Lepa protina kci

Djordje Balasevic's song "Lepa protina kci" is a poignant reflection on youthful infatuation and the passage of time. The lyrics tell the story of a young man who becomes enamored with the beautiful daughter of a priest. This infatuation begins during his youth, symbolized by his innocent pastime of bird hunting. The imagery of him secretly watching her bathe in the river, with the night falling and the moon shining, evokes a sense of forbidden and unspoken love. The natural setting, with its serene and almost magical quality, enhances the dreamlike state of his feelings.

As the song progresses, the young man's longing for the priest's daughter remains unfulfilled. She is taken away by suitors from a distant land, a world foreign to him. This event is marked by the arrival of winter and the first snowfall, symbolizing the cold reality of his unattainable desire. The sound of wedding bells and the sight of the wedding procession underscore the finality of her departure from his life. Despite the passage of time, the memory of her beauty and the emotions she stirred in him linger, haunting him like the sound of distant sleigh bells.

In the later verses, the narrator reflects on his life choices. He remains a bachelor, living a quiet and uneventful life, occasionally indulging in simple pleasures like playing cards or writing poetry. His relationships with other women, though varied, never measure up to the idealized image of the priest's daughter. This unfulfilled longing and the sense of what might have been cast a melancholic shadow over his life. The song captures the universal theme of lost love and the enduring impact of youthful dreams that never come to fruition.