The Marko Ballads

T HE BAL LADS

O F M ARKO KRALJEVIC

TRANSLA

TAR, D‘ Hi LO W

FORMERLY LECTURER IN EN GLISH IN THE UN IVERS ITY O F BELGRADE

CAM BRI DGE AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS 1 9 2 2

TABLE O F C O NTENTS

PAC E NOTE ON PRONUNCIATION O F PROPER NAMES INTRODUC TION

I THE MARRIAGE O F KING VUKASIN

I 2 THE E O F D ATH DUSHAN . UR0 S AND THE M RNJAVéEVICI MARKO AND THE VILA MARKO AND THE PERILOUS BOGDAN THE SISTER O F LEKA KAPETAN A DAMSEL OUTWITS MARKO MARKO AND GENERAL VUCA MARKO AND THE FALCON VARIANT THE MARRIAGE O F MARKO MARKO RECOGNISES HIS FATHER’S SWORD VARIANT MARKO AND PHILIP THE MAGYAR MARKO AND BEG KO STADIN

MARKO AND ALIL- AG A MARKO AND MINA O F KOSTURA MARKO AND THE TWELVE MOORS MARKO AND THE DAUGHTER O F THE MOORISH KING MARKO IN THE DUNGEON O F AZ AK 2 1 MARKO AND THE MOOR MARKO AND MUSA THE OUTLAW

AND E THE EE - 23 MARKO DJ MO MOUNTAIN R

24 MARKO ABOLISHES THE MARRIAGE- TAX

’ 25 MARKO S HUNTING WITH THE TURKS

26 MARKO DRINKS WINE IN RAMADAN

’ 2 7 THE TURKS COME TO MARKO S SLAVA

’ 28 MARKO S PLOUGHING THE MARRIAGE O F DJURO O F SMEDEREVO

£30 THE MARRIAGE O F STOJAN POPOVIC

3 1 THE DEATH O F MARKO

APPENDIX

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

TP LA T E

MARKO AND SHARATZ FRONTISP IECE [From a drawin g by Olive Carleton Smyth]

two are f the In These ballads obviously in erior to others . the “ ” 1 1 are f the f 9 3 edition they placed a ter Death o Marko . With this of f exception the order that edition has been ollowed here . NOTE ON PRONUNCIATIO N O F PROP ER NAM ES

In orde r to avoid some of the difﬁculties of transliteration

the k Croatian alphabet has been generally used throughout boo .

English sh as in ship C ch chi ll 2 French j jour di English j James C ty Lu ttyens C ts rats

’ J Yes

a m les S abu ilo Samodre a K s Ex p : arac ; J é ; i ; e edi lj a .

I N T R O D U C T I O N

N the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, before Western I Europe suspected the existence of a great traditional folk

litera ti poetry among the Southern Slavs, the of Ragusa had occasionally amused themselves by writing down the songs and m ballads current a ong the people. These manuscript copies were handed round and read within the very small and select Circle of k the initiate, but remained un nown to the outer world until the was middle of the nineteenth century. There one important was k o f exception . This the wor the Franciscan monk Andrija ’ ’ l M iosic 1 6 Ra z owr Kacic , who, in 75 , published in Venice his g ' ' u oam na roda slowim éo a k g g , a boo which had immediate success

in Dalmatia and the islands . It was not a collection of genuine

k - fol songs, although the old traditional themes formed the basis

KaCié of it . was ﬁred with a missionary zeal for what he con ceived h as to be istorical truth, and he was deeply read in the chronicles of his race, he altered, adapted and supplemented his ? material accordingly The result which he aimed at, and which k he achieved, was to produce an ordered account of Slavonic ings and heroes in such form as would mak e the strongest appeal to

- his fellow countrymen by stimulating their pride of race . In the whole collection there are only two or three indubitable folk t ballads, and even these have been manipulated in the interes of f k an illusory truth to act. Notwithstanding the artiﬁce ofthe wor ,

1 ' Andrija KaCi c M ioSié ( 1 69 0- 1 760) was a native of Makarska in The ﬁ k n on of the en k Kaéié. Dalmatia . G erally nown as rst own editi ’ n 1 B e n e the Ra zg ovor ug odm appeare d in 1 7 56 . I 7 57 odm r pri t d ’ “ Kriem/Eilaeﬂ Ra cée a nd die [f l a and as em k e a n g , Carlyle r ar s, a c rt i a an n e in e e f e o e n e ok n a k ntiquari te d ncy lit ratur , a ond r, m r ear st lo i g b c ”

the e m n fe e f in n n . into Past, b gan about that ti e to ma i st its l all atio s

Tée Ni éel urz erz Lied . . g , p I 2 : seré scée [f olks/fed i n der day /ﬁrmer: Li tera tur an D 4 i , by Dr Mil

Cu réin 1 0 . 2 1 . , Leipzig, 9 5, p

S . B . I x I

his Kacic made such skilful use of his themes, additions and alterations were made with such easy mastery o f traditional

epithet and formula, that the South Slavs themselves overlooked the signs of modern treatment and accepted the book as a genuine f h o t e . record past Numerous manuscript copies were made,

certain pieces found their way into the rustic repertory, ’ s o that peasants and countrymen sang songs from Kacic in e th ﬁelds .

s to Hitherto, the intere t in Kacic had been entirely confined his own t the narrow limits of people, and even there, al hough Ra z awr the songs in the g were remembered and repeated, the of m 1 6 . 0 name the aker tended to sink into Oblivion But in 7 , Kaéié the very year in which died, there was published in Edin ’ l fi rst ia n ff burgh the instalment of Macpherson s Oss . The e ect n o the weary literature of the time was magical . Here was some thing strange and fresh and compelling ! A wind from the wide o f sea o f spaces and moorland blew into the crowded haunts men, and under the new influence the forgotten treasures o f ballad

poetry were eagerly sought after and as eagerly displayed . The ’ appearance o f Percy s R eligues marks a turning- point in literary t history. It is true that Percy manipulated his material wi h less KaCiC or adroitness than either Macpherson, he nevertheless rescued a number of venerable ballads from impending destru c the a tion, new spirit breathed authentic lly in him and his book 2 became an inspiration . Immense as was the inﬂuence of Ossia n and the Reliques in was o n Britain, it perhaps even greater in Germany and the

Continent generally. The world was ripe for a breach with a monotonous literary convention . The polished age, the age of i ts . good sense, yearned in heart for the primitive and the passionate

s ian O s became a fever, an obsession that revealed itself often in

k - childish and extravagant ways . All over Europe roc ing cradles 1 Frag nzentr of Ancient P oetry collected i n tae Hignl a ndf of Scotl a nd a nd transla ted rom tae Gaeli c or Erre Lan ua e E 1 60 f g g , dinburgh, 7 , 7 ° PP “ 2 I do not think there is a writer in verse of the present day who ” would not be proud to acknowledge his Obligation to the Religuer.

W n f zud e d . of L ri ca l Ba lla dr. ordsworth , Appe dix to Pre ace to y I Xi I

a lulled infant Oscars to sleep, the Roy l House of Scandinavia o fits ’ adopted the name as one worthy kingly line, and on Goethe s youthful hero the Celtic Muse produced all the symptoms of “ ” “ intoxication . Homer, cries Werther, has been superseded in my heart by the divine Ossian . Through what a world does this ” ! u n angelic bard carry me The sentiment is, doubtless, a not ’ t re ﬂe ction Of own fai hful the poet s attitude at the time, and he O f was one many.

ca n h of ff In Italy we trace the same c ain cause and e ect, and Is it to an Italian, the Abbate Alberto Fortis, that the credit IS due of acting as the ﬁrst interpreter between the Serbs and the

- k more cultured peoples of the West . A well nown naturalist in was C esaro tti his day, he personally acquainted with the trans

On ion O f lator of , and was himself a profound admirer Mac ’ he rson s p gloomy genius . The importance of this preoccupation is that when he made his expeditions to Dalmatia and the

Adriatic islands, his mind was already prepared to observe and note any evidence there might be of the existence of an oral l e le tradition among the p op . Being but very imperfectly ac uain ted q with the Serbian language, he was unable to address himself directly to the peasants, and was therefore entirely dependent in this respect on the good Ofﬁ ces o f his learned

o f Dalmatian friends . These latter supplied him with examples alleged folk- song and helped in the task o f translating them into

Italian . ” In 1 77 1 Fortis published his Saggio a Ossem a zioni s opra ’ l isola di Chem o eel Orero , in which there appeared the ﬁrst translation from the Serbian into a modern tongue . It was the “ z ” k Brank o ich Canto di Milos Cobilich e di Vu o v . The poem as KaCié here given comes from , a fact of which Fortis was evidently ignorant, although how it happened that his Dalmatian friends did not enlighten him is a point that has never been ’ explained . They may have regarded Kacic as a mere compiler n so Of natio al ballads, and considered his name as of small

1 Gu réin o . ci t. . 2 , p p 2 ’ M iloS Obilic is the hero and Vuk Brankovic the traitor of the

Kossovo cycle . [ x11 ]

t or t e impor ance, hey may possibly have committ d the piece to

- k t h bu t . is writing as it was actually sung by the country fol , is

conj ecture.

F Via io in D a lma zia Three years later ortis published his gg , a f f work o much greater importance . A complete section O the l ” boo k is devoted to the manners and customs of the M orlack s ’ ’ C on (De ostumi de Morlacchi), and to a chapter their poetry of and music there is appended as an example the former, the poem afterwards made famous by Goethe under the title o f “ ” Kla esan v on des gg g der edlen Frauen Asan Aga . This ballad was printed by Fortis in the original Serbian to gether with a parallel translation in Italian, and is presented with z “ collectors the apologetic air common to the early . I have ” o f translated several heroic songs the Morlacchi, he writes, “ and several of them appear to me to be both well - conducted and interesting, but I very readily allow that they cannot be put in comparison with the poems of the celebrated Scotch bard which we have lately had the plea sure o f seeing translated into o u r own language with true poetica l spirit by the Abbé i3 ” C e sarott . The source from which the Klaggesang was derived 1 88 remained for long a mystery . It is not in Kacic and only in 3 ' when M ik loSic published the text O f a manuscript sent to him 4 h . o w by friends in Ragusa, was the problem at last solved It is clear that Fortis must have had this MS . or a close variant of it own as before him when he made his copy, and luck would have

of its . it, this particular poem is a perfect specimen kind In 1 775 a translation by W e rthes of the M orlacchia n section was Die Sitten der M orla céen published at Berne as , and next

1 ’ of . For on the A name disputed origin Fortis opinion subject, — l a t a . 6 . 8 Travel: i nto D a m i 1 . see , pp 4 47 London, 7 7 2 “ In a e k the Cf. : Percy a polished g li e present, I am sensible that many of these reliques of antiquity will require great allowances to ” be made for them . 3 a a t a f th a i o . Tra vel: i nto D lm i E . o e Vi ( nglish trans gg ) London ,

I 77 8 . 4 ’ a er n oo er e r Goetoer Kl gg a g n cler edlen Fra uen a Asan Ag o .

Cu réin . . 1 88 . Se e Vienna, 3 , p 4 3 year the same author produced the complete work under the 1 Raise in D a lma zien title of . With Teutonic fidelity he repro “ ” duced the Serbian text of the Klaggesang including misprints — ’ and gave an accurate rendering of Fortis Italian version . k This boo , containing the Serbian original and the German o f t was translation the I alian translation, the material before Goethe when he set to work on that rendering of his o wn which ’ has k its ta en place as a little masterpiece of the translator s art . r Although it has been Shown that Fortis was fi st in the field, it must be stated here that the specimens of Serbian folk- song

r to which he drew the attention of the learned, owed their wide publicity to the efforts of Herder and the happy collaboration of

f - a poet o world wide renown . Stimulated thereto by the romantic revival in England, Herder had begun his celebrated collections

k - of fol poetry . He did not conﬁne his labours to the German his s ﬁeld, ta te was catholic and he laid under contribution all

f olkslieder nations and all tongues . Thus in the first part o the V 8 : I 77 ) we find two pieces from the Serbian the first, translated by “ 2 Cobilich Herder himself, is entitled Ein Gesang von Milos und ” “ B k M orlak i ch the Kla esan s . Vuko ran ovich , The other, gg g d ” f 3 es o . von der edlen Frauen Asan Aga, is the work Goethe

1 olé liecle In 779 Herder published the second volume of V s r .

It contained two additional pieces from the Serbian, namely,

’ ' 1 — é r r n n a n Vo a e en D alma ti e a r M . l A be Fo ti A Fre ch tra sl tio , y g p , 8 was publishe d at Be rne in 1 7 7 . ’ 2 H w s w fo n . e a an s i S e . o Kob lié. e Mil Obilic or belo , p xxvi , ot ote ’ V k B k the a intimate fri end of Marko s . u ran ovic was tr itor who is said to haved eserted fromthe S e rbs during the course of the struggle at Kossovo . 3 “ ” Sir Walte r Scott translated the Klaggesang u nde r the title of — o k a e e e a M orlachi an Fragment after Goethe . L c h rt s ms to sugg st th t this was pri nte d in the Apol ogyfor Ta les of Terror ( 1 Only twelve

l . 1 . . 2 . of the A ol o e n e cf. o k VO copies p gy w re pri t d ( L c hart, p 7 5 Mac

of one n ow in the f . O n millan, which is library at Abbots ord “ e n o e e f n no a e of the M orlachian insp cti g this c py, how v r, I ou d tr c ” “ n th f has en : was the ﬁ ook Fragme nt . O e ﬁylea Scott writt This rst b f printed by Ballantyn e of K els o—only twelve copi e s we re thrown of h k n e and the of a nd none for sale . T e boo co tains 7 9 pag s Table Contents is as follows :

- The Erl . 1 . King

- The W e . . 2 . at r King A Danish ballad J

M orlak ische R d lau . a os s Eine Geschichte, and Die schone k i che M orla s . Dolmetscherin . Eine Geschichte These four ne was ballads derived o and all from Fortis, but it their appear ance in Herder’s collection that deﬁnitely marks the introduction N O of Serbian literature to the reading public of the West . great ’ Ste fanovic Karadi ic development, however, took place until Vuk 1 the began his monumental labours in Vienna . With unfailing of encouragement and support the Slovene scholarJernej Kopitar, Vu k completed in the course of his long life an almost incredible

- 1 8 1 amount of work Of fi rst rate importance . It was in 3 that ’ Kopitar showed him Goethe s translation . The following year Kleine Serbisclze Gra mma tik Vuk published his , and the first modest instalment of his unrivalled collections o f Serbian folk n 1 8 1 so g. In 5 he made the acquaintance of Jacob Grimm who had come to Vienna as a delegate to th e International Congress of then sitting. The possibilities the work in which Vuk was his engaged immediately arrested attention . The translations in ' the Volksliea er whilst indicating the quality of Serbian song had n was d given no hi t of the quantitative aspect, and Grimm fille with as tonishment at the unsuspected richness of the board which

Vuk was then revealing to the world . He addressed himself at t the once o the study of language, and his zeal increased with his ’ ’ ’ Volkslzea k nowledge . Goethe s interest in the faded, ﬂickered up

aga in and failed, but Grimm remained true to his ﬁrst conviction that the most signiﬁcant literary event o f his time was the dis of cov ery of the traditional poetry the Serbs . He himself translated ’ of Vu k s and a number pieces, in articles, reviews and prefaces

insisted on the unique value of the Serbian minstrelsy. More than any other of foreign birth b e contributed to place the study of

this literatu re on a sound and solid basis .

Lord William . — f th B The o e Inn . Poor Mary Maid y Mr Southey .

The Chase .

William and Helen . h and Im i Monzo t e Brave Fair og ne .

