The song depicts a young person leaving their village in the early morning. It captures the silent sorrow of a mother watching her child depart and the traveler’s promise to the "dear hills" that they will one day return. Verse Excerpt (Kajkavian) English Translation
Composer Zvonko Špišić discovered the young girl's poem among hundreds of submissions and set it to music for the 1969 Krapina Festival of Kajkavian Popevka .
"" (A Tear for the Zagorje Hills) is often described as the unofficial anthem of the Hrvatsko Zagorje region in Croatia. It is a masterpiece of the Kajkavian dialect, known for its deep emotional resonance and themes of longing, nostalgia, and the pain of leaving home. The Story Behind the Piece The song's origins are as moving as its lyrics: