Freedom or Death

Ye blood brothers of Sava

The clarion calls:

Lay down lutes and psalteries

And take up your swords!

Tzar Lazar the glorious

Heading the charge:

His breastplate and shield shine

With the holy cross…

Voyvoda Stefan rides at his side,

The mighty king Vukashin,

Goiko and Uglyesha –

Staring proudly into the sun,

Defying the fire, scorning the foe:

Freedom or death is their oath!

Ye sons of the Empire

The sun doth rise black:

Now’s the time to dye hands red

But let your souls be white!

Tzar Lazar has fallen

Under Turkish sword:

Avenge him to the last man –

Freedom or death!

Voyvoda Stefan bleeds by his side,

The mighty king Vukashin.

Goiko and Uglyesha –

Staring proudly into the sun,

Defying the fire, scorning the foe:

Freedom or death is their oath!

Must thou go my noble Tzar?

Would that I were cold with those

That laid their lives in the holy cause

At the feet of the Serbian eagle…

Would that the blade that sealed thy fate

Be lodged ten times into my breast

Than to see our only hope fail…

Our dead call revenge:

Remember Kosovo!

Left alone to brave the night.

We stood for our Homeland,

God and the Tzar –

On the fields where we fell

Now the Amaranths bloom…