Jefimija, the first Serbian poetess

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The treasury of Hilandar preserves the story of Jefimija, the first Serbian poetess, a charismatic figure of the Middle Ages. It contains the diptych she left in memory of her prematurely lost son and the curtain for the imperial door on which she embroidered “Praise to Prince Lazar”.

Her words, embroidered with gilded silver wire, are a monument to a turning point in the history of the Serbian people, a testimony of personal sorrow, but above all, faith in the Lord and His protection.

She was born into a noble family as Jelena (around 1350), the daughter of caesar Vojihna, the master of Drama under the Serbian emperor Dušan the Strong. She was married to despot Jovan Uglješa Mrnjavčević.

Her life, which began in the splendor of the high class, takes a completely different turn. Jelena’s father dies, followed by his only son Uglješa at the age of four. Both were buried in Hilandar, in the Cathedral of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The young man Uglješa was buried in the nave, and his grandfather, Emperor Vojihna, was buried in the cloister of the temple.

She was never able to visit the grave of her only son.

Image: Fresco of Jefimija

The first poem by a Serbian poetess

She translated the words of immense sadness into prayer verses that were carved into a small diptych. These lines of deep maternal suffering are also the first recorded poem by a Serbian poetess.

The diptych was created between 1368-1371. On one wing of this double icon, the Virgin Mary with prophets is carved in wood, on the other is a representation of Abraham’s hospitality among the apostles. The carving is framed with silver fittings and decorated with pearls and blue and red semi-precious stones. The despot decorated the diptych with silver and gilded covers.

In the first part of the icon, Jefimija presents basic details about the icon itself. In the second part, she addresses Jesus and the Mother of God. She is looking for peace for her soul because, after the loss of her son, she cannot get rid of her grief.

Diptych: The Virgin with the Prophets

Curtain for the Imperial Door in Hilandar

The curtain for the imperial door that she gave as a gift to Hilandar was made as gold embroidery on red silk. In the middle is Jesus Christ as a great Hierarch with two angels as deacons and with rapids in their hands, blessing Vasilije the Great and John Chrysostom who are standing on the left and right of Jesus. The text “Prayers to the Lord Jesus Christ” is embroidered on two clean fields. In the lower part, Jefimija’s verses inspired by the words of Saint Simeon the New Theologian, which she addresses to the Lord and the Virgin of Hilandar as her humble gift, are embroidered in the Serbian language, in Cyrillic.

Gold embroidery: Curtain for the Imperial Doors

"Praise to Prince Lazar" by nun Jefimija

The highlight of Jefimija’s creativity is “Praise to Prince Lazar”. It was embroidered with gilded silver wire on a red cloth measuring 99 x 66 cm, which was intended as a covering for the prince’s head in the ark in the Ravanica monastery near Ćuprija. It was created in 1402, just before the Battle of Angora, in which Lazarev’s son, the despot Stefan Lazarević, fought as a Turkish vassal. Sultan Bayazit I was defeated by the Tatar leader Tamerlane, which halted the Ottoman advance for a long period. Jefimija’s prayers addressed to the Holy Prince, as a spirit of freedom, accompanied his son, one of the greatest figures in Serbian history, the despot Stefan Lazarevic. The great warrior, knight, poet, despot Stefan showed great respect to Jefimija as a spiritual luminary and a very charismatic person of the Serbian state.

Coat of arms of the Lazarevic family

Poems

Tuga za mladencem Uglješom

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Tuga za mladencem Uglješom

Male ikone, no veliki dar,
koje imaju presvetli lik Vladičin
i prečiste Bogomatere,
što ih veliki i sveti muž
darova mladom mladencu Uglješi Despotoviću
kojega neoskvrnjeno mlađahnog prestaviše
u večne obitelji,
a telo se predade grobu,
koji izdelaše praoci zbog prestupljenja.
Udostoji, Vladiko Hriste,
i ti, prečista Bogomati,
mene jadnu da svagda brigujem
o odlasku duše moje,
što ugledah na roditeljima mi
i na rođenom od mene mladencu,
za kim žalost neprestano gori u srcu mome,
prirodom maternjom pobeđivana.