Arthur and Matilda . ’

Erl . . The King s Daughter

1 k Stefanovié Karadi ié 1 8 See 80 Vu . 1 ff. ( 7 7 Appendix, p I XV I

’ 1 8 1 8 Vu k s Dictiona r In the ﬁrst edition of y appeared, which in its later form became an encyclopaedia of information and k remains to this day an indispensable wor of reference. The same

’ ’ l o San er a hrt year saw the publication in Ber in of F rster s g f , of interest here as it contained nineteen Serbian songs1 translated

by Jacob Grimm . Grimm held very deﬁnite opinions on the

' manner in which such renderings should be made . In his View there were two alternatives : either an almost word for word or o f prose translation, a version the sort that was possible only 2 to t a Goe he . The cult o f the Serbian folk - song in Germany did not fail to a e attract attention in France. Madame de St l hastened to assure “ ” she was m orla u e 1 88 Goethe that ravie de la femme q . In 7 Les M orla ues k Justine Wynne published o , a boo based on the 3 C N odier 1 8 1 work of Fortis . harles followed in 2 with his Sma rra o f , purporting to be a collection Slavonic songs and tales . k the Les M orla ues These, li e songs in q , were largely spurious ; ’ — as M érimée s nevertheless, they served a certain purpose did La Guzla — in literary jest, preparing the way for honest and ’ ' serious work such as Dozo n s P oesies pop ula ires ser bes

1 ’ ’ The ﬁrst of these is Marko s Hunting with the Turks . Grimm s “ ” ’ C r in . 1 0 f o n e m Die e cf. u C o title is Jagd Mul ys ; , p 3, o t t ; Gri m s r r — hi th n a k al Klei ne e Scé z ten I v . . 8 . e f , pp 4 55 4 5 T s is o ly M r o b lad given by Grimm . 2 n Nevertheless Grimm made translations in verse as well as i prose .

The in the San ei a ért are n on - e n ne n a n pieces g f m trical , li e by li tra sl tio s k the n e of en e n eeping extraordinarilyclosely to origi al, but a numb r r d ri gs

c . in the appropriate measure s will be fou nd collected in the Kl . S h — 1V~ 2 PP° 4 7 4 55 3 n W n e o e e Les M orl a nes a r U. at R. ustI e o , p (J yn , C mt ss

- 8 oe e 8 . W n in 1 2 de U rsins ROse nber . 1 8 g) Venice, 7 riti g 5 G th says es ffi nfzi den Kla esan de r e en Schon sind g Jahre, dass ich gg g dl n fi bersetzte de r in des e o e e a Fraue Asan Agas , sich Abbat F rtis R is uch v on da in den M orlackischen Notizen de r G rafin Rosen be rg finden fi be rtru ihn de m bei effi ten ranzOsischen mit li ss . Ich g ch g g F , e na ” Ahnu n g des Rhythmus und Beachtun g de r Wortstellu n g des Originals . “ ” in Uéer Knnst and Alterténm Ban Essay on Se rbische Li ede r , 5 d , ’ ’ H m s e of Goetée s Works v ol . 2 . 2 ef . . In e el H t, p 3 5 ( p dition , 9 , p — Cu rCin on e oe e ffe e u rCin . 1 . , pp 47 5 shows c clusiv ly that G th su r d from a l apsns memori ae in making the statement above quoted . I

T o return to the main stream Of German endeavour, we find réiule in k a woman, F von Jacob, ta ing the lead in the task of was t translation . Her full name Therese Alber ine Luise von k Jacob, whence she derived her somewhat aw ward pseudonym f Tal k o f u k n o v . V j Introduced by Grimm to the wor , and lear ing n the s he was that her idol Goethe was i terested in subject, carried away by an eager desire to do something that would ra orthwith She att ct his attention to herself. F plunged impetu o usl y into correspondence with the veteran poet, and her hopes were not disappointed, for Goethe proved not unwilling to play the part o f benevolent counsellor and friend to a young and o f Talv charming lady literary talent . Thus encouraged j went 1 82 Volks enthusiastically to work . In 5 the first volume Of her ’ ’ li ea er a er Serben appeared, and was followed by the second volume k Talv c the year after. It is an important boo , for although j la ked poetical insight and work ed at a Speed incompatible wi th a fas tidio us She was to choice ofwords, the first present to the German so public, and to the world at large, a copious and systematic 1 u k selection o f the rich material collected and printed by V . Her work was well received and was fruitful in many direc the tions . One particular result deserves special notice, for it was ’ p u blication of the Volésliea er der Ser ben that prompted Sir John 2 Bowring to produce his Serv ian P op ula r P oetry the

ﬁrst attempt to introduce the subject to English readers . The ” i Ka rad i h s c . dedication, in verse, addressed to Dr Steph . Vuk j m It is uncom only bad verse. Fortunately it is by far the worst n k thi g in the boo . The introduction is instructive, but in the course of it the author mak es the curious mistake of referring to “ ” “ - the gusle as a three stringed instrument . The histori cal ” “ o f ballads, he continues, which are in lines composed ﬁve o f trochaics, are always sung with the accompaniment the Gusle . At the end of every verse the singer drops his voice and mutters

1 Ha O He C ucs e II ecme— Seroi a n P o ular P oetr P JI p j p y, translated

B . 1 8 a 2 . S be k by John owring London, 7 It hould noted th t a boo “ ” entitled Translations from the Servian Minstrelsy was printed for 8 S e in 1 2 6 . e e ua rt rl private circulation Q y Rev iew in Bibliography .

2 - f. K Sc r. I v . C l . é . 1 2 1 . Grimm, pp 4 9 4 I a short cadence . The emphatic passages are chanted in a louder ‘ ’ ‘ tone . I cannot describe, says Wessely, the pathos with which these songs are sometimes sung. I have witnessed crowds s ur rounding a blind old Singer and every cheek was wet with tears was ff was . it not the music, it the words that a ected them l (Introduction, p . x iv. ) With regard to h is predecessors Bowring remarks : The translations which have appeared in Germany under the name o fTalv j, are the work ofan amiable woman (Theresa von Jacob) of who, having passed the earlier part her life in Russia, and possessing a mind cultivated by literature and captivated by the natural beauties of Servian poetry, has most successfully devoted f herself to their di fusion . Professor Eugenius Wessely, of Vin k ovcze in o f Slavonia, has also published a small volume Trans 1 latio ns f from the Nuptial Songs o the Se rvians . The renderings have the merit of perfect fidelity, and his introduction contains many interesting illustrations of Servian fidelity at least, this volume may lay an honest claim . I have endeavoured to e e avail mys lf ofall the authors who have written on the subj ct, particularly of the valuable criticisms of Dr Kopitar in the ’ a br buch oer Litera tur of Vienna y , of the works Goethe, Grimm ’ a and Vater . The notes attached to T lvj s translation I have ” t employed without any special reference o them . On comparing the Serv ia n P opula r P oetry with her own ’ ’ Volkslieaer o er Ser ben T alv Bow , j came to the conclusion that ring was indebted to her for more than the notes, and the lady cherished a certain resentment against the author for concealing, h t s e o f . as thought, the extent his indebtedness He had a cer ain k k fluent and agreeable nac , which, although it urged him some

- times to the verge of the namby pamhy, is employed, upon the ff n u whole, e ectively enough . It would be unjust as well as k of B generous to decry the wor owring, but it is the date of his book and the complete absence of rival translations which give

1 e fe nk e . E . Eugen Wes ly was a gymnasium pro ssor at Vi ovc His ’ - Vu k s boo k containing metrical translations of ﬁfty weddin g songs from

cnr. W . f Kl . S C . e in 1 8 26 . collection was published at P st Grimm, p . 4 2 1 . I

T o to of return the main stream German endeavour, we find a the a woman, Fr ulein von Jacob, taking the lead in task of von translation . Her full name was Therese Albertine Luise k Jacob, whence she derived her somewhat aw ward pseudonym o f Talv o f Vuk j. Introduced by Grimm to the work , and learning t was n she was hat her idol Goethe i terested in the subject, carried away by an eager desire to do something that wou ld orthwith attract his attention to herself. F she plunged impetu o usl y into correspondence with the veteran poet, and her hopes were not disappointed, for Goethe proved not unwilling to play the part Of benevolent counsellor and friend to a young and f Talv charming lady o literary talent . Thus encouraged j went 1 82 olks enthusiastically to work . In 5 the first volume Of her V lieder cler Ser ben the appeared, and was followed by second volume k Talv k the year after. It is an important boo , for although j lac ed poetica l insight and work ed at a speed incompatible wi th a fas tidious o f she choice words, was the first to present to the German so s public, and to the world at large, a copious and sy tematic 1 selection of the rich material collected and printed by Vuk . Her work was well received and was fruitful in m any dire c for tions . One particular result deserves special notice, it was the ’ publication of the Volksliea er der S er ben that prompted Sir John 2 Bowring to produce his Serv ian P opula r P oetry the

ﬁrst attempt to introduce the subject to English readers . The ” to Karad ich dedication, in verse, is addressed Dr Steph . Vuk j . is m It uncom only bad verse. Fortunately it is by far the worst n k thi g in the boo . The introduction is instructive, but in the course o f it the author mak es the curious mistak e of referring to “ ” “ u - the g sle as a three stringed instrument . The histori cal ” “ ballads, he continues, which are in lines composed of ﬁve the trochaics, are always sung with accompaniment of the Gusle . At the end of every verse the singer drops his voice and mutters

1 Ha o e C ncue II ecme— Serni an P o ula r P oetr p lm p j p y, translated

B . 1 8 h 2 . k by Jo n owring London, 7 It should be noted that a boo “ ” entitled Translations from the Servian Minstrelsy was printed fo r 8 6 Se u r e in 1 2 . e a t rl ev ie in B private circulation Q y R w ibliography . 2 f K Sc r I v — C . l . é . . . 2 1 1 . Grimm, pp 4 9 4

‘ r him a place apart . A whole generation elapsed before anothe a t Englishman c me o glean in the same rich ﬁeld . In 1 82 8 Wilhelm Gerhard published at Leipzig his Wila

’ ’ Ser bi che o lieder und H elaenmarclzen d s Vlks . His work include a Talv good deal of material from Vuk untranslated by j, and con ta ined also pieces not given by Vuk but communicated by ’ Gerhard s friend Milutinovic, together with a selection from ” T o the k Kacic . second volume was attached a bul y Appendix, ’ M érimée s Guzla consisting of a translation of , for he was one ’ o f those who were completely deceived by the Frenchman s tour 2 de orce f . Gerhard alone was responsible for the unfortunate k . was blunder The rest of the book, which the joint wor of

Gerhard and Milutinovic, may be regarded as a satisfactory a of Tal ampliﬁc tion the translations of vj. It must strik e the reader Of this sketch as remarkable that hitherto the name o f no Austrian translator has been mentioned . of Vuk, the great mainspring the movement, had his home in Vien na ; moreo ver the Austrian ca pital for geographical and political reasons was in much closer touch with the Southern

Slavs than any other city in Europe, yet characteristically enough o f Austrian savants and men letters neglected the opportunity, and so for many years it was left to their more purposeful and

- energetic fellow Teutons in Germany to exploit the ﬁeld . At 8 f. 1 0 last, however, Austria bestirred hersel In 5 , Anastasius G rii n published a number o f translations from the Slovene under olkslieder a us Kra in ran kl the title of V . F followed with his ’ ’ l Se bisclze N a tzona lliea er Gus e r Vu k s . , , dedicated to daughter His object was to present some o f the songs in Vuk which had not yet been translated, and he took the greatest pains to reproduce ff in German the metrical e ect of the Serbian originals . A very interesting development now took place . The earliest collectors, ‘ Katié n from onwards, had shown a marked and natural dispositio 1 of the k l Only three Mar o bal ads are given by Bowring . They are ’ ” “ k and the k and The Moorish King s Daughter, Mar o Tur s, the

K a ch k . S 0 of r levi ee . 1 1 6 1 of . Death Mar o pp 4 , 4 , 74 this translation 2 In the f the 2 nd of La Guzla e e pre ace to edition , M rim e says that two months after the publication of the book Bowring wrote to for of the him with a request copies originals . I to the so if group heroic songs together as to form, possible, some u k sort of coherent sequence. V had already attempted to arrange 1 the Marko ballads . Vogl made a more ambitious effort in the ’ uk s same direction, supplementing V material with other Marko songs from Milutinovic, and the method was pushed to its logical ’ La za r oer Ser bencar k conclusion by Kapper who, in his , nit together the bal lads of the Kossovo cycle and produced therefrom a Single complete poem 2

B o u r as of efore eyes, it were, we have a demonstration the ’ o f is Ka er Laza genesis an epic. It true that pp s r is an artiﬁcial product . The conditions essential to the birth, or rebirth, of as the epic were passing rapidly away, but it is as certain such things can be that if the Turkish dominion had endured a or of century two longer, the separate ballads the Kossovo cycle chanted by the Serbian guslari would have fused together as 2 of did the Nibelungen songs the Germanic Spielleute . In 1 859 the French consul at Belgrade published a remark able

P oésies o ula ires ser bes - b - book entitled p p , consisting of a line y line

- non metrical rendering of ﬁve Kossovo songs, twelve Marko 4 l o f k ba lads in prose , a number Hajdu pieces, a selection of seven “ ” “ ” heroic poems and some o f the so - called dom estic or family

1 S n e . fﬁ a k . ee A very di cult t s below, ot 3 2 Kapper had a S e rbian prede cessor in the person of J oxim NOVIC ' r s 8 O tocanin who published his La z a i ca at Novi Sad (Neu atz) in 1 47 . “ ” The name Lazarica has since been generally adopte d to denote the Kossovo cycle . 3 I n the Kossovo cycle there is a deﬁnite chronological se qu en ce of events highl y favourable to the ultimate u nion of the fragme nts into a cohe rent whole .

The k on the e en . Mar o ballads, other hand , r sist such treatm t It is difﬁ cult to e stablish any satisfactory progressi on in tim e and e qu ally ’ difﬁ cult to arrange the stories so as to trace any development in Marko s m a be the we e n ow are character . It y that epic ballads as have th m w If e merely re cast fragments of lon ge r epic poems n o lost . so th n the mode rn attempts to join up these fragments are in the nature of a re versal of the process of disinte gration . 4 O uroch e t les M e rniav tchévitch . 1 .

k e t . 2 . Mar o la Vila

k e t le f . 3 . Mar o aucon

Les no e de k . 4 . c s Mar o o f songs, including The Wife Hassan Aga . It is an admirable

work . The introduction, the notes and the translations are sound as the and reliable, and an introduction to subj ect, it is the most k has Talv generally useful boo that appeared since j. ’ Two Serbslvi P esme years later, we ﬁnd in Owen Meredith s ,

Na tional Son s o S erv ia g f , another attempt to interpret Serbian 1 - s folk ong to Englishmen Regarded as poetry, these versions are ’ o n B a much higher level than owring s, but the author allowed e As himself much greater liberty of tr atment . he says himself, no attempt has been made at accurate verbal translation from i the orig nal language. They cannot, indeed, be called translations f o . in the strict sense the word What they are, let the reader ! he - ﬁ ve decide . T ﬁrst seventy pages are devoted to a spirited rendering o f the Kossovo ballads and the second half of the book ” consis ts of Popular or Domestic Pesm as among which is to “ 2 ” be o f found once more The Wife Hassan Aga . The wide attention that had been given to Serbian literature f it was was part o the universal romantic movement . But no

- k longer new . Foreign interest had reached its high water mar was 1 0 Cu rcm and now failing rapidly. Writing in 9 5, Dr de plored the fact that Germans knew less about Serbian literature

nw Marko re connait le sabre de son pére . O K n Marko e t le bey ostadi . l - \ Marko e t Alil Aga . o o Marko e t la ﬁlle du roi des Maures . k a 0 v a les . \ Mar o la chasse avec Turcs

1 0 k . . Mar o laboureur

k . I 1 . Mort de Mar o

s ce u ek . 1 2 . La r du Capitaine L a (Analyse) 1 e the e n - of E ﬁ E of Owen Mer dith, p name dward Robert, rst arl Lytton ( 1 8 3 1 He was Vice roy of India in 1 876 and was

Ambassador in Paris at the time of his death . 2 Owen Meredith in hi s Introduction acknowledges his indebtedness ’ Dozon s k and are f to wor , indeed certain passages trans erred almost I k st l f the e . . l e de f des litera ly rom French, g (Mar o) la amille Roland , R des oustem e t des z . Cid , des ( aussi Do on, Introd ” “ 2 0 fé k K a . u n c k . 1 . r lie p ; roce comme Vi ing s andinave, p 3 Mar o of k n of t sort burly, brawling Vi i g the land , wi h just a touch in of and the his composition Roland Cid , but with much more about ” hi m f . . o . Gargantua, Introd p xxvii , Owen Meredith I

. then than they did half a century before Since then, however, the political destiny of the Serbs has brought home to the world u nswerv m the great qualities of these people, their g loyalty to their friends, their indomitable courage in disaster, their of moderation in the hour victory. By its own i n trinsic excellence the Serbian folk - poetry tak es in ff a very high place indeed, but there is another reason a di erent a order of ideas why the ballads should be re d and studied . All the members of the Serbian race, SO long politically held apart, K C are now united in the new ingdom of the Serbs, roats and

Slovenes . The rivalries of the component parts are certainly bitter ; the forces of disintegration are powerful and even dangerous but the Serbian race has become the Serbian nation, a gifted and imaginative nation with a future of brilliant promise T o a before it . understand this people, to grasp the circumst nces that have Shaped their mentality, has become a matter ofpractical importance, and to this end there is no surer guide than the ’ “ : national poetry it leads straight to the people s heart . You may still find many an illiterate person in Serbia, but you will not find one who would n ot be able to tell you something about N e m an a k of Stephan y , the first ing mediaeval Serbia, about his

o n s on O u rosh s St Sava, Tsar Doushan, his young , King

ou k ashin Kral evitch k V , the Royal Prince y Mar o, Tsar Lazar, 1 ” and the heroes who fell in the famous battle at Kossovo . That old k is is truly said, and of all the traditional heroes Mar o the

- k e o f k best beloved . There is no y to the soul Serbia li e a wise ’ f f Kral e vic and sympathetic study o the ballads o Marko j .

