Among the ancient songs, recited on certain stated occasions, the wedding songs, adapted to all the various ceremonies of Slavic marriage, are the most remarkable.  And here we meet again with one of those various contradictions of the mental world, which puzzle philosophy.  While all the symbolic ceremonies are strongly indicative of the shameful state of servitude and humiliation, to which the institution of marriage subjects the Slavic woman[43] (for Slavic maidens are in a certain measure free and happy, and, if beautiful and industrious, even honoured and sought after;) the songs, the mental reproductions of these coarse, rough, humiliating acts, are delicate, sprightly, and almost gallant.  There are various indications, that, like the Russian songs of this description, which they strongly resemble, they are derived from a very early period.  Like them they have no allusion to church ceremonies.[44]

The feeling expressed in their love-songs is in general gentle and often playful, indicating more of tenderness than of passion.  If, however, they are excited to anger, their hatred becomes rage; and is poured forth in imprecations, of which no other language has a like multitude.  But these imprecations are not stereotype, as is the case with most other nations.  They are composed often, with astonishing ingenuity, by the offended persons themselves.  Sometimes we see curses invoked upon the satisfying of the common wants of life.  Thus when the lad curses his faithless love:  “As much bread as she eats, so much pain may she suffer! as much water as she drinks, so many tears may she shed!”

We subjoin a few of these Servian ballads as specimens, just as they happen to come to hand.

  PARTING LOVERS.

  To white Buda, to white castled Buda
  Clings the vine-tree, cling the vine-tree branches;
  Not the vine-tree is it with its branches,
  No, it is a pair of faithful lovers. 
  From their early youth they were betrothed,
  Now they are compelled to part untimely;
  One addressed the other at their parting: 
  “Go, my dearest soul, and go straight forward,
  Thou wilt find a hedge-surrounded garden,
  Thou wilt find a rose-bush in the garden,
  Pluck a little branch off from the rose-bush,
  Place it on thy heart, within thy bosom;
  Even as that red rose will be fading,
  Even so, love, will my heart be fading.” 
  And the other love this answer gave then;
  “Thou, dear soul, go back a few short paces,
  Thou wilt find, my love, a verdant forest,
  In the forest stands a cooling fountain,
  In the fountain lies a block of marble;
  On the marble stands a golden goblet,
  In the goblet thou wilt find a snowball. 
  Dearest, take that snowball from the goblet,
  Lay it on thy heart within thy bosom;
  Even as the snowball will be melting,
  Even so, love, will my heart be melting.”