Warwick

This epic poem was written by Petar II Petrović Njegoš, the great Vladika, or Prince-Bishop, of Montenegro in the mid-19th century, at a time when every statelet and region in Europe seemed to be experimenting with similar forays into artistic nationalism. It was always considered the great Serbian epic, although quite how this works now that Montenegro has become a separate country I'm not sure.

The plot is a bit uncomfortable for modern tastes – essentially, a load of Montenegrins decide to convert to Islam, and so the local chieftains slaughter them all – but it is a reminder of the Balkans' crucial position there on the often-violent boundary between Europe and "The East". This massacre really happened, by the way – Njegoš's own ancestor Danilo was a key player.

I picked through it slowly when I was in Montenegro and trying to learn the language. Here's a rousing speech before they go into battle, to give you an idea:

neka bude što biti ne može,
nek ad proždre, pokosi satana!
Na groblju će iznići cvijeće
za daleko neko pokoljenje!

Which means something like: Let what could never happen, happen; let hell devour and Satan reap! The cemeteries will bring forth flowers, for some other distant generation! The Serbo-Croatian (...or ‘Serbian’...or ‘Montenegrin’) is beautiful though, especially that final line.

One of my two copies includes a curious English translation from one James W Wiles – full of lots of energetic, sub-Shakespearean flourishes. It seems very Victorian but I've no idea when it was written and my copy doesn't say. Here's his rendering of the passage above:

Let come those things men thought could never be;
Let hell devour; let Satan swing his scythe:
Still graveyard turf shall bring forth many a flower,
For coming kindreds in Time's later Hour!

Stirring stuff! Wiles's translation is good fun, but even I can see that it's not entirely to be relied upon. Nevertheless, this is essential reading for anyone interested in the area or the language.