1 - Chedo M ijatovich in preface to Hero ta les a nd Legends of tne

Seréi a ns W . . . n n 1 1 . , by M Petrovitch Lo do , 9 4 I I

MARKO KRALJ EVIC

T Y IS OR has very little to say concerning Marko . The n facts can be stated in a few words . He was the so of Vu k aSin of Kral evié , King Prilep, hence the appellation j , or ’ King s son, by which he is universally known . 1 1 Vu k aSin In 37 , and his brother Ugljes, as members of a B k very loose species of al an League, made an attempt to repel k the Tur ish invaders . But the Turks surprised and routed the T che rm en on Vuk aSin Serbian army at the Marica, and was 1 k drowned in the river along with thousands of his men . Mar o succeeded his father as King o f Prilep but the Ottoman pressure was irresistible, and in order, presumably, to retain his lands and k of the local authority, Mar o went over to the service Turk f Khl d One o the Serbian MSS . in the u ov collection at I n Moscow says that Marko was married this town to Helen, hla en I daughter o f the VOJ vod C p . There s no record of his having t been present at the battle of Kossovo, although it is probable hat

he did play some part in the struggle. He was killed, according of 1 to tradition, at the battle Rovina in 394, while ﬁghting 2 of Ba aze t for the army the Sultan j against the Roumanians . That is practically all the information we have and there is k no body or substance in it . Yet every Serb nows and loves o f Marko, and reveres him as the greatest hero the race . It is the has traditional poetry that has wrought this marvel, that atoned o f Kral evié for the silence history, that has endowed j with a

robust vitality. Without it the great Marko would have been f but the shadow o a shade . Before dealing with the epic ba llads wherein the exploits of 1 r o rbi a . sto e W . See Hi S . y f by H V Temperley (London, f o . ci t . . 0 . p . 9 5 . Also Dozon, p p 7 2 ’ “ s ecni k . k K a v S Vu k R r l e ié. ee In j , under art Mar o j translation — . 8 In th s . . e I appendix Also Temperley, pp 9 7 9 ballads there certainly an attempt to establish a connection between Marko and Kossovo but “ ” f . See k and the it is very per unctory Mar o Falcon . I the Serbian Hercules are recorded, let us look for a little at the historical picture of his time. He lived at one of the great turning : of k points ofhistory the period the Tur ish irruption into Europe.

It is a confused and confusing period, through the tangled mazes f the o which Gibbon is still best guide .

1 son In 354, Suleiman, a of the Emir Orkhan, occupied Cralli oli k e p , the y of the Hellespont, and the forward sweep of

Ottoman conquest had begun . The following year, Tsar Stepan k the o f Dushan, the ma er and Emperor Great Serbia, left hi Prizren his capital and moved eastwards . It was s wish to be e recognis d as the champion of Christendom . Unfortunately he had failed to Obtain either the whole- hearted support o f the Pope 1 or fle e t at Avignon the assistance of the Venetian . He had just concluded a severe struggle with the King of Hungary and his k Magyars, by whom he had been wantonly attac ed . None the less, having reorganised his forces, he now pressed forward k of against the Tur with reasonable prospect success . It is quite clear that, better than any of his contemporaries, he had grasped the significance of the advent of the invaders, and it was his C present purpose to thrust them back into Asia, seize onstanti nople from the hands o f the effete Cantacuzen us and convert the ci ty into the seat o f government Of a huge consolidated was one of Slavonic Empire . Dushan the great captains of his a age, his plans were boldly yet c refully conceived, but when almost within sight of the goal the Serbian Emperor died a 2 to son Urosh mysterious death . The succession passed his young , who proved utterly unable to control the disruptive elements in the State, and the imposing edifice reared by the father began was to crumble to pieces under the son . The house divided against f itself and its fall was only a matter o time . Released from the

o f - the compelling power a master spirit, Serbs split up into

’ 1 — ire ée k s the e n e e . 6 . T mperl y, pp 7 77 J account gives impr ssio ’ that Dushan s chances of success against Constantinople had been alm ost fatally compromised by the attack made upon him by King Lewis and hi s Hu ngarians . ’ 2 — D shan s ire ée k Gescéi céte der Seréen . 0 1 2 the of u J , , pp 4 7 4 ; place

k e Hi stor o Seroi a Bo n . 1 e n kn . an ; d ath is u own R , y f ( h , p 5

- e e e Hi stor o Seréi a . 6 8 . T mp rl y, y f , pp 7 7 I I

Vuk aSin and factions under , Lazar and others, the crowd o f Uros h t vassal potentates, refusing allegiance to , strove each o 1 establish complete independence within his own domain is It quite possible, as Freeman thought, that if Tsar Dushan C had lived to seize onstantinople, a bulwark would have been “ raised capable Of withstanding the Turk s : Servia would have C been the body and onstantinople the head . As it was the Turk s C found in Servia a body without a head, and in onstantinople 2 ” a head without a body . ’ 1 Dushan s In 359 , four years after Tsar untimely death, the k k warli e Suleiman was thrown from his horse and illed, but his a brother, Sultan Murad I , c rried on with resistless energy the B policy Of aggression . y the pale and fainting light o f the B ” “ yzantine annals, says Gibbon, we can discern that he sub dued without resistance the whole province o f Romania or Thrace from the Hellespont to Mount Haemus and the verge was of the capital, and that Adrianople chosen for the royal seat ” of his government in Europe. Adrianople fell to Murad in 1 6 1 1 k in 1 6 1 . t Vu aS 3 , Philippopoli in 3 3 In 37 he over hrew in — — the battle o n the Maritza the ancient HebruS and in 1 375 k C 3 . he too Nish (Nissa) , the birthplace of onstantine Events were t now moving to a crisis . The cap ure of Nish gave the Turks a position of such military advantage that unless they could be ejected it was certain that the i nvaders would ultimately reduce

the Balkans to servitude . Once more the dire need of some sort of united action seems to have penetrated the Slav consciousness, and roused the chiefs to at least a partial reali sation of the ex was trem ity o f their common peril . It now that the Lord o f t o f Nor h Serbia, Knez Lazar (the Tsar Lazar the ballads), made

1 U roS and M rn avCeviéi and The of Cf. the j Death Dushan U roS as 1 of a e the of . w in this translation 9 years g at time his succession . “ He of and e x was a youth great parts , quiet gracious, but without the of p e rience . This is description contemporary Serbian chroniclers ' D or ev T h mir . d ic in ée Ba t e o o f. i o T tl Kossov quoted by Pro R j j f , h . I 1 t e 1 1 . p , published by Kossovo Day Committee, 9 7 2 wer n uro e Ottoma n P o i E 0 6 . Tae 1 . 1 Freeman , p (Macmillan, p 3 k The date of the permanentTur ish occupation OfNish is uncertai n . 86 Cf . f . i 1 . . f. ord ev é Pro Dj j puts it as late as 3 Temperley, p 9 9 , ootnote

I I

its of The heroic memory of Kossovo, for all aftermath ruin u f and despair, wrought fruitf lly in the Serbian soul in the form o

the - Lazarica celebrated ballad cycle now known as the , which after an age- long existence in the form of oral tradition was se t d i own in writ ng in the first half of last century. The doughty deeds there recorded are described naturally with a view to the f ’ glorification O the vanquished . Gibbon s nameless soldier is none M ilosh O bilitch who other than penetrated, under vow, to the ’ 1 Sultan s tent and slew him there . But the death o f the Sultan afle cted in no way the issue of the battle . Led by his son Bajaze t Yilderim surnamed , the Thunderbolt, the same who afterwards threatened to feed his horse on the high altar of St Peter’s at k Rome, the Tur s shattered the Serb confederation and the hope f o a strong united Serbian Empire melted away. Covered with ’ - wounds, so the ballad runs, the Tsar s faithful body servant M ilutin spurred his Steed from the stricken field and bore the ’ dark tidings to the White Tower of Krushe vatz where Lazar s M ilitz wife a sat watching and waiting. is Lazar dead, he says, and

M ilosh f ell, the Pursued by myriads down dell, ’ Sitnitza s nk Upon rushy bri , Whos e chilly waves will 1 011 I think n e f 1 011 So lo g as time its l doth , ’ Red o with remorse that they roll e r him . on Christ have mercy his soul, 2 And blessed be the womb that bore him

1 f Knolles Genera / i s or c o C . l H t t e r i u Tu kes . 2 0 0 Richard , f , p “ of man for (ed . The name this ( his courage worthy of eternal ” “ ” Cobelitz. The O belié and memory) was Miles name was, is , “ ” “ be of Kobelié e i . . of believed by many to a mere variant , Son a ” ’ the f k . O n mare This is what gives point to jibe Le a s sister . A example O f h of s be f n in the somet ing the same ort is to ou d name Macleod . Ottoma n Em ire in . 1 . : H . A Gibbons his p , p 77 , says It is a commentary on the Serbian character that this questionable act has been held up to ” the and of posterity as most saintly heroic deed national history . Quoted ’ ré a le s Histor o Se i . 0 in Te m e r 1 1 . p y y f , p Mr Temperley has no the difﬁ culty in demolishing argument . 2 Serbski P esme and W Owen Meredith, (reprint, Chatto indus ,

p . 7 3 . [ xxv u ]

’ The dead heroes will live in the m em ory of Serbs as long as Bu t a man is left and as long as Kossovo plain endures . as for Vuk Bran k ovitch the traitor When the worm and mole Are k on e at wor his bon s, may his soul

E n a n n e - r ter lly si ge i H ll ﬁ e . be the Curst womb that bore him, be hi s f ef Curst ather b ore him, Curst be the race and the name of him An d f sin b e the f of oul as his ame him, ke ne For blac r traitor ver drew sword, 1 fa a False to his ith, to his l nd, to his lord .

’ ’ urad s e B M body was interr d at russa, Lazar s at the monastery 2 Ravan itsa k M ilosh O bilitch of the New at Vrdni in Syrmia , but Br nk it . a ov ch was buried where he fell Vuk the traitor, who t and deserted with welve thousand men, survived the battle k received recompense from the Tur s, and when he died they ’ Kru shevatz buried him at , Tsar Lazar s former capital . At the be ginning of last century the Serbian patriots dug up the accursed bones and scattered the dishonoured dust to the four winds of heaven .

1 n e o . ci t . . . Owe M redith, p p 7 5 2 ’ To be accurate Lazar s body was at ﬁrst taken to the monaste ry e e e the m on of G raCanica on Kossovo polje . Th nce it was r mov d to aster of n f a the n y Rava ica rom which pl ce, during great Serbia exodus, it was transfe rred across the Sava to the monastery at Vrdnik in the “ ” The e n . FruSka Gora . monast ry was the renamed Nova Ravanica THE MARKO OF THE BALLADS

N the Marko of the ballads we shall look in vain for any I attempt on the part of the makers to relate their hero to any 1 f a f o the great historic l happenings o the time . Marko is all that matters and his adventures are des cribed with the object of t elucidating his character and personali y . ’ The story of King Vu k aSin s wooing gives a lurid picture of of its its its the social conditions the period, cruelty, courage, ’ t a unflinching loyalty o blood . Even without the Guslar s st te l ’ ment that Marko followed in his unc e s footsteps, we should have known that the child of such stormy passions was himself s t prede tined o a Stormy career . As he grew up Marko developed own Vu k aSin a strong individuality of his , and we find protesting Du n n Sa so . to the dying that he has no control over his Marko, w it appears, drinks and brawls and follows his own way ard course, n aski g leave of none. Physically he dominates his fellows and his terrifying appearance when in full fighting kit is described in “ k ” detail again and again . His Samur alpak is pulled low over his dark eyes ; his huge black moustache is as large as a lamb of ’ s ix months growth ; his cloak is a shaggy wolf- pelt ; at his girdle swings a dam ascened blade ; on his back is slung a war- spear ; at his — - filled saddle bow hangs a mighty mace, with a well wine skin to hold the balance lest the saddle should Slip this way or that. 2 - the The steed he bestrides is a wonder horse , piebald Sarac, n r his i sepa able companion and friend .

1 Vidovit : - the word is associated with the idea of second sight . “ ”— A child born with a caul is vidovit it knows morethan other children ’ and may safely associate with Vilas (Vuk s 2 k e Heroi c A e Cf. é f T . 0 f. : O n a Chadwic , g , p 44 the whole war re of ff is the state a airs most commonly involved in heroic stories . It is I

When Marko drinks he gives Sarac an equal Share of the wine “ 1 ” — Sarcu - pola pij e, pola daj e and the startled observer cries truthfully that this k night is not as other k nights nor this horse

as other horses . All things considered Marko’s character is a surprisingly good ha . s m a one He his evil oments, and he does cert in deeds which n ca not be commended, but these are few in number and are not as of to be me ured against his predominating honesty purpose, his

- ﬁcin the self sacri g loyalty and fundamental goodness ofhis nature. Let us look for a little at these unworthy deeds of his and consider f ’ their implication . His treatment o Leka s sister appears at ﬁrst 2 to I sight to be horrible and revolting the last degree . t might be o f Bre use au nce the act a Sir S Pite . Yet when we remember of was what the status woman , it is evident that in the prelimin aries Mark o had made Leka an offer which was more than

generous . The damsel had been given the unique privilege of choosing as her husba nd one o f the three most famous warriors f of the day. How does she respond to this signal mark o honour ? on She heaps scorn and insult the three heroes . Relja She calls ’ she a bastard, Obilic a mare s son, and Marko ﬂouts as a Turkish s py. The situation is impossible, beyond belief intolerable, and o f a tragic outcome is inevitable . It is the detail the execution on that shocks the modern mind . But although broad lines we may allow Marko to plead justiﬁcation in this particular case, what are we to say of his dealings with the daughter of the

f f k a act worth noting, however, that this war are almost invariably ta es the form of hand - to- hand ﬁghting and very frequently that of a series nati onal a s ect o war is seldom arou nt i nto of single combats . Tue p f g ” r m ce mucap o i nen . 1 “ ” V . 0 8 . rk Kral evié and e u éa . 1 Ma o j Gen ral , p 49 , l “ ” 2 - — 8 . 1 . 0 e of k . 2 1 The Sist r Le a Kapetan, pp 9 4 5, 53 54 It is i r s g in his c nne c i ha Talvj h r ughly dis v d nte e tin to note t o t on t t t o o appro“ e hi m e r — e in of Marko . Goethe also thought a som what ough hero r e n zu de m hi erk ules dem n an ohes G ge bild griec schen H , persische Rust , ” W hi was the aber freilich in scythisch hOchst barbarischer eise . T s “ unfortunate impression gained by a reading of Marko and the Daughte r ” be ﬁ hi s n o and of the Moorish King (p . Later modi ed opi i n f wrote to Talvj asking her to omit from her collection the ballad o “ f 6 . B C . . 2 The Perilous ogdan . note, p I

1 o ? Mo rish King Taken prisoner by the Moors, Marko had languished in a dungeon for seven years, and would have perished ’ there had not the King s daughter Offered to set him free on condition that he would swear to be her man . In order to regain his h liberty wit out binding himself to her in any way, Marko the employs a puerile device. Squatting in the darkness of dun geon, he places his cap upon his knees and in solemn accents 2 ’ — The Kin s pledges hisword to remain ever faithful to the cap . g t daughter, listening at the window, believes naturally hat Marko has of she made oath ﬁdelity to her . Forthwith fulﬁls her part f ff o . o the bargain, and sets the prisoner free They ride together and escape from the country Of the Moors . Then comes the n k tragedy. One mor ing the dusky beauty approaches Mar o with him but of a smile and seeks to embrace , a sudden loathing her ‘ k and off swarthy s in overmasters him, he draws his sword cuts e r f h head . One other incident may be adduced in illustration o ’ the f less admirable side o Marko s nature . On presenting himself of at the abode Philip the Magyar, he is grossly insulted by ’ on o f Philip s wife, and the spur the moment he deals her a “ ” ff his ou t bu et with open hand which knocks three sound teeth .

