The Old Vuyadin

In my first post I promised to write a translation for the song  "Stari Vujadin" ("The Old Vuyadin"), and here it is. It is far from perfect, and it doesn't rime at all, whatsoever, but I think you will be able to understand the story.

The old Vuyadin, Serbian people's song

A girl was cursing her eyes,
Beautiful eyes not to see,
"For you have watched everybody, but today you didn't see,
When Turks from Liyevno were passing by,
Taking the Haiduks from the hills with them:                      
Vujadin with both of his sons;
They wore unusual clothes,
The old Vuyadin,
He wore a cloak all covered in gold,
Which Pashas wear in the battle;
Milic Vuyadinovic,
He wore even more beautiful clothes;
Vulic, Milic's brother,
On he's head, he wore helmet,
Oh, the helmet with twelve feathers,
Every feather made of one liter of pure gold."
When they got close to Liyevno,
They could see that bloody town,
Were in the middle stood a white tower;
Then said the old Vujadin:
"Oh sons, my falcons,
Do you see the bloody Liyevno,
Were the white tower stands?
They will beat us up and torture us there,
Beat both our legs and arms,
And take out our eyes.
Oh sons, my falcons,
Don't let your hearts be like of a widow,
But be brave like heroes,
Don't betray a single friend,
Don't betray our Yataks,
At whose homes we have spent winters,
Spent winters, left our treasure;
Don't betray young waitresses,
At whose inns we have drank red wine,
Drank red wine in secret."
When they reached Liyevno,
Turks took them to the dungeon,
They spent there three days,
While Turkish council was deliberating,
How to beat and torture them;
When three days passed,
They took out the old Vuyadin,
They beat both his legs and arms;
When they started taking out his eyes,
Turks told him:
Tell us bitch, old Vuyadin,
Tell out bitch, the rest of your friends,
And Yataks to whom you have been going,
Going and spending winters,
Spending winters, and leaving treasure;
Tell out, bitch, the young waitresses,
At whose inns you have drank red wine,
Drank red wine secretly.
But then says the old Vuyadin:
"Don't be crazy, you Turks of Liyevno!
When I didn't betray them for those fast legs,
Which had outrun the horses,
And I didn't betray them for the arms of a hero,
Which had broken many spears,
And hit the bare sabers,
I won't betray them for the lying eyes,
Which have guided me into evil,
By watching from the highest mountain,
Watching the roads beneath,
Where Turks and traders are passing by."




Translation by Stefan Nikolic




List of unfamiliar words:

Vuyadin - a male name
Liyevno - a name of town
Hayduk - a robber who robbed Turks, and gave money back to Serbian people (I will write about them in detail later)
Pasha -  a Turkish noble title (something like duke)
Milic - a male name
Vuyadinovic - a surname, indicates that Milic is Vuyadin's son
Vulic - a male name
Yatak - a man who alowed hayduks to stay at his home during the winter