Benes Hermanov

In 1203 the Czech prince Premysl II. - latterly the Czech king Premysl Otakar I. - was with his army in Germany. There he helped to emperor Otto IV. Bavor in the battle of emperor crown against Philip Stauf. As a revenge of Philip Stauf Czech lands were attacked by Saxons. In this poem is described the defense of Czech lands by nobleman Benes Hermanov and his people's army in North Bohemia.

O tell me, Sun, thou gentle Sun,
Why thou dost mourning go
And wherefore thou dost shine on us,
A people full of woe?
Where, where's our prince, our army? He
To Otto's court is gone; -
Who from the foe our land shall free
Thus orphan and alone?
In columns long the Germans march,
The Germans Saxons are,
Into our country from the hills,
That wave with woods afar.
Give, give, you wretches, silver, gold,
And all that you possess,
Or else you shall in flames behold
Mansions and cottages!"
And they have burned our all, have taken
Our gold and silver too,
Our cattle they have driven away,
And now towards Trosky go.
O do not, peasant, do not mourn!
The grass again will grow,
Although it long has trodden been
By footsteps of the foe.
Twine, twine a wreath of wild flowers
For your deliverers brow!
The green corn glitters fresh again,
And all a change doth know.
Yea quickly all a change did know,
Lo! how the people all
To council Benes Hermanov
Against the foe doth call!
Now stream the peasants where the wood
'Neath Hruba Skala grows,
And each is weaponed with a flail,
That 'against the Saxons goes.
'Tis Benes leads the van, the folk
Doth follow wrathful wise,
And vengeance, vengeance every man
Against the plunderers cries.
O anger fierce and savage wrath
Did fill both armies then,
And in the inmost breasts did storm
Of the enraged men!
And fury in the foemen's eyes
Against each other glows
And club 'against club on high they raise,
And spears to spears oppose.
On one another rushed the hosts,
As wood on wood were hurled,
And like the lightning of the sky,
So gleamed the swords they whirled.
A fearful cry arising then
The forest beasts doth fright,
And scareth all the winged fowls
To the third ridge's height.
Spread from the rocky hills throughout
The vales upon the breeze
Here strokes of clubs, and here of swords,
Like fall of ancient trees.
Thus motionless both armies stood
Against each other there,
On heels that firm implanted stay,
On legs that steadfast are.
But Benes wends himself on high,
And towards the right doth swing
His sword, the army thither hastes;
Then towards the other wing
He points, towards the left they rush;
Thence towards the rocky pass;
And from the rocks upon the foe
They hurl the stony mass.
Now to the plain the fight descends,
The Germans they must fly,
The Germans they must shriek aloud,
The Germans they must die!