Assuredly an ungallant deed, but the lady had a vitriolic tongue, and as Marko had taken the trouble to address her with punc tilious a to his politeness, her reply c uses him lose temper. Of the o f three incidents above mentioned, the killing the Moorish ’ the k princess is morally by far worst. Yet Mar o s contemporaries would have thought nothing of such a crime or would have f f e gloried in it as a success gained at the expense o the o . For by the existing code that deed was virtuous which did sca the to the ’ i r to h s o . enemy, children to his children s children The view that Marko was gu ilty of treachery in the deceit he practised on f be the Moorish damsel is ou t o place here . It was impossible to treacherous to an enemy ; on the other hand it was possible to as was be generous, and generosity such an important part of ’ - u Marko s make p, we are disappointed when he falls short in this t respec and plays the part of the commonplace ruthless warrior.

1 k an the of . 1 0 ff. d P . 4 Mar o Daughter the Moorish King 2 ’ t f e oare . . Cf. he o L A 1 words La Fl che, , Act , Sc 3 I Xxxi I

a Yet in the event he again reve ls his better self, for in his heart he n ca not justify the act by reference to a prevailing code, and the ff redeeming feature is that he su ers bitter remorse, confesses he t k has done evil and s rives by good wor s to atone for his crime . k The worst that can be said of Mar o has now been said . 1 ’ Vu k aSin o f k Although lamented his wilfulness , one Mar o s e outstanding charact ristics is filial devotion . When his father pursues him with murderous intent, the hero flees from before him because he holds that it were unseemly for son to contend 2 with father , and, at a later date, when by chance he meets the who Vu k aSin k Turk slew at the Marica river, Mar o exacts f itting vengeance . It is in his relations with his mother, however, h so n k t at his dutifulness as a is most stri ingly apparent . For her o he cherishes an unb unded reverence and love . He constantly seek s her advice and follows it even when it runs counter to all 2 O wn his natural instincts and desires . M ns a rent rifi h m oral cou ra e are His p i o q and ighw g m con s icu ous O f UrOS M rn avCeviéi p in the fine poem and the j , when as of he brushes temptation ide, and, unmindful consequences to k h himself, spea s out the truth t at is in him . Essential simplicity and goodness Of heart are equally apparent Be Kostadin u n filial when he rebukes g for snobbery and conduct, 4 k and upholds the cause o f the poorand the u nfortunate . Li e

' oints of Robin Hood , with whom he has many p resemblance, he

ey e the o f he . is, , r friend t poor and the champion of the oppressed When the Sultan offers him the post o f tax- gatherer with the

- k assurance that great wealth is thus to be Obtained, Mar o declines 5 the offer on the ground that the poor would curse him . He rescues the distressed damsel from the twelve Moors, and after plying his sabre to such purpose that “ of twelve Moors he made ” - twenty four, he escorts her safely to his own manor where he

1 “ ” The of a . 1 0 . 0 . Death Dush n, p , ll 4 3 5 2 “ ’ ” — — 8 . and the M rn av cevici . 1 2 0 . 2 1 2 2 1 Uros j , pp 3 , ll 3 “ ” “ k o and e the o n a n e e The k om e E . g Mar Dj mo M u t i r, Tur s c ’ “ ’ ” Bu I n k n he o e o e to Marko s Slava . t Mar o s Ploughi g b ys his m th r in a humorous way of his own . 4 “ k and Be Kos tadin . 8 . Mar o g , p 4 5 “ — — 0 2 2 . k and na of a . 1 1 0 0 2 Mar o Mi Kostur , pp 9 , 7 3 xxxii J gives her into his mother’s keeping with strict inj unctions that 1 she is to be treated as if she were his own sister k Ever and always he is eager to redress wrong. A blac Moor has l from beyond the seas installed himse f as tyrant of Kossovo . He imposes a wedding- tax on the people and perpetrates shameful k o n . outrage maid and wife One day as Mar o is passing by, a maiden of Kossovo laments that she is unable to marry because

her brothers are poor and cannot pay the tax. Marko comforts her the su m off on by giving her necessary , gallops Sarac to the pavilion

ru ﬂi an of the oppressor, penetrates within, kills the and his attendant satellites and so brings to an abrupt end the outrageous t tyranny beneath which the coun ry groaned . And all the people, ‘ ' : G od evic both great and small, cried . keep Kralj ’ t In a country where lavish hospitali y is the rule, Marko s h its wn h a i as a distinguishing note of o . During the y , ” ospit l t t celebration of the Slava at Prilep, one of the gues s remarks casually that the feast is perfect save for the lack of ﬁsh from hrida t O c . Touched to the quick in his pride as hos , Marko b t c id a a o O hr a. le ves the b nquet, saddles Sarac and is a out start for when his mother comes to him and begs him to take no weapons on t ff lest he should shed blood his Slava day. By a migh y e ort of

- son his self repression, the dutiful , laying aside weapons, sets out and on the unarmed, way meets with the adventure which proves him to possess in the highest degree the spirit of self s friends sacriﬁce ; he is ready to lay down his life for his . Another aspect of his nature which must be mentioned here i a of the s his kindly treatment of the lower animals . In the b llad falcon that gave him water to drink and with outspread wings su n shielded his head from the glare of the , we have a story worth

o f of the Aesop . Marko in his hour need is comforted by humble 4 creature he had once befriended Although the times did not encourage the development o f sho a what we c ll the sporting instinct, Marko was something 1 “ ” k 0 - 0 1 1 1 . Mar o the Twelve Moors , pp . 3 2 “ k he - - s t . 1 . 2 2 1 . Mar o abolishe Marriage Tax, p 39 , ll 47 5 2 “ ” k h - an t e . 1 1 8 . Mar o Djemo Mountaineer, pp 33 3 “ d ” 1‘ k h and t e . 8 cf. . and Mar o Falcon, p 5 ; also variant, p 59 , ’ k k 1 6 II - 6 Mar o s Hunting with the Tur s , p . 4 , . 4 5 4 .

[ xxxiv ]

1 - z in two . His hand grip is such that he can squee e drops

o f : of water out of a piece dry, hard wood he overcomes a o f V r succession the doughtiest champions, he ﬁghts icto iously

o f against overwhelming odds, and, most wonderful all, he pursues and captures the dangerous and elusive Vila of the mountain . ’ What an illuminating glimpse we get in J evrosim a s remark that She is utterly sick and weary of having to wash blood - stained son f r garments . She suggests that her should try ploughing o a

o f o wn change . Marko tries, in a grimly humorous way his his k s but peaceful venture ends in a battle with Tur ish janissarie .

‘ e His amazing Strength more than atones for his lack of w apons, for he whirls plough and oxen round his head, and with this 2 ou t of original bludgeon beats the life his enemies . for t Yet for all his courage and all his streng h , he is not always unﬂinching in fortitude nor supreme in the matter of thews and how sinews . With true artistry the ballads tell his spirit quailed 3 Aza k in the frightful dungeon of , how his courage halted in the B was presence of the Perilous ogdan, how his strength surpassed f b tha t o . v y_ Moussa the Outlaw He is mar ellous, indeed, but he is mortal man ; he is portrayed neither as a god nor as an i his abstract on, and these deft touches which reveal limitations

and his weaknesses, serve but to reinforce his warm human t vitali y. There remains the interesting question o f his allegiance to as the Sultan . How is it possible that the Serbs should have their national hero one who was in the service of their mortal foe ? The

ballads themselves supply a partial answer. It is clear that the makers recognised the di fﬁ culty but turned it to their own rOles advantage by a skilful reversal of the , in such sort that

Marko positively bullies his imperial master. That unhappy potenta te usually brings the interview hurriedly to an end by plunging his hand into his “ silk en pocket and presenting Mark o

o f with a ﬁstful of ducats . One several scenes of the sort takes

1 “ k an hi h 8- 8 d t e . Mar o P lip Magyar, pp 7 3 2 “ k ’ ” 1 8 . Mar o s Ploughing, p . 5 “ 3 - k in the of Azak . 1 0 1 1 1 . Mar o Dungeon , pp 7 [ XXXV I place when Marko k ills the Turk whom he finds in possession ’ of his father s sword . On being made aware of the deed the k k Sultan sends for his contumacious vassal . Mar o stal s fiercely into the presence and speaks the bold words : If God himself ’ on had bestowed the sword the Sultan, I had slain the Sultan s self The problem really amounts to this— What were the special qualities which gave Mark o such a powerful hold on the imagina tion of his fellows ? It must almost certainly have been his possession of unusual physical Strength and prowess, for it is never claimed that he had intellectual gifts or that he was even “ 2 n 13 as u Be t i telligent ; he described indeed a d nderhead . hat as a w it may, the signific nt thing IS that someho or other he made the as necessary imaginative appeal, and his exploits a Serb and as C f a hristian became the theme o ballad minstrelsy. That the gusla ri should extol their hero at the expense of the Turk was t as on only na ural, they thus turned the tables, it were, their conquerors . Marko’s fealty to the Sultan when thus manipulated and adroitly combined with the suggestion that the nominal servant was in reality greater than his lord, could prove no bar to his popular acceptability. On the contrary, it was in this dual aspect a that he became the national hero, the ide l exemplar, the proud symbol expressive of the unbrok en spirit that lived on in spite o f k disaster and defeat, and ept alive the confident hope that k Ive however long the night, dar ness must ultimately g place to the dawn of another day. ’ There is nothing complex about Marko s character, his is essentially a simple soul . There are no fine shades or subtle k distinctions . The contrasts are hard and violent, li e the lights f Bu t and Shadows o his native land . he championed the oppressed

“ ’ ’ 1 k o 3 n n k n e e . 0 a Mar o recog is s his Fath r s Sword , p 7 ; M r Hu ti g ” ‘ ” k nk W n e I n a a an . 1 0 . W the k . a ith Tur s, p M r o dri s i R m d , p 5 2 “ ’ ” See k 3 n n the k . 1 2 . Mar o Hu ti g with Tur s , p 3 3 A1 11 M ap EOB cono joryHII IIa H r Pocno a Rao III TO je H e on n p . ’ Di ckkopf is Dr Curéin s renderin g of joryHmIa . I I and deﬁed the Turkish conqueror, and the simple peasants of his 1 o f t race have enshrined their simple hero in their heart hear s .

In conclusion, something must be said about the verse in which the heroic ballads are composed, and the manner in which they o f o f are chanted by the bards . The poems consist lines ten “ ” syllables, unrhymed and with no enjambement . Repetition, the fixed epithet and other devices are o f constant occurrence “ ff so and are often employed with telling e ect . Alles wie in ” ’ 2 Homer was Grimm s comment . The bard or guslar is often as blind, by the best tradition it is fitting he should be, and his usual custom is to sit down under some shady tree where there f ffi is a good prospect o his having a su cient audience . He then makes ready his gusle which in shape bears a rough resemblance as to a mandolin, but the bridge rests upon a covering of vellum of in a banjo . The gusle is Often adorned with carvings kings and e w o f heroes . One in my own poss ssion sho s the figures Tsar Kosanéié Lazar, Ivan , Toplica Milan and others, the names

being cut beneath them, while the neck of the instrument is

carved to represent the neck and head of Sarac . The bow is in the is shape of a curving snake and strung with horsehair.

Holding the gusle body downwards, the guslar ﬁngers rapidly and draws his bow backwards and forwards across the single

string, producing a weird wail that rises and falls . Then suddenly he plunges into his tale :

’ rmi il se ? Ili g , zemlja trese rmi nit se z s Niti g emlja tre e, Veé u ca u na to ovi p j gradu p , 2 tvrdome Vara n Ha gradu di u .

1 ' B the of During a visit to elgrade, Kapper made acquaintance one of 8 s the of 1 8 . Knicanin, the Serb leader in revolution 4 Kapper k records the conversation as follows . Knicanin as ed Kennt Ihr ’ ‘ ko ? — k die Geschichte Mar s Ich bejahte Seht Ihr, da ennt Ihr auch des Volkes und ke die ganze Geschichte serbischen , dann nnt Ihr auchdas ’ k Sit sla o s e d i cé Wa nderun en . 1 . . ganze serbischeVol selbst ( g , vol p 2 “ It is clear enough that Servian heroic poetry bears little resem the we Bu t we blance to Homeric poems as have them . may strongly suspect that at an earlier stage in the history of Homeric poetry theresem

e be . . k Tée Heroi c A e . 1 . blanc would much closer Chadwic , g , p 3 3 2 “ ‘ ” k Kral é — evi an V . d u 1. 1 cEa . 1 Mar o j General , p 49 , 4 xxxvn J

v The ballads are not divided into separate erses or stanzas, but as a rule the minstrel pauses after every four or ﬁve lines the and plaintive cry of the gusle ﬁlls in the pause . It is as if one listened to the thin echo of the recitative, and in the proper ff surroundings the e ect has an impressiveness of its own . Many as pe ants can perform creditably on the instrument, but naturally their repertoire is small compared with that of the professional 1 no w bard who is rarely met with in Serbia . That, at least, own o f is my experience, for during a stay some four years in the course of which I had occasion to travel through the r a greater part of the count y, I c me across no more than three “ ” men to whom the term Guslar might properly be applied . An interesting point arises in connection with the poems as

r ~ n chanted o eve read aloud . The natural accentuation of the words has to yield to the exigencies ofthe metre in a very remark has k able way, and it been suggested that this mar ed peculiarity “ may have so me bearing on the unelucidated question of Greek 2 ” accent and quantity . The epic songs fall into two divisions

a ( ) Those having a long line of ﬁfteen or sixteen syllables, caesura after the seventh or eighth syllable, and a short recurring burden or refrain (pes m e dugog stiha) . 5 a ( ) Those having a decasyllabic line, c esura after the m k r tk no es e a o . fourth syllable, and refrain (p g stiha) The former are the older of the two and date back at least as far as the fourteenth century. Only about a hundred have

survived, whereas there are thousands of specimens of the

decasyllabic poems now extant . The themes of the older verses , reappear in many o f the later ballads but it is important to note

as - k that, where the ten syllable poems are nown and sung every

1 iscée Volk orscdun en e . x1 . f. Sl a o C f g , by Dr Fri drich S Krauss, ch “ G uslaren e déichtnis . 1 8 ff. n e p . 3 Vom wu d rbaren g “ 2 Th fo n w i t . n o . . . e e re o . c Owen M dith, p I tr d p xxxii llowi g ords, for n if e efe en o o o be i stance, pronounc d without r r ce to pr s dy, w uld thus accentuated : v a a I p ones e tri to ara bl g .

the ouslé e e are be anne But when sung to g as a v rse, th y to sc d thus ” I pOnESé HI tOv ari bl aga. xxxviii J

o f the has where today, all knowledge older forms vanished completely from the popular memory and hitherto no satisfactory account has been given of how or when they thus sunk into as oblivion . The decasyllabic poems chanted today have been classiﬁed under the following groups or cycles

- - (a ) Non historical . A small group consisting of fairy tales

f - C and o Christian and pre hristian legends . 6 ( ) Historical . A very large group containing the following ballad - cycles : N em an a The j cycle. s Kossovo e k t Mar o s Brankovic a Crnoje vic w Hajduk w Usk ok o s Montenegrin Liberation cycle .

9 . Serbian The history o f the decasyllabic verse is obscure and di fficult to is of not trace . Professor Popovic opinion that it did derive

- directly from the Sixteen syllable line, but sprang originally from a now forgotten intermediate form of eleven or twelve syllables

which had borrowed certain themes from the longer metres . The decasyllabic ballad appears to have arisen among the Uskoks o f h 1 C t e . the oastland, not earlier than seventeenth century Thence, Bo adding to itself in its progress, it passed successively to snia,

Herzegovina and Montenegro, and so at last into Serbia where, the of the with ballads great rising against the Turks, the truly off national poetry was brilliantly completed and rounded . The wheel had thus come full circle and the story of the traditional folk - song ends in the country where in its older form it had had 2 its birth .

