by GjonBala Kelmeni
Summary
Hajkuna, daughter of Ottoman commander Osman Aga, goes to a mountain spring and meets the wounded Vuko Harambashi, a Christian hajduk leader. He asks for her protection; she swears an oath and accepts him as her sworn brother. Upon returning, her suspicious father beats her until she reveals Vuko’s hiding place. Osman captures Vuko and his men. In his final reproach, Vuko accuses Hajkuna of betrayal. Tortured and bloodied, she explains she could not die for him, but later secretly frees the prisoners at midnight, honoring her original oath. A tragic tale of honor, torture, and divided loyalties. (98 words)
This is an Albanian folklore song from the region of Ragusa (today’s Dubrovnik in Croatia)
When Dizdar Osman Aga was in his tower,
drinking red wine,
his daughter Hajkuna was serving him,
pouring wine into a gilded cup,
5 holding it out to him with her white hand.
He drank the wine and became merry;
thirst for cold water came over him,
and he said to the girl:
— “Go, Hajkuna, with the pitcher in your hand,
10 across the field, up to the foot of the mountain,
to the cold spring — fill it with water.
Hurry, for I want to drink;
I’ve suddenly got a craving for cold water.”
Hajkuna took the pitcher in her hand.
15 She wore very wide dimije (traditional trousers);
with one hand she held the pitcher,
with the other she lifted her dimije,
and went across that field.
When she reached the flat stones by the spring,
20 she saw some drops of blood.
As she was about to dip the pitcher into the spring,
the water had turned red with blood!
She got scared and dropped the pitcher,
hid in the reeds near the spring,
25 and looked up at the mountain above the spring,
fearing that the “kaurs” (infidels/Christians) might come out and seize her.
While she was watching the field from beside the spring,
out came the Shqiptars (Albanians) to fight.
Hajkuna waited three hours,
30 but the kaurs did not come down from the mountain,
nor did the Shqiptars come from the field.
Then Hajkuna stood up.
When she went to the stones in front of the spring,
she saw that a great deal of blood had been washed away,
35 and she filled the pitcher with water.
Still watching the mountain above the spring
in case the kaurs came out to seize her —
but it was Vuko Harambashi who had come out.
Hajkuna dropped the pitcher,
40 raised both hands to lift her dimije;
she started to run away,
but Vuko Harambashi sprang forward,
quickly caught Hajkuna,
seized her by the hands,
45 and Hajkuna was terribly frightened.
But Vuko Harambashi said to her:
— “Don’t tremble, good Hajkuna,
I have not come to take you away.
I came out with my band for another reason:
50 I was at the tower of Çuliq Brahim;
I wanted to take his sister.
He had thirty sejmens (guards) at the door.
They spotted us at midnight,
and now we have fallen into your hands.
55 So that you wouldn’t betray us to Osman,
and so I could escape from these wounds,
I came to your tower for refuge.
I want to become your sworn brother (blood-brother),
and come as a friend to Osman in the krajina (borderland).”
— Hajkuna gave him her word:
— “I will not betray anyone,
not until my soul leaves my body.
I will not give my soul to anyone.” —
65 Vuko gave her a gold medallion,
and Hajkuna put it in her bosom.
With one hand she carried the pitcher,
with the other she held her dimije;
she went across the field like a doe.
70 When she entered Osman’s chamber,
Osman angrily said to Hajkuna:
— “Well done, Hajkuna, my daughter!
Did you bring me the water,
or did you meet the young men of Udbinja?”
— Hajkuna swore to her father:
— “Father, I saw no young men of Udbinja at the spring.” —
But Osman did not believe her.
80 He struck her with the stem of his chibuk (pipe).
Hajkuna jumped up in fright;
the gold medallion fell to the ground.
Osman picked it up with his hand
and said to his daughter:
— “You have done a treacherous thing, Hajkuna.
You did not see any young man from Udbinja —
you saw men from the krajina,
and they gave you that medallion.”
He grabbed the horsewhip,
which had been made of fine threads since nightfall.
The first time he struck Hajkuna,
90 he drew blood from under her nails.
Every time he struck, blood flowed everywhere,
until her soul was about to leave her body.
“Aman, father!” Hajkuna cried,
“Today I took a sworn brother.
95 In the krajina, father, we received a friend —
I met Vuko Harambashi.
He had gone to Çuliq Brahim
to abduct his sister.
He found thirty sejmens there
100 guarding Çuliq’s door.
At midnight he saw the Shqiptars,
and three Shqiptars were killed.
Only Vuko, the third man, survived —
wounded and cut up.
105 He wanted to come to the spring by daylight,
to leave his wounds there.
When I went to get water, I saw him,
and they seized me too.
Then Vuko spoke these words:
110 ‘Amanet, o good Hajkuna,
do not betray to anyone that I am here.
So we can escape from the Shqiptars
and rise from these wounds,
I will come straight to the tower
115 and become your sworn brother.’
Father, we received a friend in the krajina!” —
Oh, how quickly Osman rose!
He mounted his horse in haste,
forgetting to put on the saddle,
120 and rode like a mountain zana (fairy),
shouting the battle cry through Udbinja.
All of Udbinja rose to their feet
and surrounded the spring.
They found Vuko, the lone survivor of three,
125 seized him and bound him,
and brought him to Osman’s courtyard.
When Vuko was brought into the courtyard,
he called out to Hajkuna:
— “May your oath seize you, good Hajkuna!
You gave me your word forever,
130 and not even one hour has passed
before you sent the Shqiptars and had me captured.” —
Good Hajkuna answered him:
— “Look at me, Vuko, see what state I am in.
I could not give my soul for you.” —
135 Then the Shqiptars were put in prison.
They had risen from those wounds,
and Osman had gone out with his band.
At midnight Hajkuna opened the door for them,
brought them into the light and gave them freedom.
140 For that oath she gave them at the spring,
the girl told them: — “Now go to the krajina!”
