In Black Lamb and Grey Falcon, Rebecca West describes her travels through the Balkans in the 1930s. During a visit to Kosovo, referred to in the book as “Old Serbia,” her Serbian guide proceeds to translate a passage from an epic song, “The Downfall of the Serbian Empire.” But first he explains, “it is not like any other poem, it is peculiar to us”:

1. There flies a gray bird, a falcon,

2. From Jerusalem the holy,

3. And in his beak he bears a swallow,

4. That is no falcon, no gray bird,

5. But it is the Saint Elijah.

6. He carries no swallow,

7. But a book from the Mother of God.

8. He comes to the Tsar at Kossovo,

9. He lays the book on the Tsar's knees.

10. This book without like told the Tsar:

11. ‘Tsar Lazar, of honorable stock,

12. Of what kind will you have your kingdom?

13. Do you want a heavenly kingdom?

14. Do you want an earthly kingdom?

15. If you want an earthly kingdom,

16. Saddle your horses, tighten your horses’ girths,

17. Gird on your swords,

18. Then put an end to the Turkish attacks!

19. And drive out every Turkish soldier.

20. But if you want a heavenly kingdom

21. Build you a church on Kossovo;

22. Build it not with a floor of marble

23. But lay down silk and scarlet on the ground,

24. Give the Eucharist and battle orders to your soldiers,

25. For all your soldiers shall be destroyed,

26. And you, prince, you shall be destroyed with them.’

27. When the Tsar read the words,

28. The Tsar pondered, and he pondered thus:

29. ‘Dear God, where are these things, and how are they!

30. What kingdom shall I choose?

31. Shall I choose a heavenly kingdom?

32. Shall I choose an earthly kingdom?

33. If I choose an earthly kingdom,

34. An earthly kingdom lasts only a little time,

35. But a heavenly kingdom will last for eternity and its centuries.’

36. The Tsar chose a heavenly kingdom,

37. And not an earthly kingdom,

38. He built a church on Kossovo.

39. He built it not with floor of marble

40. But laid down silk and scarlet on the ground.

41. There he summoned the Serbian Patriarch

42. And twelve great bishops.

43. Then he gave his soldiers the Eucharist and their battle orders.

44. In the same hour as the Prince gave orders to his soldiers

45. The Turks attacked Kossovo.