1 ’ Soe re nse n s detaile d study of the rise of the short- line verse should f f be . See . 1 . or n on consulted Appendix, p 79 an additional ote the date of the ballads . 2 ‘ Se e u osl ooens tla Kn izfennost f Po ovI c 7 g j , by Pro essor Pavle p , to “ which I am indebted for the foregoing summary account of the pesme ” “ ” “ du o a and the esme k ratko a . novim g g stih p g stih Chapter, Pred

- vre menom . Narodna Poezi a . 6 8 . j , pp 55 I I

In translating these admirable ballads, I was faced with the inevi table choice between a free metrical rendering and a more accurate prose translation . I chose the latter, partly because I

u se fu l to o f hoped the book might prove . students the Serbian language and literature, and considered that a large degree of literalness woixld more than counterbalance the accompanying

. t disadvantages Moreover, it must be confessed, I had grave doub s o f my ability to write even tolerable verse in the required measure, and a few tentative efforts in that direction tended to conﬁrm my ffi Bu t as k di dence. each line of the original ma es complete sense in itself it seemed possible to write a line- by- line prose translation k and yet eep closely to the text . There are two obvious dangers “ ” be o ne to avoided ; is ﬁne writing, the other is baldness . The ballad is apt to suffer very severely under the touch of the

- k self appointed embellisher, and Mar o would undoubtedly lose much o f his naive fascination if the stark manner of his on presentment were unduly modiﬁed by the translator. Yet, o f the other hand, without the insistent haunting monotony the decasyllables and the incommunicable verbal cunning that is part

of their fabric, the too literal translator may ﬁnd himself lapsing

into the second error, and which is the greater evil it is hard to say. I have done my best to maintain a decent equilibrium a its between the b ld and the elaborate, for each, in own degree,

does injustice to the art and to the austerity of the original . I am indebted to my friends Professors Bogdan and Pavle Popovic for their assistance in elucidating knotty points and to

Y ovitchitch Yovitchitch Mr Alexander , Major Milan and

Mr W . K . Holmes for help in reading the proofs .

of Vuk Sr ske Narodne Note (a) . I have used throughout the text , p ’ ’ f Bo iSic the B n P esme v ol . . e o j , ii The coll ctions g , rothers Jova ovic

and the othe rs have n ot be en drawn upon . ’ an of Vuk s l are een Note In vols . I d VI co lection there thirt n k e e n a the additio al Mar o poems, but as it is g n rally recog ised th t h on o are the of e k n are pie ce s contained in t e s e c d v lume best th ir i d, nd fo fully re pre sentative of the characte r and exploits of Mark o a rm

w e in e e e e f m a . a complete hol th ms lv s, I have limited mys l to this ateri l Over two hundred Marko ballads are in existen ce but they have never

b e en gathere d togethe r .

S W Au ust 1 2 1 . GLA GO , g 9

How fair is Skadar on Bojana ! C If thou lookest at the hills above the astle,

Figs and Olives are ever growing,

Vineyards also there are, rich in grapes, k C And if thou loo est from the astle downwards,

Yonder fair wheat waxeth , And round about are green meadows B ﬂowe th Wherethrough green ojana , And therein swim ﬁshes of every sort o f That when thou wilt thou mayst eat them fresh caught . ’ M om éilo s The letter came to wife, she n of Mom crlo Heedful scan ed the letter, the wife , Hee dful she scanned it and wrote another letter : “ Vu kaSin O my Lord King , Not easy is it to betray M om éilo Not easy to betray nor yet to poison him ; M oméilo e vrosim a hath a sister J ,

She maketh ready for him the lordly meals, She tasteth the dish before him ; M omCilo hath nine dear brothers, — ’ And twelve nephews brothers sons ;

They serve the red wine to him, They drink of each glass be fore him 1 M om éilo abuCilo hath a horse J , abuCilo J a winged horse, That can ﬂy whithersoever he will 2 M omCilo bath s a sword with eye , nd A feareth none save God only. ‘‘ Vu k as in But hear me now King ,

Do thou gather together a mighty host, k And lead them forth to the level la e, And lie in a bushment in the greenwood ;

1 JabuCilo : Vu k has a footnote whi ch will be found at the end of for the ballad . It is too long insertion here . 2 “ ‘ ’ not k nor the I do nowwhat a swordwith eyes means , could singer h s f explain . Per aps the expres ion re ers tosome coloured device represent ’

n Vuk s f n . i g eyes ( oot ote) The meaning seems quite clear . I 3 ]

M omCilo A strange custom hath , Each holy Sunday in the morning He riseth early and goeth on hunting to the lake ; k With him he ta eth his nine dear brothers, ’ And his twelve brothers sons, And forty henchmen from the Castle ;

And when the eve of Sunday is come, abuCilo I will singe the wings of J , k I will seal up the een sword,

I will seal it fast with salt blood, That it may not be drawn forth of its sheath M m i Thus shalt thou slay o é lo .

When this letter came to the King,

And he perceived what the writing told him,

He was ﬁlled with joy. a Straightway he g thered a mighty host, And came with the host to Hercegovina ; He led them forth to the level lak e

And lay in a bushment in the greenwood .

When now the eve of Sunday was come, M om Cilo went to his bedchamber And laid him down on the soft pallet ;

Soon after his wife entered in also, But she would not lie on the soft pallet ; k Down her chee s she wept hot tears, Wherefore Vojvoda M om Cilo ask ed o f her “ idosava V , my faithful wife, What great grief is thine That thou criest tears down ? And Vidosava his wife made answer “ M omCilo Lord and Master Vojvoda,

N O - ill fortune is come upon me, u t a B I have heard wondrous marvel, I have heard— I have not seen abu Cilo That thou hast a horse J , abuéilo e J a wing d horse,

But on thy horse have I seen no wings, And I believe it not a a Also I fear me th t thou art in d nger to perish . was M om Cilo Sage Vojvoda , was d Sage he , yet was he deceive , And to his wife thus he spake : “ idosava V , my faithful wife, as As touching that I will give thee e y comfort, see f Right well mayst thou the wings o Cile. the c k What time ﬁrst oc s crow, to new Get thee forth the stable, Then will Cile let grow his wings

o And s mayst thou perceive them . n So He said, and laid him dow to journ among dream M omCilo his slept but wife Slept not, On the pallet she listened For the ﬁrst cocks to crow ; And d when the ﬁrst cocks crowe , n She spra g from the soft pallet,

She lit the candle in the lantern , She took with her tar and tallow new a And straightway went to the st ble.

' And M oméi lo o in truth it was as had sp ken,

Fo r abuéilo n J did cause his wi gs to grow, Down to his hoofs be caused his wings to grow ; orthwi th she m F s eared his wings, With tallow and with tar she smeared them And with the candle she se t the wings on fire ; she U abuéilo With fire burnt them p, the wings of J , fi re she no t And what by could utterly destroy, r his n She bound up fast a ound k ees . she the Thereafter hied her to armoury, She took the swo rd of M oméilo

She dipped it in salt blood, t l And retu rned o the soft pa let . o w t On the morr w when the dawn hi ened, M omCilo Vojvoda arose, And to his wife Vidosava he said [ 5 ]

Vidosava f t e , my ai hful wif ,

I dreamed a strange dream last night. A tuft o f mist writhed ou t ’ Vaso e e o From j s accurs d c untry, And twined itself round Durmitor; Through the mist I took my way , t n Wi h my ine dear brothers, ’ t And the twelve bro hers sons, And forty men- at- arms from the Castle ; t fe In the mis , dear wi , we parted,

We parted and met no more. — bode th o God wot this n good thing. His wife Vidosava made answer to him “ Fear not, dear my Lord, A good hero hath dreamt a good dream ; ” Dreams are lies, God alone is truth . M omCilo to Vojvoda made him ready go forth,

And he came down from the White Tower. t Nine dear bro hers await him, ’ t And twelve bro hers sons, C And forty soldiers from the astle. ou t His wife led the white steed, n the They mou t good horses,

And fare forth to hunt by the lake . W n he they were come to the lake side,

The mighty host encompassed them about, M oméilo was And when ware of the host, the He pulled at sword by his side, Bu t no in wise could he draw it, was in t t It as if rooted he shea h . Then spake Vojvoda M oméilo : “ Hear ye my brothers !

id — e she~ ho d — V osava th un hath betrayed me, ” So give m e a sword of the best . Quickly the brothers obeyed him of bG t They gave him a sword the S , And M oméilo spak e to his brethren I 6 I ! Hear ye, my dear brothers DO ye fall on the ﬂanks of the host n r set on e And o the cent e will I mys lf. G o d was ! Dear , great marvel it t of A thing wor hy indeed to be seen any man, How M om Cilo Vojvoda hewed about him, How he brake him a passage down the hillside ; The horse J abu Cilo trampled down more men M omCilo Than cut down with the sharp sword .

Yet evil fortune met him in the way, For Pirlitor as he pressed towards , There met him nine black horses was not But of his brothers on them there one. M omCilo And when Vojvoda perceived it, The hero’s heart brake With grief for his born brothers ;

His white hands grew feeble, He might wield the sword no more ; abuéilo Therefore he smote the horse J ,

With boot and spur he smote him, For t Pirlit r to make him ﬂy o Castle o .

But the good steed might not ﬂy, And Vojvoda M om Cilo cursed him “ abu éilo ! J , may wolves devour thee

In sport we have flown from here together, Not ou t o f o f urged by need, but joy heart, And today thou wilt not fly ! ” The brave steed whinnied and made answer “ M om Cilo Lord and master Vojvoda , Curse me not neither urge me onward ; Toda y I cannot fly May G od slay thy Vidosava !

She burned up my wings with ﬁre, And what with ﬁre she could not utterly destroy That she bound fast about my knees ;

t. Flee thou , therefore, whithersoever thou mays

M om éilo When Vojvoda heard this, [ 7 ]

’ Tears rolled down the hero s cheek s ; C § From ila his horse he sprang, t C In hree bounds he gained the astle, C But the astle doors were bolted,

Bolted and barred .

M oméilo Now when perceived his straits,

' He cried to his sister J evrosima “ ev rosim a J , dear sister mine, l Let down to me a ength of linen,

2 2 0 That I may escape into the Castle. t Through her tears, sister to bro her answered “ B M om Cilo rother, Vojvoda ,

How shall I let down a length of linen,

W - in - Vidosava hen my sister law ,

- in - — thy My sister law faithless wife, Hath bound my hair to a beam ? ” ’ Yet the sister s heart was compassionate, was Anguish hers for her born brother, k k She hissed li e an angry sna e, h She swung her head with all her strengt , the That hair was torn from out her head, And remained on the beam ; k She too a length of linen cloth, C She threw it down from the astle wall, M omCilo seized the end of linen, And thus he scaled the Castle wall ;

Yet a moment and he had leaped within, Bu t the faithless wife sped thither amain,

In her hands she bore a sharp sword, And she severed the linen sheet above his hand ; M omCilo C fell down from the astle wall, ’ The King s henchmen await him,

’ on - And swords and war spears he fell,

- On clubs and battle maces, At the feet of King Vu k aSin ;

- The King thrust at him with a war spear,

And pierced him through the living heart . I 8 I

i o Then Vojvoda M omé l lifted up his voice and cried “ t Vu k aSin I adjure hee, King , Take not to thyself my Vidosava

Vidosava my faithles s wife, For she will ca use thee to lose thy hea d also ;

Today she betrayeth me to thee, Tomorrow she will betray thee to another ;

Wherefore do thou take my dear sister, evrosima Mine own dea r sister J , to She will be faithful thee ever, k e And will bear thee a hero li e unto mys lf. Thus spak e Vojvoda M omCilo

Thus he spake compelling his spirit,

And when he had spoken he gave up the ghost .

M o mCilO now When was dead, C The astle gates were opened,

idosava - And V that she hound went forth . uk aSin And gave welcome to King V .

She led him to the White Tower,

She made him to sit down at golden tables,

And feasted him with wine and brandy, With lordly dishes and fine meats o f every sort ; Next she goeth to the armoury ’ M o mCilo s And thence brought him apparel, ’ M om Cilo s apparel and his weapons . And now behold a marvel ! ’ That which had reached to M om crlo s knees Trailed on the ground behind VukaSin ; What for M om éilo had been a fitting helmet Came down o n the shoulders o f Vu k aSin ; What had been a fitting boot for M om Cilo Therein Vuk a§in could put both his legs ; What had been a fair golden ring for M om éilo Therein Vu kaSin might place three fingers ; What had been a proper sword for M omCilo ’ - k n Trailed on the ground an ell s length behind Vu aSi . What had been a coat of mail for M oméilo

THE DEATH OF DUSHAN 1 (Fragment)

T EPA N the , Serbian Tsar, fell sick f S o . In Prizren, place light and leading

Sore sick he was and like to die.

Roxanda When , the Tsaritsa, saw it,

She wrote with a pen,

As she had been a man, she Three letters wrote, yea and four, to of And sent them the four corners the land, To the princes thereof each in his degree she And summoned all the lords to her, saying Hearken all ye our princes !

Sore sick is the Tsar Stepan, Sore Sick he is and like to die ; C Hie ye therefore to Prizren astle,

If ye would ﬁnd the Tsar on live,

And hear what he will ordain,

And to whom he will entrust the Empire.

When the letters were gone forth everywhither, All the lords understood the writing ;

They made such haste as ever men might, on e C And came every to Prizren astle,

To Stepan the mighty Serbian Tsar, And they reached the Tsar While he was yet on live ;

And there all the lords were gathered together. Vu k aSin And thither also was come King ,

He raised the Tsar from his bed of silk,

And upheld him in his silken arms,

1 DuSan : the Croatian alphabet should have been used consistently tlu s few of the f e throughout translation, but a more amiliar names hav ee n e b n i advertently translit rated . Thus Sarac and M iloSappear some i mes as Sharatz and M ilo t sh . I I I I

And grea t tears rolled adown his face .

The Serbian Tsar looked round about him,

On all his lords he looked in turn, sad And after he had looked, he spake and “ 1 Vu kaSin Dear kum , King ,

I give in trust to thee mine Empire, In trust all my towns and castles

And all my company of knights, Each in his due degree throughout mine Empire ; UroS And I give in trust to thee my babe, ,

That lieth now forty days in his cradle .

Do thou reign kum, for seven years, n on UroS And o the eighth give over to my s . But - King Vu k aSin made answer :

Dear kum, Tsar Stepan, N ot for me thine Empire,

Not for me to play the ruler,

so n Since myself have a wayward , son Kral e vié k Mine own , j Mar o ; k He goeth whither him listeth , as ing leave of none, And ever at his down - sitting he drinketh wine out of as me ure,

And ever he stirreth up brawl and conﬂict . Tsar Stepan made answer to him again : “ Vu kaSin ! Dear kum, King If I have ruled all my k nights

Throughout the length and breadth of mine Empire, Canst thou not rule one that thyself hast be gotten ?

I give thee mine Empire in trust, In trust all my towns and castles of And all my company knights, Every each of them throughout mine Empire ; UroS And I give thee also my babe , That lieth now forty days in his cradle ;

1 f Kum is roughl y the equivalent of our sponsor or god ather . The f um e n god ather is k to the godson and Vice versa . The r latio ship 8 e S e . 1 . e e . e xtends also to their resp ctive childr n Appendix, p 4 s Do thou rule, kum, for even years, son UroS And on the eighth give over to my .

Thus spake the Serbian Tsar Stepan, t Thus he spake being at the point of dea h, he t t. And when he had thus spoken, he gave up ghos a a Sixteen years he ruled And did so oppress the people of That what they had ﬁne raiment, What they wore o f Silk apparel

They must change for rough homespun . When young Uros o f noble line was grown in stature

and understanding, He called his mother to him and said “ Roxanda Mother mine, Tsaritsa , ’ 1 Give me my portion of my father s substa nce His mother answered him “ son UroS! Hearken, my a is Subst nce there , in sooth, but another hath it, in Vu kaS . To wit, King

When thy father died, On his death - bed he entrusted the Empire Vu k aSin Unto his kum, King , That he should ru le for seven years And on the eighth give over to thee the Empire ;

a . And behold, he hath ruled Sixteen ye rs

1 Lit . bread . UROS AN D T HE M RNJ AVoEVICI l A

2 OUR one camps were pitched by other, o f On the fair plain Kossovo, 2 By the white church of Samodre2a was m of Vu kaSin One the ca p King ,

The second, that of Despot Ugljes, o f k o The third Vojvoda Goj , ’ And the fourth was that of the Tsar s son UroS.