Moljenje Gospodu Isusu Hristu

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Moljenje Gospodu Isusu Hristu

Od oskvrnjenih usana,
od mrskoga srca,
od nečistog jezika,
od oskvrnjene duše primi moljenje,
o Hriste moj,
i ne odgurni mene, rabu tvoju,
niti me jarošću tvojom, Vladiko, obliči
u čas odlaska mojega,
niti me gnevom tvojim kazni
u dan dolaska tvojega,
jer pređe suda tvojega, Gospode,
osuđena sam savešću mojom,
nijedne nade spasenja mojega nema u meni
ako milosrđe tvoje ne pobedi mnoštvo bezakonja mojih.
Zato te molim, nezlobivi Gospode,
ni malo ovo prinošenje ne odgurni,
koje prinosim svetom hramu prečiste tvoje matere
i nade moje Bogorodice hilandarske,
jer primih veru udovičinu
što ti prinese dve cete, Gospode,
te tako i ja prinesoh ovo, nedostojna raba tvoja,
o Vladičice, Jefimija monahinja,
kći gospodina mi ćesara Vojihne,
koji leži ovde, negda despotica.
I priloži se ova katapetazma
hramu presvete Bogorodice hilandarske
leta 6907, indikta 8.
A ako će je ko odneti
od hrama presvete Bogorodice hilandarske,
da je odlučenodlučen od jedinosušne i nerazdeljive njene Trojice
i da mu je suparnica prečista Bogomati hilandarska
u dan strašnoga ispita.
Amin.

Pohvala svetom Knezu Lazaru

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Pohvala svetom Knezu Lazaru

U krasotama ovoga sveta vaspitao si se od mladosti svoje
o novi mučeniče kneže Lazare,
i krepka ruka Gospodnja među svom zemaljskom gospodom
krepkog i slavnog pokaza te.
Gospodstvovao si zemljom otačastva ti
i u svim dobrotama uzveselio si uručene ti hrišćane
i mužastvenim srcem i željom pobožnosti
izašao si na zmiju
i neprijatelja božanstvenih crkava,
rasudivši da je neistrpljivo za srce tvoje
da gleda hrišćane otačastva ti
ovladane Izmailćanima,
ne bi li kako ovo postigao:
da ostaviš propadljivu visotu zemaljskog gospodstva
i da se obagriš krvlju svojom
i sjediniš sa vojnicima nebeskoga cara.
I tako dve želje postigao jesi:
i ZMIJU ubio jesi
i mučenja venac primio jesi od Boga.
Sada ne predaj zaboravu voljena ti čeda
koja si sirota ostavio prelaskom TVOJIM,
jer otkako si ti u nebeskom veselju večnom,
mnoge skrbi i bolezni obuzeše voljena ti čeda
i u mnogim skrbima život provode,
pošto su ovladani Izmailćanima.
I svima nam je potrebna pomoć tvoja,
te se molimo moli se zajedničkom Vladiki
za voljena ti čeda
i za sve koji im s ljubavlju i verom služe.
Tugom su mnogom združena voljena ti čeda,
jer oni što jedoše hleb njihov podigoše na njih bunu veliku
i tvoja dobra u zaborav staviše,
o mučeniče.
No ako si i prešao iz života ovoga,
skrbi i bolezni čeda svojih znaš
i kao mučenik slobodu imaš pred Gospodom,
prekloni kolena pred Vladikom koji te venčao,
moli da mnogoletni u dobru život
voljena ti čeda provode bogougodno,
moli da pravoslavna vera hrišćanska
neoskudno stoji u otačastvu ti,
moli pobeditelja Boga
da pobedu podari voljenim ti čedima,
knezu Stefanu i Vuku,
za nevidljive i vidljive neprijatelje,
jer ako pomoć primimo s Bogom,
tebi ćemo pohvalu i blagodarenje dati.
Saberi zbor svojih sabesednika, svetih mučenika,
i sa svima se pomoli proslavitelju ti Bogu,
izvesti Georgija,
pokreni Dimitrija,
ubedi Teodore,
uzmi Merkurija i Prokopija
i četrdeset sevastijskih mučenika ne ostavi,
u čijem mučeništvu vojuju čeda tvoja voljena,
knez Stefan i Vuk,
moli da im se poda od Boga pomoć,
dođi, dakle, U pomoć našu, ma gde da si.
Na moja mala prinošenja pogledaj
i u mnoga ih uračunaj,
jer tebi ne prinesoh pohvalu kako priliči,
već koliko je moguće malome mi razumu,
pa zato i male nagrade čekam.
No nisi tako ti, o mili moj gospodine i sveti mučeniče,
bio malodaran u propadljivom i malovečnom,
koliko više u neprolaznom i velikom,
što primio jesi od Boga,
jer telesno stranu mene u tuđini
ishranjivao jesi izobilno,
te sada te molim oboje:
da me ishraniš
i da utišaš buru ljutu duše i tela mojega.
Jefimija usrdno prinosi ovo tebi, Sveti.