Uploaded February 2024 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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Hello! This is a piano instrumental of the Czech song, "Za císaře pána" (For the Emperor), also known as simply "Hercegovina."

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The song is about a young man who joins the infantry and fights the Ottomans in Hercegovina after his girlfriend leaves him for someone else. It was written around the time of the Austro-Hungarian campaign in Ottoman Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878. The campaign resulted in Austro-Hungarian rule over the province. Due to the conflict, some of the verses in the song cast Ottomans in a negative light. Before the end of the Great War, the Czech lands were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Lyrics:
Šel jsem temným hájem, šel jsem dolinou.
Potkal jsem tam myslivečka a s ním jeho milou, ach jo
Potkal jsem tam myslivečka a s ním jeho milou.

Milá už je amen konec lásky mí.
Já teď musím narukovat k infanterií, ach jo
Já teď musím narukovat k infanterií.

Ta Dalmacie samá skála je.
Tu musela vybojovat infanterie, Ach jo.
Tu musela vybojovat infanterie.

Infanteria to je láska má.
Ta musela bojovati za císaře pána, ach jo
Ta musela bojovati za císaře pána.

Za císaře pána a jeho rodinu.
Museli jsme vybojovat Hercegovinu, ach jo
Museli jsme vybojovat Hercegovinu.

Hercegovina je lautr rovina.
Tu musela vybojovat infanteria, ach jo
tu musela vybojovat infanteria.

nahoře na stráni schnellzug uhání.
A po stráni jsou schováni mohamedáni, ach jo
a po stráni jsou schováni mohamedáni.

a ty Turkyně to jsou strašný svině.
Císař pán je nemiluje ve svý krajině, ach jo
Císař pán je nemiluje ve svý krajině.

Tuto píseň skládal jeden hoch mladý.
který se dal skrz svou holku k infanterii, ach jo,
který se dal skrz svou holku k infanterii

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Slightly different lyrics:
Šel jsem šumným hájem, širou rovinou,
potkal jsem tam myslivečka, jak šel s mojí milou, ach jo,
potkal jsem tam myslivečka, jak šel s mojí milou

Už je, moje milá, konec lásky tý,
já musím dnes narukovat k infanterii, ach jo,
já musím dnes narukovat k infanterii

Infanteria, to je chlouba má,
ta musela bojovati za císaře pána, ach jo,
ta musela bojovati za císaře pána

Za císaře pána a jeho rodinu
museli jsme vybojovat Hercegovinu, ach jo,
museli jsme vybojovat Hercegovinu

Hercegovina, lautr rovina,
tu musela vybojovat infanteria, ach jo,
tu musela vybojovat infanteria

Infanteria mnoho zkusila,
ta musela bojovati, až krev stříkala, ach jo,
ta musela bojovati, až krev stříkala

A ty Turkyně tlustý jak dýně,
císař pán je nerad vidí ve svý krajině, ach jo,
císař pán je nerad vidí ve svý krajině

Tuto píseň skládal jeden hoch mladý,
který se dal skrz svou holku k infanterii, ach jo,
který se dal skrz svou holku k infanterii

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English Translation:
I walked through the dark grove, I walked through the valley.
I met a hunter there and with him his sweetheart.

My love, it's amen, the end of my love.
Now I have to enlist in the infantry.

Dalmatia itself is a rock.
The infantry had to fight here.

Infantry is my love.
She had to fight for the emperor.

For the lord emperor and his family.
We had to conquer Herzegovina.

Herzegovina is a lautr plain,
the infantry had to fight here.

Up on the hillside the schnellzug is speeding,
and the Mohammedans are hidden on the side.

And those Turks are terrible swine,
The lord emperor does not love them in his country.

A young lad composed this song,
who joined the infantry through his girlfriend

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My attempt at English poetic version:
I walked along the grove, the rustling leaves above
And there I saw a hunter holding in his arms my love, ach jo,
And there I saw a hunter holding in his arms my love

My love has torn me apart, my heart is cold and grey
So now I’ll join the infantry, I will enlist today, ach jo,
So now I’ll join the infantry, I will enlist today

The infantry is my pride, for the emperor it stands
So Herzegovina we conquered at our lord’s command, ach jo,
So Herzegovina we conquered at our lord’s command

Herzegovina, the plains and the hills
The infantry was fighting there until the blood was spilled, ach jo,
The infantry was fighting there until the blood was spilled

A train speeds through the plains, it runs across the hills
And there a thousand turks are hiding in the hillside, still, ach jo,
And there a thousand turks are hiding in the hillside, still

The ottomans are swine, they’re fat, they're shaped like balls
The emperor, he wants them not inside his country at all, ach jo,
The emperor, he wants them not inside his country at all

A young lad wrote this song, his heart was cold and grey
His sweetheart left him so he joined the army right away, ach jo,
His sweetheart left him so he joined the army right away



This music was made using Logic Pro.