by Gjonbala Kelmeni

Summary

Young Halil volunteers to scout the new fortress built by Galan Captain on Udbinja mountain, where he winters 2,000 sheep without paying pasture. Disguised, Halil enters the tower pretending to be a harambashi sent by the Ban of Zadar. While dancing with Galan’s daughter Ruzha, she recognizes him by his passionate behavior. An old woman identifies his stolen ornaments, leading to Halil’s capture. Muji and his warriors attack at midnight, slaughter most of the garrison, rescue Halil, burn the tower, seize the sheep and girls, and blind Galan. Halil marries Ruzha, and Muji declares the pasture debt paid in blood.

Albanian Folkore: The Marriage of Young Halil with Ruzha, Daughter of Captain Galan

The lords of Senj were drinking wine
in the white tower of Senjanin Ivani.
When they had drunk and become merry,
they began to speak.

5 Galan Captain spoke and said:
“I want to build a white tower on the mountain of Udbinja,
large enough for a thousand shkije (Christians) to fit inside,
with a high wall all around,
big enough to hold two thousand sheep,

10 I want to winter the mountain without paying for pasture.”

The shkija all agreed with what he said
and the plan was accepted.

They built the white tower,
large enough for a thousand shkije inside,
15 and two thousand sheep guarded from the Shqiptars (Albanians),
so that the brave men of Udbinja would not attack them,
nor seize the sheep.
They built a strong wall around the tower
to hold two thousand sheep;

20 they wintered the mountain without paying for the grass.

Far away, Galan’s words were heard.
Muji in Kladusha heard them,
and upon hearing, he fired cannons.
All of Kladusha and Udbinja gathered,

25 and all the surrounding regions of Udbinja.
They came to Muji’s tower.
For three days Muji hosted them,
giving them food and drink.

The Shqiptars were boasting among themselves:
30 some praised their horses, some their weapons,
some their towers, some their bravery.

Then Qetobasha Muji stood up and spoke:
“We all know these things,
but a problem has now arisen, brothers.

35 Galan Captain has come into our land,
on the mountain of Udbinja.
He has built a white tower
large enough for a thousand shkije,
and is guarding two thousand sheep from us,

40 so that the Shqiptars of Udbinja cannot seize them.
He built a high wall around the tower
and winters two thousand sheep there without paying.

Who is brave enough to go to the mountain,
45 to scout the tower and the courtyard,
see how many shkije are inside,
whether we can enter the tower,
kill the shkije, take the sheep, and burn the tower?”

50 Of the three hundred agas present,
none dared speak.
But young Halil stood up and said:
“Why burden the agas, Mujo,
when you have young Halil?

55 I will go to the mountain, scout the tower,
and return with news.”

Mustafa then said to him:
“Halil, since you want to go,
the silver ornaments on your chest —

60 I stole them in Senj.
The xheferdar (rifle) you carry on your shoulder —
I took that in Senj too.
I will give you another xheferdar
and different ornaments to wear,

65 so the shkije in the mountain don’t recognize you.”

Halil was very fond of his ornaments and didn’t want to leave them.
“I will wear them under a jacket, Mujo,
and put on the new xheferdar.
No one will suspect anything.”

70 Dressed as a Hungarian (maxhar),
with his hand washed clean,
Halil set off for the mountain.
He arrived at the tower after sunset,
knocked hard on the door.

75 Galan himself came out,
opened the door and said:
“I don’t open the door after sunset.
I fear disguised Shqiptars may come,
for we are on the mountain of Udbinja.”

80 Young Halil replied:
“Open the door, Galan Captain.
I am Simi Harambashi.
The Ban of Zadar has sent me
to inspect your bravery,

85 and he will send you a fine gift.”

Galan quickly changed his mind
and opened the door for Halil.

90 Young Halil entered.
Galan Captain welcomed him well.
They ate and went to sleep.
When dawn broke,
Halil went to the window

95 and looked at the courtyard.
What he saw there:
thirty girls and Ruzha, Galan’s daughter.