These princes disputed concerning the throne, And fain would each slay the other ; t Fain would each hrust other through with a golden dagger, k For they new not which of them was to receive the empire. ” King Vu k aSin said : It is mine ! “ U l eS: ! Despot g j Nay, but it is mine “ ” “ ” so G o k o ! Not , says Vojvoda j , For it is mine UroS The young Tsarevitch held his peace. — The child held his peace he said no word r Because he durst not before the three brothe s, rn a e iéi M vé v . The brothers, the three j n Vuk aSin Ki g wrote a letter, He wrote a letter and sent a messenger

T o the white town of Prizren, T o the protopope N edeljk o ; That he should come to Kossovo plain T o declare who is to receive the empire ;

Fo r he administered the Sacrament to the glorious Tsar, e the He administer d Sacrament to him and confessed him, 4 i o And in h s hands are the ancient bo ks .

1 The family name of King Vu kaSin ; see M p Ha eBa Pp aIIHHa ’ (Vuk s 2 Ta60p a camp or army . 2 “ ” ’ Some sing G raéanica (Vuk s foo tnote) . 4 f o f Inmate CTap OCTaBHe . Pro ess r Pavle Popovic in orms me that ” the ancient boo ks are supposed to mean the old S e rbian biographi es

Domentian n and . k (Sava, , Da ilo others) As these boo s deal chieﬂy with [ I 4 ]

l eS Des pot Ug j wrote a letter, He wrote a letter and sent a messenger

To the white town of Prizren, k o T o protopope N edelj . G o k o A third letter wrote Vojvoda j ,

And sent lik ewise an ardent messenger. ’ son UroS A fourth wrote Tsar s ,

He wrote a letter and sent a messenger.

All four wrote letters,

And despatched swift messengers, k Each eeping secret from the others what he did .

The four envoys met together,

In Prizren, the white city, f N d l k Before the dwelling o protopope e e j o . the was But priest not there, was He in church at morning service, a o f At morning service and the re ding the Liturgy. Overweening were the ardent envoys And froward of the froward ;

They would not dismount from their horses,

Bu t urged them into the church . They drew their pleated whips And smote protopope N edeljk o “ C Nedel ome hence, and quickly, protopope jko l of Hence, and quickly, to the plain Kossovo, i To declare who s to receive the empire . didstadm in ister the Sacram e n t to the illustrious Tsar Thou ,

Thou wert his confessor also,

And in thy hands are the ancient books . ” Do thou hasten or thou wilt presently lose thy head ! N e del k o Protopope j shed tears, He shed tears and answered to them again

the Ne man a and not an the j dynasty do admit y rival claim to throne, k no the of f and Mar o, as a loyal subject, gives heed to demand his ather e e n f of § the f man a V i o Ne s . uk uncles , but d clar s avour Uro , last the j Di t c . s e I a o a . f u osl ooens a ( ) ugg sts I p cT B He as a possible reading C . f g k Kn ii eonost 8- . 1 0 1 . j , pp , 4 [ 1 5 ]

— Get ye gone froward of the froward, When we have ended the service in the church k It will be made nown who is to receive the empire.

And the messengers gat them forth . ’ And when they had ﬁnished God s service,

And were all come forth before the white church, Protopope N edeljk o spak e thus : — e My children y four messengers,

I indeed gave the Sacrament to the illustrious Tsar, I gave him the Sacrament and I confessed him ; as k But touching the empire I as ed him nothing, k I spa e only of the sins that he had sinned .

SO go ye to Prilep town, o evitch T the abode of Marko Kralj , T o k Mar o, erstwhile my pupil ;

From me he learned his letters,

He has been scribe to the Tsar,

In his hands are the imperial writings, And he knoweth who should receive the empire k Summon ye therefore Mar o to Kossovo, Marko will speak forth the truth For Marko feareth none,

Save only the one true God . s The four mes engers departed thence,

They departed thence to Prilep town, as k Kral evitch To the white c tle of Mar o j . the a And when they were come before white c stle, k k They knocked on the door with the noc er . evrosim a old the J , the mother, heard knocking, And ca lled her son Mark o

“ ' Son Marko, my dear child, Who k nocketh on the door with the knocker ?

Meseemeth they should be messengers from thy father.

Marko arose and opened the door, The messengers inclined themselves before Marko “ ! ” God be thy help, Lord Marko And Mark o ca ressed them with his hand [ 1 6 ]

a Welcome, my de r children, the Is it well with Serbian knights, And with the noble Tsar and King ? , The envoys bowed the head in reverence Lord Mark o Kralj evitch ! In health all are well but they are not accorded together ;

Our lords have quarrelled bitterly together,

On the wide Kossovo plain, d By the white church of Sam o rei a . t They dispute toge her concerning the succession,

And fa in would each slay other.

Fain would each thrust other through with golden dagger, a the For they know not which should obt in empire . They summon thee to Kossovo plain

who the To tell them is heir to empire. k Mar o entered his lordly manor, And called J evrosim a his mother “ evrosima J , my dear mother,

Our princes have quarrelled,

On the wide Kossovo plain, f m d By the white church o Sa o rei a .

They dispute together concerning the succession,

And fain would each slay other.

Fain would each thrust other through with golden dagger, n t For they know o which should obtain the empire . to They summon me Kossovo plain,

To tell them who is heir to the empire . do t Now although Marko sought ever to the tru h, evros ima x ! Yet did his mother, J , e hort him “ — son of Marko only thy mother, r Ifthe milk wherewith I nourished thee is not to be accu sed, Do not thou bear false witness, or To pleasure either thy father thy uncles, But speak according to the j udgment of the true God ; son Lose not thy soul, my ; is a Better it to lose thy he d, sin Than to against thy soul .

e Ur To the tent of th stripling oS. He urged Sharatz to the tent of the Tsar haratz And there Marko dismounted from S . When the youthful UroS perceived him k n Lightly he leapt from the sil en diva , Lightly he leapt and cried “ Fortunate am I ! Behold my godfather ! Kral e vitch ! Behold my godfather, j Marko

He will declare who is to have the empire.

They opened their arms, they embraced, k They issed each the other, k how Each as ed it fared with other,

Then they sate them down on the silken divan . And after a while

Day went ; dark night came down .

Early in the morning when it dawned, l 1 And the bel s before the church were sounded ,

All the princes came to the morning service . And when they had ﬁnished service in the church They ca me forth ou t of the white church

And sate them down at tables before the church,

Sugar they ate and rakia they drank . k Marko took the ancient boo s, He scanned the books and thus spake Marko “ 2 Vu k aSin ! O King , my father Is thy kingdom too small for thee ? I s it too small ? May it become a desert ! ’ Ye dispute now an empire that is another s . 2 U l e§ And thou, uncle, Despot g j , Is thy domain too small for thee ? Is it too small ? May ye lose it ! ’ n Ye dispute ow an empire that is another s . 2 G o k o And thou, uncle, Vojvoda j , I s thy Vojvodstv o too small for thee ? Is it too small ? May ye lose it !

The bells were hung on a wooden framework outside the building VukaSin U l eS and G o ko s the , g j j were all lain at Marica I 9 I

’ now t Ye dispute an empire that is ano her s . not ! Look ye now, else may God regard you t UroS The record saith that the empire goe h to , t son From the fa her it descendeth to the ,

To the child the empire belongeth by heritage,

2 1 0 To him the Tsar bequeathed it,

When he died and went to his rest . When King Vu kaSin heard this The King sprang to his feet from the ground

And drew his golden dagger, r son k Fo to slay his Mar o .

Marko fled from before his father . For it had ill become him, brother, t To fight wi h his own father. ak M r o fled round the white church, ’ of am odr i 2 2 0 Round the white church S e a . Marko fled and the King pursued after him Until they had thrice made a circle am odrei a Round the white church of S .

Almost had the King reached him, When a voice spak e from the church “ evitch Flee into the church, Kralj Marko, not see Dost thou that thou wilt perish this day, Perish by the hand o f thine own father And that because thou hast spok en the judgment ” the true G od?

The church door opened, Marko ﬂed into the white church ; the Behind him door closed .

The King rushed upon the church door, He smote the wood with his dagger

And lo, blood dripped from the wood . Then the King repented him And spake these words : “ Woe one G od! is me, by the I have slain my Son Mark o ! But a voice spake from the church I 2 0 I

— Vuk aSin Hearken thou King , a It is not Marko thou hast st bbed, ’ 1 ” But thou hast stabbed one of God s angels . was Then the King very wroth with Marko, And in wrath he cursed him “ Son Marko, may God slay thee, nor Mayst thou have neither grave posterity,

And may thy soul not leave thee, Until thou hast served the Turkish Sultan ! ”

The King cursed him, the Tsar blessed him “ ! Marko, my godfather, may God be thy stay May thy face shine in the council - chamber ! May thy sword be sharp in the battle ! May no knight be found to put thee to the worse ! n Be thy ame renowned everywhere, ” Whilst sun and moon endure ! so Thus they spake curse and blessing, and also it t came o pass .

1 is There a ﬂavour about this passage, unique in the Mar f f . o s poems The same sort my ticism, however, in orms certain porti of the Kossovo cycle . MARKO KRALJ EVIC AN D T HE VILA 1 ~

wo obratims on p rode the way together, Y Over fair M iroc: mountain ; evié k one Kralj Mar o was the , 2 The other was Vojvoda M iloS ;

o f o n Both them rode noble steeds,

- e Both bore their battle sp ars, And each k issed the white face of other r rati Fo the love that is between two pob ms . on Sharatz Sleep drew nigh to Marko as he sat , 2 And to his pobratim he said “ M iloS! Ah, my brother, Vojvoda

Sleep sits heavy on mine eyelids,

Sing to me, brother, and refresh me . Bu t Vojvoda M iloS made answer : Kral e vié Ah, my brother, j Marko,

Fain would I sing to thee, brother, But last night I drank much wine Ravi o la on With Vila j j the mountain,

1 Vila : a species of nymph that haunted the wooded mountain- slopes In are and frequented springs . Serbian song Vilas represented as jealous

and capricious beings but on thewhole n ot unfriendly to manki nd . They m an in of are still believed in by the peasants . A who was the service ’ m f f in on and y wi e s amily Serbia saw a Vila several occasions, was r of e f educed each time to a pitiable state t rror, rom which I gather the k hi s of - an that ind t ng said them may be merely lip service, attempt “ ”

cf. to propitiate ; our good folk . 2 M iloS Obilic .

2 - ratim . f m n e Pob . W e l e , lit hal brother hen two , not re at d , sw ar

e i f en a e obratim the . verlast ng ri dship , e ch b comes p to other Formerly e f o f this was a very sacr d alliance . For a wonder ul description ’ the a of see Vol nost k Veselinovié mystical n ture the bond, by Jan o e 1 1 (Clar ndon Press , 9 P s st ma e n f l o e ri is the corr spondi g eminine form . The vanquished Vi a ’ “ ” “ ” “ ’ e k S h k . e e t e b came Mar o s sworn sister Musa Outlaw, also Le a s ”

1. 0 8 . Sister, 4 I 2 2 I

And the Vila laid threat upon me, a If she should he r me sing,

She will shoot me with arrows,

Through throat and living heart . But Kralj evié Marko answered ! not Sing, brother fear thou the Vila, Kral eviC Since I , Marko j , am beside thee, With my wonder- horse Sharatz ” And my golden mace. M iloS Then began to sing,

He began a beautiful song, About all our best and oldest the Who held kingdom, And in Macedonia the fortunate

Raised pious ediﬁces.

The song pleased Marko, on of the He leaned back the pommel saddle, on § not He fell sleep, but Milo ceased from singing. Ravi o la The Vila j j heard him, And began to join in the singing ;

Milos sang, the Vila sang against him, But more beautiful is the voice of M iloS More beautiful than the voice of the Vila ; Ravi o 1a Therefore the Vila j j was moved to anger, M iroé She leapt down on the mountain, She bended her bow and loosed two white arrows ; M iloS One arrow smote in the throat,

The other pierced his heroic heart. “ M iloS : W oe is ! cried me, my mother

- in- ! Ah me, Marko, brother God has t Ah me, brother, the Vila pierced me wi h arrows ! Did not I tell thee That I might not sing on M iroCmountain ?

Marko roused himself from slumber,

And sprang from his piebald steed . Sharatz He pulled tight the girths of good , He embraced his horse Sharatz and kissed him I 2 3 I 1 ! Alas, Sharo , thou my right wing h Ravi o la If t ou overtake the Vila j j ,

I shall shoe thee with pure silver, With pure silver and with beaten gold ;

I shall cover thee with silk to the knees, And tassels shall hang from thy knees to thy hoofs ;

I shall mingle thy mane with gold, And shall adorn thee with little pearls ; k not But if thou overta e the Vila, ou t I Shall put thy two eyes,

And break all thy four legs, And thus I shall leave thee

To drag thyself from pine to pine, k Like me, Mar o, without my brother . He k Sharatz leapt upon the bac of , And dashed over M iroCmountain ; to The Vila ﬂew the summit, haratz a S g lloped on the mountain slopes,

Nowhere saw he the Vila nor heard her .

But when at last he espied her,

- He bounded into the air three spear lengths, Three spear- lengths high and four good spear- lengths

forward, haratz And quickly S overtook the Vila . he r When the Vila perceived straits,

She ﬂew upwards to the clouds in her distress, Bu t Marko drew his mace, S And hurled it trong and ruthless, e He smote the white Vila b tween the shoulders, nd A felled her to the black earth .

Then he began to smite her with the mace, He turned her to the right and to the left

And beat her with the golden mace . “ — Wherefore, Vila may God smite thee Wherefore didst thou pierce my brother with arrows ?

Give healing herbs to this worshipful knight,

1 n n f A endeari g contraction o Sarac . 24 I

” Else dost thou lose thy head ! The Vila began to call him brother- in- God

- in - evié Brother God, Kralj Marko

- - - - ! Brother in God the Highest, and in Saint John

Let me go forth alive into the mountain, M iroé That I may pluck herbs on , ’ Wherewith to heal the hero s wounds . ’ for And Marko was merciful God s sake, was n His heroic heart compassio ate, t He suffered the Vila to go forth alive into the moun ain, And the Vila gathered simples for M iloS; o ft she The Vila gathered them, and ever and called “ ” - in - G od! I am coming, brother The Vila gathered simples on M iroé f And healed the wounds o the hero . was o§ More beautiful now the voice of Mil ,

More beautiful than it had ever been . And the heart of the knight

Was sounder than ever tofore . M iroC The Vila hied her to the mountain, bratim Marko and his po gat them on their way.

They journeyed even unto Porec. Tim ok They forded river,

o — They came to Bregov the great village,

And fared onwards to Widdin . And thus the Vila spake to her sister Vilas “ Hearken unto me, ye Vilas, not Loose your arrows against knights in the mountain . Kral evic If ye hear aught of Marko j , 1 Sharatz Or of his magic horse , , hi Or of s golden mace . What did not I suffer at his hands ! And hardly might I save myself alive ! ”

1 B H OBIIT: i c JI it is impossible to translate this word . In his D ti ona ry Vuk s is n ays it applied to children bor with a caul . Such children when they grow up know more than other folk and are able to consort with The s . Vila same curious expression occurs in line 26 .

I 2 6 I

n Sharatz And dashed me o to the ears of ,

That scarce might I recover seat,

And escape along the rocky shore .

That is seven years agone,

Since then have I passed this way no more . k They held tal of this matter,

When there arose a cloud of dust,

And it came to the vineyard by the level Shore . t e The hr e Serb knights looked up, t And lo ! the Perilous Knight was here,

With a fellowship of twelve knights with him . evié saw And when Marko Kralj it, 1 He spake unto Relja and unto Milos, saying “ k obratims ! Hear en ye, my two p the ! See where he comes, Perilous Knight h Meseemet all three we should lose our heads, 2 ! ” But come, let us ﬂee hence But M iloS spak e and said Pobratim Kral evié ! , j Marko

Today folk deem and say also, o f That three better knights prowess are not,

Than we three Serbian Vojvodas . for Better were it us three to perish,

Than that we should ﬂee shameful this day.

When Marko heard it, k He spa e unto them again, saying “ How would ye that we divide them ?

Whether would ye have ado with Bogdan alone, ” Or with his twelve Vojvodas ?

1 Relja : the winged Relja of Novibazar appears again in the story ’ of k 80 loS of ocer e Le a s sister . also does M i P j who is the same as

Milo§ Obilic . 2 one of the k k This is occasions on which Mar o shows wea ness . “ Goe the asked Talvj to omit JIyTII IIa BOI‘ IIaH from her translations “ hi k Talv denn er erscheint Mar o seiner unwﬁ rdig . For once j did “ not agree : Wenn ich das meinige tue den haszliche n Helden Marko berﬁ hmt zu ihn e zu w k machen, beli bt machen, ollen, ann mir nicht f ” i n . Curéin 1 e n alle ( , pp . 39 I 2 7 I

M iloS and Relja answered him “ d We would have a o with Bogdan alone . of Marko had joy that word, a And in the same hour Bogd n made onset.

