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Petar II Petrović Njegoš (Serbian Cyrillic: Петар II Петровић Његош) (November 1 1813 - October 10 1851) was one of the greatest Serb poets, ruler of Montenegro and Serb Orthodox Bishop of the autochephalous Metropolitanate (Bishopric) of Montenegro.

Born in Njeguši, educated in the monastery of Cetinje, he became the bishop and sovereign ruler of Montenegro at the age of 17. Seeing the necessity for Montenegro to become a modern state, he reconciled quarrelling Montenegrin tribes, established a Senate, the executive branch of government, courts, started collecting taxes, strengthened the borders of Montenegro, and built roads, as well as the first school and a printing press. And while doing that, he wrote his poems; The Mountain Wreath is the most famous of them. He died in Cetinje of tuberculosis; he was buried in a small chapel on top of Mount Lovćen where, later, his mausoleum was built.

Major works

• Hermit of Cetinje (1834)
• Light of Microcosm (1845)
• The Mountain Wreath (English translation) (1847)
• Stephen the Little (Šćepan Mali), the tsar-pretender (1851)

Quotes (English)

Blessed is he whose name lives forever,

A good reason had he to be alive!

When my wife asks where I have been today,

I will tell her that I've been sowing salt.

And woe to her if she disbelieves me!

What is man? (And it's his fate to be man!)

A small creature deceived oft by the earth,

Yet he sees that the earth is not for him.

Is not the real more puzzling than the dream?

A woman's humor is a funny thing.

Woman doesn't know who is of what faith;

She will change a hundred of faiths

To do as her heart desires.

Quotes (Serbian)

Благо оном ко довијек живи,

Имао се зашта и родити!

Кад ме жена пита ђе сам био,

Рећи ћу јој да сам со сијао.

Куку њојзи ако не вјерова!

Што је човјек, а мора бит човјек!

Тварца једна те је земља вара,

а за њега, види, није земља.

Је ли јавје од сна смућеније?

Ћуд је женска смијешна работа!

Не зна жена ко је какве вјере;

стотину ће промијенит вјерах

да учини што јој срце жуди.

External links

• Petrovic Njegos Dynasty
• Petar II Petrovic Njegos, 1830-1851
• The Mountain Wreath

• 1813 births
• 1851 deaths
• Rulers of Montenegro