He said to Galan Captain:
“Give me permission to go to the girls,
to dance and sing with them.”

100 Galan replied:
“I give you permission, Simo Harambashi.”

Young Halil went down,
danced hand in hand with Ruzha.
He danced like a maiden.

105 While dancing and singing,
he lightly stepped on Ruzha’s foot.
“Go easy,” said Ruzha, daughter of Galan,
“don’t step on me, you foolish Hungarian.
I cannot bear to be stepped on —

110 not even by young Halil!”

Halil’s blood ran hotter.
He continued dancing without stopping.
As he danced and sang,
he squeezed her hand a little harder.

115 Ruzha cried louder:
“Stop that, you foolish Hungarian!
I cannot bear you squeezing me —
not even if you were young Halil!”

Halil’s blood burned even more.
He kept dancing without pause.
As he danced and sang,
he squeezed her even tighter.

125 The girl shouted loudly:
“Don’t squeeze me, you foolish Hungarian!
How foolish your mother made you —
you haven’t even understood what your blood is saying.
I did not raise my fingers for you,

130 but I raised them for young Halil!”

Halil’s blood boiled.
While dancing and singing,
he forgot about his silver ornaments.
His jacket opened,
and an old woman nearby noticed them.

135 She recognized the ornaments and ran to tell Galan:
“This is not Simi Harambashi —
this is Halil of Kladusha!
I recognized the ornaments on his chest
that Mustafa Aga stole in Senj.”

140 They seized the xheferdar,
recognized it as the one stolen in Senj.
They tied him up in the courtyard
and threw him into a dark room.

They gave a shepherd his horse and weapons
145 to ride to white Senj
and inform Senjanin Ivani:
“They are wintering the mountain without paying pasture.
We have captured young Halil as a prisoner.”

The shepherd mounted the horse.
150 But when he reached the crossroads,
instead of going to Senj,
the strong-willed horse headed toward Kladusha.

The young rider could not control it,
for the horse had a thick neck.

155 It brought him straight to the plain of Kladusha.
Mustafa Aga was very worried
that Halil had not returned from the mountain.

While looking at the green mountain,
his eyes fell upon the wide plain.
160 He saw the big horse
and recognized Halil’s horse and weapons.
He realized Halil had been captured.

Mustafa became furious.
He took a small rifle,
165 went out in front of the shkija,
shot and knocked the rider off the horse,
then raised the alarm for Kladusha.

Only two men went with him:
Tankove Osmani and Zulku Bajraktari.

170 Mustafa led them.
They reached the tower at midnight.

Tankove Osmani spurred his horse
and jumped over the fence into the courtyard.
Zulku Bajraktari spurred his black horse
and also jumped inside.

But the big horse could not jump the fence.
Muji approached the gate,
seized the horse firmly,
tied its four legs together,
smashed the door to pieces,
and entered the tower.

They found the shkije sleeping.
They killed them all in their sleep.
Only forty were taken alive,
including Galan Captain.

190 Muji called for Halil:
“Are you alive, Halil, or dead?
Are you in the tower or in Senj?!”

Halil answered from the room:
“I am here in the tower, Qetobasha Mujo!”

195 When Muji found Halil,
his hands and feet were bound.
They untied him.
They asked: “Halil, who recognized you?”

Halil told them everything.
200 Muji grabbed the old woman,
put two fingers in her mouth,
and tore her head in two.

They took two thousand sheep,
freed the forty shkije,
and made them drive the two thousand sheep.

When they drove the sheep out of the courtyard
and the girls came out of the tower,
Muji set the tower on fire.
They took all the girls.

210 When Muji returned to Kladusha,
he was marrying off thirty young men of Udbinja.
He gave Ruzha to Halil as his wife.

He divided the spoils among his comrades,
sent all the shkije to Senj —
215 including Galan Captain,
but he had gouged out Galan’s eyes.

Thus he paid for the pasture!