Marko drew his heavy mace, da And drave the twelve Vojvo s before him .

He turned him about once and again, k ! And lo, he had stric en all twelve from their horses so Right he bound their hands,

And drave them round the vineyard . was And behold there the Perilous Knight. M iloS Driving tofore him Relja and , o f o And the hands both he had b und .

And when Marko saw it, was a as He afe red never before,

And he began to look whither he should ﬂee. on But a sudden him remembered, How a e ch had sworn to other,

That if one Should be in straits,

The others should come to his aid and comfort . So he drew tight the reins o f Sharatz ; on He pulled down his sable kalpak his forehead, o ne Until the fur made with his eyebrows .

- Then he drew his well wrought sabre, And look ed darkly upon Bogdan ;

Bogdan stood still by the vineyard, saw of k But when he the black eyes Mar o,

And saw what was writ therein,

His legs were as palsied under him . B Marko looked at the Perilous ogdan, e vié Bogdan looked at Kralj Marko, t ado But nei her would have with other. At the last Bogdan spak e and said “ C k ome, Mar o, let us leave this even hand . Vo vodas Loose thou my twelve j , iloS That I may loose unto thee Relja and M . o Of that word Marko had great j y, I 2 3 I

o Vo vodas Straightway he loosed unt him his twelve j , B M iloS 1 0 0 And ogdan loosed Relja and .

- k Sharatz Then Marko took the wine s in from , for W And sat him down to drink rosy ine, o f And he did eat also of the grapes the vineyard .

And when they were merry with wine,

The three Serbian knights arose, k And too their good steeds . And Marko spake to Bogdan and said “ ! God abide with thee, thou Perilous Knight

May we meet together in health yet again, ” And toast each other in red wine . But the Perilous Bogdan made answer ' G od o evic ! g with thee, Kralj Marko ee n But may mine eyes s thee o more .

In such wise hast thou assailed me this day, e t That never shall I y arn after thee to see hee .

Marko went up by the rocky shore, his Bogdan abode by vineyard . THE SISTER OF LEKA KAPETAN 1

’ R O M F the world s creation, No greater marvel hath been, N or of hath nowhere been heard tell ,

Than the marvel they say at Prizren, Of the household of Kapetan Leka ; of the And the marvel they say is maid Rosanda . ! How she God fair is, may no ill befall her ! o f In the four quarters the earth , k o f In all the lands of Tur and Giaour,

There was not her like for beauty in the whole world, k Neither white Tur ish maid nor Vlach, N or of yet no damsel slender Latin breed . They that had seen the mountain Vila

Said that the Vila, brother, might not compare with her. 2 The maid grew up in a cage ;

Fifteen years, they say, she dwelt encaged,

And saw not the sun nor yet the moon, was And the marvel bruited through the world .

The tale went from mouth to mouth, Until they heard it in Prilep ; ’ Kral e ic the v . And Marko j , hero, heard it

And it pleased Marko passing well, of That they praised her and spake no ill him, she And him seemed that if should be his wife, to Then Leka would be him a worthy friend, With W hom he might drink wine 1 “ ” Captain is not a suitable translation . Something equivalent to ” “ ” u r f the governor wo ld be approp iate, but I have le t title Kapetan as in the original . 2 y EaB eay : perhaps not so ﬁgurative as it seems considering the The n way in which women were guarde d . same thi g is referred to in the “ T ” “ f - a au R H 11 M 11 11 Ha s e mJI II BE airy tale l p ir 3. W which begins O e aH a 11a Hu o T u CEHa H e H s ho e Ea i es x anno j JI H p , a p j ll y p , M y j y d y p ” 1 H E Bao 0 1 11 raaB H. C ucae Ha o He II I OB H eTRe . y y p p II l j , p 7 (Buorpail; [ 30 ]

And hold knightly converse withal . Marko called his sister to him : “ 1 o C G , hasten, sister, to the ardak , x Open the bo that is there, t And take ou my ﬁnest apparel,

That I have made ready, sister,

For to put on against I marry me. k Methin s, sister, I go forth today

T o Prizren under Sar mountain, For to as k the maid in marriage of Leka ;

And when I have won her, and brought her home,

Then will I marry thee, Sister . Quickly his sister ran to the Cardak And opened the box in the Cardak

And took out the ﬁne apparel .

And when Marko clothed him, on of He put cloth velvet, on set And his head he a kalpak with a silver crest, on And his legs breeches with Clasps,

Each clasp worth a golden ducat . on And he girded his damascened sabre, Whereof the golden tassels went to the ground ;

Sheathed in gold was the sabre, S of harp blade and sweet to handle, 2 And the servants brought out his horse,

And saddled him with a gilded saddle, on f And put trappings him that came down to his hoo s,

- And over all a dappled lynx skin, of And they bridled him with a bit steel . N ow to was Marko ready depart, a the as Hec lled hisservants, cellarermakes such speed he may. t Be ween them they bear forth wine,

Two vessels of red wine, One they gave to the war- horse

1 C k n - arda : a upper chamber (or a tower) with a verandah . 2 I believe the word cayra might often be appropriately rendered “ ” s quire . I SI I

- That he grew blood red to the ears .

c as - The se ond Marko drank stirrup cup,

- And he grew blood red to the eyes . 1 now And dragon rode forth on dragon , ou t o f And they went over the ﬁelds Prilep . So they passed over hill and dale t And drew nigh o Kossovo . o not But Mark would to level Mitrovica,

- But turned him aside at the ﬁrst cross roads, obratim And went straight to his p ,

To obra tim M iloS his p Vojvoda . to And when Marko was come near the castle,

Vojvoda Milos perceived him, saw From his white tower he him, And called to him his many servants “ ! Servants mine, open the gate

Get ye out to the wide plain, G O by the broad highway,

Your caps, children, put under your armpits,

And do obeisance down to the black earth, For obratim ! lo, my p Marko cometh to me o f Lay not hold on the hem his mantle, ff hear O er not to his sword for him, k Nor go ye too nigh to Mar o, For it may be that he is in anger, t It may be that he is ﬂown wi h wine, ’ b e And well might trample you under his horse s feet,

And leave you, children, in evil case . k is But when Mar o come in at the gate, a And we have embraced e ch the other, k ’ Then ta e ye Marko s horse, k C k And I shall lead Mar o to the arda . Quickly the servants set open the gate

And met Marko in the ﬁeld .

“ 1 ai r n a I D II Ana V k i ct. A Ear a a y oja a . according to u ( ) is h k of n t e s and . a ind drago which has power to bring cloud hail Here, “ ” of ﬁ one . course, gurative, meaning mighty I 32 I

r But Marko looked not at the se vants, But rode his ways past them ; t He rode his horse o the gate, e And at the gate he light d down . M iloS The Vojvoda came forth, And met Marko his pobratim ; o u t They spread their arms and kissed each the other, M iloS to C And would fain have led him the ardak, u C But Marko ref sed and would not to the ardak . “ ” “ not to Ca k Nay, brother, quoth he, I will the rda , I have no time for feasting ;

But whether hast thou heard,

Concerning Prizren the white city, And the house hold of Kapetan Leka ?

For thereof they say great marvel . Wondrous marvel they say o f the maid Rosanda ; In the four quarters of the earth of In all the lands Turk and Giaour,

There be none like unto her in the whole world .

Neither white Turkish maid nor Vlach , n f Nor yet o damsel o slender Latin breed .

They that have seen the mountain Vila, m a t Say that the Vila, brother, y not compare wi h her . sa e th t Thus folk praise her, and no man y aught agains u Today we two pobratim s

Have met together, both of us unwed,

Unworthier men have made mock of us,

Less worshipful than we have wedded, Yea ff , and have begotten o spring, ! And we remain, brother, for a reproach obratim We have a third p , The winged Relja of Pazar ;

Beyond Raska, beyond the cold river.

From the ﬁrst we have been true brethren . on Put now thy ﬁnest apparel,

Take with thee gold also, And take a golden ring for the maiden ;

[ 34 ] What a pair of eyes he had ! What a mighty black moustache ! Graceful it drooped to his shoulders ; Happy she that taketh him to husbandl

And now they mounted their good steeds,

And went forth to Mitrovica plain . s They de cended towards Novi Pazar, ’ the RaSk a Re l a s Along to j manor. t o u t obratims Relja saw hem and came to meet his p , k They spread wide their arms and issed one the other.

In the gateway they lighted down, k And swift squires too the horses . to C k Then Relja bade them the arda , Bu t Marko would not, and he said to Relja “ C We will not, pobro, to the ardak, r C k No to the arda nor to the Slender tower . e And he told him all wherefore they journey d . “ ” “ C C obra tim ome, Relja, quoth he, ome, p , We shall wait fo r thee a little : on n Put thy ﬁ est raiment upon thee,

And let the servants saddle thee thy horse .

Relja was glad of that word . Hadst thou but seen with thine eyes When the winged hero donned his apparel ! Hadst thou seen the splendid bridegroom That the winged Relja made ! is It no j est that the hero had wings, i — No j est is t he had wings indeed . k A sorry ﬁgure was Mar o beside him, M iloS the A sorry ﬁgure also Vojvoda . l - ste ed Relja mounted his Vila ,

And they went by the wide plain, RaSka Along the , by the cold river .

And they came to the fords, oSanica And they crossed the J water,

1 JI B HT Rona n axa : th B H O a, oj o to express e superlative quality of his f horse, the Vila being endowed with marvellous swi tness . [ 35 ]

1 Seven and seventy fords . They reached Kolasin village

2 0 0 And went down to level Metohia . Senovac They came to village, T o Sen ovac and so to Orahovac ;

Then they went over level Metohia,

And entered on the Prizren plain, r Under high Sa mountain . off And they were yet afar ,

When Leka Kapetan espied them .

s - He took his py glass of crystal, se e t That he might who hey were and whence, For Lek a Kapetan wit well 2 1 0 That they were worthy k nights and horses ;

And - when he put the spy glass to his eye, orthwith k Vo vodas F he new the three Serbian j , k He new them and marvelled,

And also was he somewhat adread .

And Leka cried with a loud voice, With a loud voice he cried and called his servants “ e ! Servants min , open the gate ! Servants mine, haste ye forth into the ﬁeld

o odas 2 2 0 There come to me three Serbian V jv . k orte ndeth I now not what this p , k o u r Nor now I whether there will be peace in land . k set Quic ly the servants open the gate,

And went forth afar over the plain,

And they bowed them down even to the ground, Bu t Vo vodas the j regarded not the servants, Bu t urged their horses onward to the gate .

There the servants drew nigh to them, k v And too their aliant steeds, 1 “ ” Seven and seventy : probably to express an inde ﬁn itely large “ and e f e n e in f h . C . t e number Two tw nty is r qu e tly us d this sense . of the k n e : k k na dvadeset words olo so g b ginning Igra olo, igra olo ” I li ad e on O x te ' ‘ ' In the v o a KO . i dva . a v ry l g spear is t O fn nXU (xv ' ' and Ov O Ka LeLKO O L eT o . 1. of a huge bowl is p p s (XXIII Cf. also 34 5 this ballad and page 1 4 1 line 99 . I 36 I

And Leka Kapeta n came forth ; Vo vodas In the courtyard he met the three j , s They halsed each other in arm and kissed each the other, And each hero asked other how he did ;

Each took other by the hand, to C And went, brother, the slender ardak . C And when they were gone up into the ardak, fro the Albeit Marko had gone to and in earth, r N o marvelled no more at anything,

N o r was never abashed, was Yet here Marko both marvelled and abashed, ’ W e C hen he b held Leka s ardak,

And saw the splendour thereof. k was ? Wherewith , thin ye, the ﬂoor covered With ﬁne cloth that reached to the door of the Ca rdak ; was And on the cloth spread fair velvet . ’ how ? And , think ye, were the beds in Leka s manor How the pillows under the head ? o f All, all were wove in thread purest gold . C Round the ardak were pegs a many,

Wherefrom hung knightly weapons, And the pegs were o f white silver ; And the columns round about the Cardak

Were all of white silver,

And the capitals thereof were of ﬁne gold . And on the left side of the Cardak 1 Was - the well garnished sofra ,

And out along it wine had been poured , And brimmed in golden beakers ; And at the head thereof stood a goblet

That held full nine litres of wine, was And wrought of purest gold . was It the goblet of Leka Kapetan,

And of that Marko had great marvel . s it And now Leka bade them down, a a the He made pl ce at the he d of sofra, 1 f So ra : the low table round which the guests squatted on cushions on the f loor . [ 37 ] d Gladly he welcomed the Vojvo as . a w Therewithal c me the s ift servants,

They took the beakers from the sofra, And gave them into the hands of the knights ; t to own But ﬁrst hey gave their lord and master, a n To Lek Kapeta their lord . ou t o f eas And wine there was m ure, ra was And the sof garnished with all knightly cheer, t a And wi h ﬁne me ts of every sort. r y ea They d ank wine, , and so they tarried

From Sunday again to Sunday, And oft did Marko cas t glance of eye two obra tims Upon his p , For n to k ow whether of them should speak to Leka,

And say the word concerning the damsel . k k But when Mar o loo ed at them, n They cast their eyes o the ground . No was e light thing it to sp ak of this matter to Leka, was a r That such a gre t and wo shipful knight. t When Marko saw himself in his strait, He needs must speak the word to Leka : “ ” Most worshipful Leka, quoth he, sit We and we drink wine, o f r And we have spoken together all matte s, And ever I look to thee and listen as k When thou wilt me, Leka,

Wherefore we are come this far journey,

And wherefore we have tired our horses. ” as k ! But thou wilt not me, Leka was And now indeed it hero against hero, And craft met craft again ; And Leka answere d him right craftily “ Kral e vié k O Vojvoda, j Mar o, How as k should I thee, brother, a ? Since thou, Marko, h st long not honoured me Why are ye not oftener come to me e as k That ach might how it fared with other, I 38 I k That we might drin red wine, And see if peace were to reign in the land ? o Ye are come to me today, tomorrow I will g to you . He said and waited the word of Marko ; was k Nor for long Mar o silent, But made answer to him again as All is thou sayest, Leka Kapetan, Bu t I have somewhat more to say unto thee On a matter that is hard to open ;

News of import hath reached us,

Fo r they say that here is a marvel,

A wondrous marvel, even the proud maid Rosanda . sa o f t They y that in the four corners the ear h, B In osnia and in Rumelia,

In Syria and in Egypt,

In Atolia and in Anatolia,

And in the seven Vlach kingdoms, the h And in whole world none may compare wit her. no sa e th They praise her, and man y aught against us. a We are come, Sir Lek , That we may ask the maid in marriage ; obratims All three we are p , All three till now unwed : th to Give y sister which of us thou wilt,

C - in - hoose for brother law which thou wilt, one the m That may be eager bridegroo ,

And the others his two devers,

And that all may be thy chiefest friends . Leka was angered and made frowning countenance ; “ ” “ k Think not of that, quoth he, Vojvoda Mar o ! not Bring forth a ring for the maid, ’ 1 N or ﬂa on yet the suitor s g .

1 H ocaq na O m n a : the if k p y j according to custom, Mar o had pro “ ’ ” duced the ﬂa on and if k k of suitor s g , Le a had drun out it, he would se e one of the have been pledged to that his sister married three heroes . As he had no authority over hi s wilful sister he dared not enter into any he r agreement on behalf. [ 39 ]

as o f What I a knight have sought God, That have I obtained this day

In that I gain for me such friends . But I must tell you a hard thing ;

Sooth it is that thou hast heard, Vojvoda Marko, That there is no such damsel of beauty ; k It is true indeed what fol say,

But this my sister is a shrew,

She feareth none save God,

She careth naught for her brother.

