointed for the rose upon which spring frost
falls, or which snow overtakes while it is in bloom. So too for a
young girl whose heart is gnawed by an early wound and can find
peace only in death, the path through life is short. Is it worth
joining for so brief a time only to fear separation again forever?
De bi od smrti rešil te nesrečne,
in tamkej mili Bog v nebeškem raji
z menoj te, dragi! sklenil čase večne,
pustila vnémar sem željé narslaji,
pustila vnémar dni na sveti srečne,
sem odpovedala se zvezi naji; -
je uslišana bila molitev moja. -
Ne smem postati jaz nevesta tvoja.
That you might be saved from an unhappy death and that the
merciful God might unite you with me for eternal ages in the
paradise of heaven, I set aside the sweetest desires, set aside
happy days on earth, and renounced our union. My prayer was heard.
I cannot become your bride.
Bogú sem večno čistost obljubila,
in Jezusu, in materi Mariji;
kar doživela let bom še števila
v željá bridkosti, v upa rajskem siji,
nobena me ne bo premogla sila,
bila de svojemu, svetá Mesiji,
nebeškemu bi ženinu nezvesta,
nikdár ne morem tvoja bit nevesta!« -
I have promised God everlasting chastity, and promised it to Jesus
and to Mother Mary. Whatever years I may still live, amid the
bitterness of longing and the brightness of hope for paradise, no
power will make me unfaithful to the holy Messiah, my heavenly
bridegroom. I can never be your bride.”
Duhovni reče med besede take:
»Zakóna sreče ta uživát ne more,
kdor dela mojim, tvojim je enake
predrznil v časa se seját razore,
druid sem z zmoto jaz slepil rojake,
ak bi ne bil dajal tvoj meč podpore,
kdaj vgásnila bila bi kriva vera,
bi vdova ne bila žen marsiktéra!
The priest then speaks: “The happiness of marriage cannot be
enjoyed by one who has dared to sow deeds like mine and yours into
the furrows of time. I, as a druid, once misled my people by
error; if your sword had not given support to that same error, the
false faith would have died out long ago and many a woman would
not have become a widow.
Tvoj pot je v Oglej, de položil nate
roké bo patriarh, ak duh te žene,
ko si pogubljal jih, oteti brate,
duhovnega te storil bo, ko mene.
V deželah jutra čakajo bogate
te žetve, ne zamúdi je nobene,
le hitro v Oglej, tje do patriarha,
de posvetí te mašnika, duš varha.«
Your road is to Aquileia, where the patriarch will lay hands upon
you if the Spirit moves you. Since you once destroyed your
brothers, he will make you a priest, as he made me, so that you
may save them. Rich harvests await you in the lands of the East;
miss none of them. Go quickly to Aquileia, to the patriarch, that
he may consecrate you a priest and guardian of souls.”
ČRTOMIR
ČRTOMIR
»Prav praviš, de ne smem jaz upat sreče,
ki vedno je in bo sovražna meni:
dosegel oča zmage ni sloveče,
končal življenje v vojski je zgubljeni,
odšla je mati komej sponam ječe,
že davno jo pokriva grob zeleni.
Osrečit hoče me ljubezen sladka,
al, kak sladkost bila je njena kratka!
“You speak rightly: I must not hope for happiness, which always
has been and always will be hostile to me. My father achieved no
glorious victory and ended his life in a lost war. My mother had
barely escaped the chains of captivity; long ago the green grave
covered her. Sweet love tries to make me happy — but how brief its
sweetness has been!
V deželi koj trobente glas zapoje,
od Bogomile drage mene loči,
junaško bíli smo z Valjhunam boje,
vesele zmage dan nam ne napoči,
pomóril meč je vse tovarše moje,
beg je moj up, gojzd je moj dom pričjoči.
Nespametna bila bi z mano zveza,
ki me preganja vedno sreče jeza.«
Almost at once the trumpet sounded through the land and tore me
from dear Bogomila. We fought Valjhun bravely, but no joyful day
of victory dawned. The sword killed all my comrades; flight is my
hope and the forest my present home. Union with me would be
foolish, for the anger of fortune pursues me always.”
BOGOMILA
BOGOMILA
»Ljubezni prave ne pozna, kdor méni,
de ugásniti jo more sreče jeza;
gorela v čistem, v večnem bo plaméni
zdaj, in ko mi odpade trupla peza;
v zakoni vender brani sad mi njeni
vživáti z Bogam trdniši zaveza.
