Kosovo curse

The Kosovo curse or Prince's curse (Serbian: Косовска клетва or Кнежева клетва) is, according to the legend, a curse said by Serbian Prince Lazar before the Battle of Kosovo. In the text, Lazar curses those Serbs who ignored his call for a defensive war against the Ottoman Empire.

One form of the curse appeared in the 1845 edition of the collection of Serbian folk songs by Vuk Karadžić. It is an updated version of an 1813 text by Karadžić, but with stronger nationalist overtones added.[1]

Today, the "Kosovo curse" is inscribed on the Gazimestan monument, where the Battle of Kosovo occurred.

Text of the curse

Serbian Cyrillic Serbian Latin English
Ко је Србин и српскога рода,

и од српске крви и колена,
а не дош'о на бој на Косово,
не имао од срца порода,
ни мушкога ни девојачкога!
Од руке му ништа не родило,
рујно вино ни пшеница бела!
Рђом капо док му је колена!

 Ko je Srbin i srpskoga roda,

i od srpske krvi i kolena,
a ne doš'o na boj na Kosovo,
ne imao od srca poroda,
ni muškoga ni devojačkoga!
Od ruke mu ništa ne rodilo,
rujno vino ni pšenica bela!
Rđom kapo dok mu je kolena!

 Whoever is a Serb and of Serb birth,

And of Serb blood and heritage,
And comes not to the Battle of Kosovo,
May he never have the progeny his heart desires,
Neither son nor daughter!
May nothing grow that his hand sows,
Neither red wine nor white wheat!
And let him be cursed from all ages to all ages!

See also

References

  1. ^ "Kosovo Myths: Karadzic, Njegos, and the Transformation of Serb Memory". http://pi.library.yorku.ca/ojs/index.php/soi/article/view/8045/7219. Retrieved 02 January 2012.