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Despot Uglješ wrote a letter,
He wrote a letter and sent a messenger
To the white town of Prizren,30
To protopope Nedeljko.
A third letter wrote Vojvoda Gojko,
And sent likewise an ardent messenger.
A fourth wrote Tsar's son Uroš,
He wrote a letter and sent a messenger.
All four wrote letters,
And despatched swift messengers,
Each keeping secret from the others what he did.
The four envoys met together,
In Prizren, the white city,40
Before the dwelling of protopope Nedeljko.
But the priest was not there,
He was in church at morning service,
At morning service and the reading of the Liturgy.
Overweening were the ardent envoys
And froward of the froward;
They would not dismount from their horses,
But urged them into the church.
They drew their pleated whips
And smote protopope Nedeljko:50
"Come hence, and quickly, protopope Nedeljko!
Hence, and quickly, to the plain of Kossovo,
To declare who is to receive the empire.
Thou didst administer the Sacrament to the illustrious Tsar,
Thou wert his confessor also,
And in thy hands are the ancient books.
Do thou hasten or thou wilt presently lose thy head!"
Protopope Nedeljko shed tears,
He shed tears and answered to them again:
the Nemanja dynasty and do not admit any rival claim to the throne, Marko, as a loyal subject, gives no heed to the demand of his father and uncles, but declares in favour of Uroš, the last of the Nemanjas. Vuk (Dict.) suggests цароставне as a possible reading. Cf. Jugoslovenska Književnost, pp. 8-10, 14.