Odkrila se bo tebi unstran groba
ljubezni moje čistost in zvestoba.
“One does not know true love who thinks the anger of fortune can
extinguish it. It will burn in a pure, eternal flame now and when
the weight of the body falls from me. Yet a stronger covenant with
God forbids me to enjoy its fruit in marriage. Beyond the grave
the purity and faithfulness of my love will be revealed to you.
De bodo znani božji jim obéti,
jih oznanvat pojdi v slovenske mesta;
kar dni odločenih mi bo na svéti,
Bogú in tebi bom ostala zvesta,
v nebesih čákala bom pri očeti
čez majhen čas deviška te nevesta,
dokler žalujejo po teb' otete
krdela, prideš k meni v mesta svete.«
Go into Slovene towns to proclaim God's promises so that they may
become known. For whatever days are allotted me on earth, I shall
remain faithful to God and to you. In heaven, beside the Father, I
shall wait a short while as your virgin bride, until, after the
flocks you have saved mourn you, you come to me in the holy
places.”
Izmed oblakov sonce zdaj zasije,
in mavrica na bledo Bogomilo
lepote svoje čisti svit izlije,
nebeški zor obda obličje milo;
jok, ki v oči mu sili, komej skrije,
de ni nebo nad njim se odklenilo,
de je na sveti, komej si verjame,
tak Črtomíra ta pogled prevzame.
Now the sun shines from among the clouds, and a rainbow pours the
pure radiance of its beauty upon pale Bogomila; a heavenly glow
surrounds her gentle face. Črtomir barely hides the tears rising
into his eyes. He can scarcely believe that heaven has not opened
above him and that she is still upon the earth — so completely
does the sight overcome him.
Ko je minul, kar misli, de bo v sili
zlatá mu treba, si od mož ga vzame;
dar ribču da, njim, ki so ga nosili.
»Kar Staroslav zlatá še hrani zame,
daj ga sirotam,« reče Bogomili,
se bliža ji, presrčno jo objame,
molče poda desnico ji k slovesi,
solzé stojijo v vsakem mu očesi.
When the time has passed for which he thinks he may need the gold,
he takes it from the men. He gives a gift to the fisherman and to
those who carried it. “Whatever gold Staroslav still keeps for me,
give it to orphans,” he tells Bogomila. He comes close to her,
embraces her warmly, and silently gives her his right hand in
farewell; tears stand in both his eyes.
»O čakaj, mi dopolni prošnjo eno!
préd ko se lóčva,« Bogomila pravi,
»de mi v skrbeh ne bo srce utopljeno,
de lóžej se bridkosti v bran postavi,
préd, ko greš v Oglej čez goró zeleno,
se pričo mene odpovej zmotnjavi,
dokler te posveti krst, se zamúdi,
vodá je blizo, in duhovni tudi.«
“Wait — grant me one request before we part,” Bogomila says, “so
that my heart will not drown in anxiety and may more easily
withstand sorrow. Before you go across the green mountain to
Aquileia, renounce your error here before me. Delay only until
baptism consecrates you; water is near, and so is the priest.”
Molče v to prošnjo Črtomír dovoli,
z duhovnim bliža slapu se Savice,
molitve svete mašnik, on z njim moli,
v imeni kŕsti ga svete Trojice.
So na kolenah, kar jih je okoli,
se od veselja svet' obraz device,
ki je bila podpora vere krive,
je opravljála službo bógnje Žive.
Silently Črtomir agrees. With the priest he approaches the Savica
waterfall. The priest prays sacred prayers and Črtomir prays with
him; in the name of the Holy Trinity the priest baptizes him. All
around are on their knees, and the maiden's face shines with joy —
she who had once supported the old faith and performed the service
of the goddess Živa.
Razlagajo, ko pride v Akvilejo,
mu svete pisma proste zmote vsake;
postane mašnik, v prsih umrjejo
nekdanji upi; med svoje rojake
Slovence gre, in dálej čez njih mejo,
do smrti tam preganja zmot oblake. -
Domú je Bogomila šla k očeti,
nič več se nista videla na sveti.
When he reaches Aquileia, the sacred writings, freed from every
error, are explained to him. He becomes a priest; his former hopes
die within his breast. He goes among his own people, the Slovenes,
and then beyond their borders, and until death he drives away the
clouds of error. Bogomila went home to her father. They never saw
one another again in this world.