Slavic antithesis

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The Slavic antithesis is a style figure in Slavic epic poetry. It consists of three parts: a question is asked, then a negative answer is given, and finally the real explanation is provided.

This is an example — an excerpt from the Serbian epic poem "Mali Radojica" ("Little Radojica"):

Jali grmi, jal' se zemlja trese? (Is it thunder, is it the ground shaking?)
Ja se bije more o mramorje? (Is it the sea clashing against marble rocks?)
Ja se biju na Popina vile? (Is it vilas fighting at the Popin?)
Niti grmi, nit' se zemlja trese, (It's not thunder, nor is the ground shaking,)
ni se bije more o mramorje, (nor is the sea clashing against marble rocks,)
ni se biju na Popina vile; (nor are vilas fighting at the Popin;)
već pucaju na Zadru topovi" (but the cannons are fired at Zadar)

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