Four and seventy suitors there are, k That are come see ing my sister,

And in all my sister hath found some fault,

And shamed her brother before the suitors . k n I durst not ta e thy ri g, ’ N or of ﬂa o n drink the suitor s g . not If my sister will go with you tomorrow, ” How then shall I answer you ? k Into loud laughter bra e Marko, And spak e to him in this wise “ k ! Ah me, Le a, alas for thy mother

Art thou then head of this household,

And ruler of the level plain, And thine own Sister feareth thee not ? of By the faith my body,

Were it my sister in Prilep, she And would not obey me,

o ff I should cut her hands, Or put out her eyes ! Bu t ! hear me now, Leka Kapetan a And if thou art afe red of thy dear sister, I pray thee as head of the household That thou go to the white tower ; G O , Leka, where thy sister sitteth, Ask h her and bring her ither, And let her look upon us k nights ;

It may well be that such she hath never seen . I 4 0

th Do thou tell y Sister, Leka, us she That she may choose which of will,

And we brethren shall not quarrel,

But one shall be the bridegroom, r The other twain shall be the deve s,

And we shall all be thine own good friends . a Up sprang Lek , no word he said,

He went to the high tower, And spake to his sister Rosanda “ C ome, sister, come proud Rosa, C C ! ome, sister, to the Slender ardak

It so fortunes thee in this thy life, That o f three Serbian k nights thou mayst take thy cho Whose lik e there is not in the world this day ; Thereby shall thy brother gain good friends

And thou, sister, shalt wed with great honour. The sister made answer to her brother “ G o to C , brother, the slender ardak, k t Drin wine toge her and toast one the other, ” B to C ehold thy sister cometh the ardak . orthwithal C k F goeth Leka to the arda , And like brethren the knights sit together in the Ca rd was C Then a sound heard in the high ardak, There was a sound o n the slender staircase a Of d inty slippered feet, 10 of ! And , a bevy maidens the And in midst thereof the maid Rosanda . a C And when Rosand entered into the ardak, The four corners thereof glittered the of With splendour her apparel, a And the be uty of her form and features .

The three Serbian knights looked upon her,

They looked and were abashed, For in sooth they had great marvel of Rosa .

Many a wonder had Marko seen, e He had se n the Vilas of the mountains, h r And he had Vilas t at were his sworn siste s,

[ 4 2 ]

That the Cardak rang in the four corners thereof; And therewithal she began to speak shameful words “ God be praised ! Praise be to the true God ! v o f I can understand mar els every sort,

And for all adversities I can ﬁnd a remedy. of But I understand not this land Prizren, That hath bestowed the rank o f chief On a madman lik e Leka Kapetan ! Where is thy understanding ? Thou hast lost it ! ? What whim hath taken thee, brother How hast thou been so befooled this day ? d1 Liever had I remain unwe , In this our realm of Prizren o Than g to Prilep castle, ’ And be called Marko s wife. For Marko holds of the Sultan,

He ﬁghts and smites for the Turks,

Never will he have grave nor burial, ’ Nor o er his grave will burial service be read . Wherefore with all my beauty should I be wife to a Turkish minion ?

Yet would I not be angered, ’ of That thou art deceived by reason Marko s valour,

But I am wroth with thee, That thou ﬁ ndes t aught to love

M iloS In this Vojvoda , B is of ecause he featly fashioned body and a strong knight . Hast thou heard what folk say concerning him ? § 2 They say that a mare foaled Milo ,

A grey Arab mare, 2 An Arab mare that brought forth crane- like foals ; § In the morning they found Milo in the stud, And the mare suckling him with her udder ;

1 . m Lit to comb y grey hair . 2 ’ The O bilié and hero s surname was said by many to be Kobilic, k of as obila a mare, the point the sneer is obvious . 2 S ee e 1 1 . not , line 5 [ 4 3 ] i f Hence his strength and h s greatness o stature.

Yet even therefor should I not be wroth , has But this, brother, moved me to anger, That thou speak est to me of the winged Relja ! Where is thy understanding ? Thou hast lost it ! Where is thy tongue ? Thou speak est no word ! k Wherefore, brother, as est thou not Relja

What is his parentage and what his line, ? Who his father, and who his mother For I have heard folk say

That Relja is a bastard of Novi Pazar. r They found him one morning in the st eet, k And a gipsy suc led him . Hence hath he his pinions ; f I go not with him nor with any o them . k w the Ca . She said, and went do n from rda

Behind her, face ﬂamed to face, ’ For the knights were shamed in each other s presence, ’ And Marko s anger blazed lik e living ﬁre . Li htl he g y leapt to his feet, his He snatched sharp sword from the nail, ’ off And would have stricken Leka s head, M iloS k But sprang forward and seized Mar o, And grasped the sabre in his hand “ ” “ Kral ev ié k Hold thy hand, quoth he, j Mar o, Leave thy sabre— God’s curse upon it ! Wouldst thou do sca the to this our brother That hath so well received us ?

she - And for a wretched bastard, Wouldst thou make all Leka’s land to weep ? ” l il ff And h oé su ered him not to lay hands on Leka .

k tho u ht Mar o looked, and a g came to him, k He sought no more to ta e his sabre, k But loo ed at the dagger in his girdle,

Then rushed down from the slender Cardak .

And when Marko reached the ground, set on And foot the stony pavement, [ 44 ]

o Rosa was nigh unto the t wer, And her maidens were round about Rosanda ; They upheld her ﬂowing sleeves and the hem of her garments ; Mark o saw it and cried aloud “ O damsel, O proud Rosanda, t th I beseech hee of y youthfulness, Send from thee thy maidens And turn thy face to me ! r was d Fo I sore abashe , Rosa, Before thy brother in the Ca rdak

SO that I saw thee not well . to And when I go Prilep castle, My sister will weary me ‘ ’ Ask ing : Was Rosa fair to look upon ? ” ma ee th t s . Turn thee, hat I y y face

The damsel sent away her maidens, She turned her about and showed her face “ ” “ N ow she ! Marko, quoth , thou mayst look on Rosa

Marko raged and was wroth out of wit,

One step he made and a mighty spring,

And by the hand he seized the damsel, his He drew the sharp dagger from girdle, And cut O ff her right arm ; off He cut her arm at the shoulder, the And gave right arm into her left hand, ou t And with the dagger he put her eyes,

And wrapped them in a silken kerchief,

And thrust them into her bosom . Then spake Marko in this wise : “ C hoose now, thou maid Rosanda, C now hoose which thou wilt,

Whether the Turkish minion, ’ } son Or Milos the mare s , Or Relja the bastard ! ” s k Ro a shrie ed that it was heard afar, And she cried to her brother Leka : [ 45 ]

O a ! my brother, Leka Kapet n Seest thou not how I perish miserably ” At the hands of mighty Kralj evié lVIark o ! the C k In slender arda Leka hears her,

But he is silent as were he a cold stone,

Nor durst he speak a word, t Lest he oo should perish . his Marko lift up voice, for he would not enter C k into the arda , He ca lled to his two pobratims “ C C ! ome, brothers, come down from the ardak

Bring my sabre in your hands,

The time is come for us to depart . obratims The p hearkened unto Marko,

They came down to the pavement, on C Marko girded his sword below the ardak,

They mounted their good steeds, th And went forth over e wide plain .

Leka stayed like a cold stone,

And Rosa, mutilated, kept wailing . A DAMSEL OUTWITS MARKO

E H ER was a poor maid that was an orphan, e she not When sh dined then supped , If she dined and supped

Then she had no clothing. 1 Yet for all that good fortune came to her , ' ic Kralj e v Marko sought her in marriage, k Vojvoda Jan o urged a rival suit, ’ Pavle Us tu pCic gave her a ring .

And the three suitors arose,

- Each with a thousand wedding guests with him, ’ s And came right o to the damsel s dwelling . k Marko came ﬁrst, and behind Marko, Jan o, ’ k Ustu Cic And behind Jan o, Pavle p . ' l e ic: Kra j v Marko looked behind him, And spak e to the Vojvoda Janko : “ W k ? hither goest thou, Jan o

Wherefore hast thou troubled so many guests,

And wearied so many horses,

Since that the maid is not for thee, ' ” Bu t Kral evic ? for me, j Marko k Jan o held his peace and said nothing, But he turned him to Pavle UstupCié 2 k : And spa e to him (softly) , saying “ ? Whither goest thou, Pavle so Wherefore hast thou troubled many guests, And wearied so many horses ?

N ot m for me the aiden, nor yet for thee, k But for the falcon, Mar o Kralj

Pavle held his peace, he said nothing, 1 The phrase good fortune when used with reference to a girl commonly sign ifi es an offer of marriage . 2 “ Tuxo Tu . f . I n the or , as here, jo lit so tly epic ballads , however, the n o of of the an word connotes idea a lowering voice, but indicates k f ordinary spea ing tone as distinguished rom shouting . It should be omitted in transla ting . [ 4 7 ]

- But he rode forward before his wedding guests .

And when they were come near to the house, ’ O ff The maid s mother had seen them afar ,

And came forth joyfully to meet them . she Then conducted the lordly throng,

And led them three by three into her dwelling . 1 se t The Kums she each by other, 2 Svats The Stari each by other,

The suitors each by other. After that she turned to the wedding- guests “ ” - she Ye well beseen guests, quoth , ! Enter, good friends, an it please you

When the guests had rested them a little, ' Mark o Kralj ev ic arose o u t And pulled his damascened sabre, k And laid it across his nees . Then he turned him to Janko, k e And spa (softly) to him, saying “ Hearken to me, Vojvoda Janko, ' Ustu Cic ! And thou likewise, Pavle p 2 se t We shall out three golden apples , And three golden rings ;

Let them bring forth the fair damsel,

And let her choose whose apple she will,

Or apple or golden ring .

And he whose ring or apple she taketh, k ” Shall himself ta e the fair damsel .

o rthwithal F they obeyed Marko, se t They out three golden apples, And three golden rings ;

Then the fair damsel was brought, k evic k And Mar o Kralj spa e, saying “ Hear me, fair damsel, 1 f n e . Kum god ather, spo sor, principal witn ss “ ” 2 th Stari Svat : lit . e senior gu est ; the meaning approximate s “ to se cond witness . 2 and f of the ffe of If the Ring apple orm part o ring a suitor . girl ke the ta s the apple it is a sign that suitor is accepted . I 4 8 I

Choose now whose apple thou wilt have, ” Or apple or golden ring . When the damse l understood these words she was (Though poor also prudent),

She answered him again, and said “ 1 - in - evié ! Kum God, Kralj Marko ! Stari Svat, Vojvoda Janko

- And all ye gay wedding guests,

h r - in - G od ! Brot e s , good friends

An apple is a toy for children, i Bu t a ring s a knightly pledge. Ustu éié I will wed with Pavle p . of Marko roared like a beast the forest,

He smote his knee with his hand, And said to the poor maiden : “ Bitch that thou art !

Someone hath taught thee this, But say now who hath taught thee The damsel made answer “ Kral evié Dear Kum, j Marko, ” Thy sword instructed me.

Then Marko laughed loudly upon her, to And spake her, saying “ for Well thee, fair damsel, no That thou tookest apple, Nor apple nor golden ring ! o f By the faith my body, Off I should have cut thy two hands, a Nor wouldst thou have saved thy he d, 2” Nor ever o n thy head have worn the green garland ! 1 When Marko laid his drawn sword across his knees the girl under f in she stood the hint per ectly . She was love with Pavle, but dared not his f for if k k k he r. choose gi t , she did , she new that Mar o would ill But her nimble wit enables he r to evade the danger and at the same time ’ her f f the to gain heart s desire . She ignores the gi ts and be ore assembled e - u B w dding g ests hails Marko as her Kum and Janko as Stari Svat . y all the rules Marko is bound to accept ofﬁ ce and ex oﬁ ci o it is his duty f m to urther the arriage which he had been so eager to prevent . 2 - The wedding wreath .

[ 5 0 ]

M iloS sate him down and wrote a letter,

T o Prilep the white castle, Kral e vié his obratim To Marko j , p “ - in - Kral evié k Brother God, j Mar o, — Hast thou not heard o r carest thou naught for

Into sore straits am I come,

In the hands of the Magyars . u Ca k General V hath ta en me, obratim s And with me my two p . as o f He hath c t us into the depths a dungeon, our k Where the water cometh to nees,

of - And the bones dead heroes are shoulder high .

Three white days have I lain here, brother,

And, brother, if I remain yet three days, Nevermore shalt thou see me !

obratim k Deliver me, p Mar o, r Be it with gold o by deed of prowess .

Then he struck the pen into his face, k And caused the blood to pour from his chee , b e With blood sealed his letter.

He gave it to the post, him And gave twelve ducats, And to the post M iloS sai th : “ a t Be r his letter to white Prilep,

n o f Kral e ié k To the k ees j v Mar o .

The post departed for white Prilep, on And reached it the holy Sabbath,

What time the Serbs were at church .

The post stood before the white church, Until Mark o should come forth of the church ;

And anon when Marko came forth, se t The post his cap under his arm,

And bowed to the ground before Marko,

And gave him the letter.

When Marko received the letter, a St nding, Marko oversaw the letter,

And when he perceived what it told him, [ 5 1 ]

Tears came into his eyes, And he lift up his Voice and cried “ obratim ! Woe is me, my dear p

Into grievous straits art thou come, unhappy one ! of Yet do I swear by the faith my body,

That I shall deliver thee, brother, Be it by gold or by deed of prowess ! He gat him up to his slender tower ;

He sate him down for a space and drank his ﬁll of wine,

- Then he girded on his sabre well forged,

k of - He threw around him a cloa wolf skin,

s et o f - k On his head he a cap wolf s in, — And bound it on with a brown head cloth .

- Then he took his battle spear, o f Sharatz And descended to the stall .

- Sharatz He made ready his war horse ,

- He made fast the seven saddle girths,

And bridled him with a gilded bridle .

- He poured wine into the wine skin,

- the And hanged it at the saddle bow on left hand,

On the right hand he hanged his heavy mace,

That the saddle might not slip this way nor that . Then he threw himself on the back of Sharatz And rode forth of Prilep town ! k 1 Towards Belgrade the capital he too his way ,

And when he was come nigh to Belgrade,

k o f He entered an inn and dran his ﬁll wine . 2 Sharatz Then he laid a cloth over ,

And so came to the Danube ferry. k Twice Mar o shouted for the ferryman, N or a would w it for him no longer, But urged Sharatz into the Danube ; s Straight he went toward Varadin castle,

To the green meadows before Varadin .

1 “ One np aB o crojny a orp alty : Straight he went to Belgrade the ” B r - a k . V capital crojHII uorp aa Alba regi ( u ) . 2 To conceal his identity . [ 5 2 ]

- Sharatz There he halted the war horse ,

He struck his spear into the untilled ground,

- And tied Sharatz to the spear shaft . He unslung the wine - sk in from the saddle- bow

And laid it on the . green grass,

Then he sate him down and drank the dark wine. k use k He dran it not as men to drin , But he drank from a copper basin of twelve okas ; haratz S . Half he drank, and half he gave to

When day dawned on the morrow,

elim irovica V was walking, The dear daughter- in - law of General Vu Ca

On the wall of Varadin castle . the She looked downward to green meadows,

She saw Marko in the meadow, ' she Kral evic And when saw j Marko, on An ague gat hold her, he And s ﬂed into the white manor. General Vuéa asked her : “ a - in - ? What aileth thee, dear d ughter law Ve lim irovica answered him : “ - in - ! Ah, father law

A knight sitteth in the wide meadow,

He hath planted his spear in the unploughed earth,

- And hath tethered his horse to the spear shaft, And hard by there lieth a wine- sk in : t k He drinke h not as men use to drin ,

o f k But from a copper basin twelve o as,

He drinketh half, and half he giveth to the horse. is His horse not as other horses, But brindled like as beeves ; as The knight is not other knights,

Bu t on o f - his shoulders is a cloak wolf skin, On his head is a cap o f wolf- sk in Bound on with a brown head - cloth ; In his teeth he holdeth something black as That for size is a lamb of half a year. 5 3

a Vuc , the General, saith to her — no a - in ! Have fear, dear d ughter law

I have his fellows in the dungeon, k And him also I shall ta e presently. He called to him his son Velimir : “ ! Velimir, my dear child k n son Ta e three hu dred horsemen, my ;

Go thou down to the wide meadow, ” And bring me in yonder knight .

Velimir leapt to his feet, He took three hundred horsemen ; k He mounted his ﬁery blac steed, as t He rode out through the c le gate, k And compassed about Mar o on four sides . k k And ever Mar o sat drinking the dar wine, Sharatz the But espied horsemen, o n He stamped the ground with his hoofs,

And drew nigh to his master. But anon when Kralj e vié Mark o look ed up

The horsemen already compassed him about. so k k wm e Right Mar o dran a vessel of , And threw the vessel down on the green grass ; k Sharatz Then he ﬂung him on the bac of ,

And with that the horsemen ran in upon him .

Had one but been there to see, k k When Mar o stra e upon the horsemen, Lik e a falcon among doves ! How many he slew with his rich - wrought sabre ! Howmany he trampled down beneath the feet ofSharatz ! How many he drowned in the silent Danube1 !

The stripling Velimir ﬂed before him, on Sharatz Marko followed hard after him ,

And overtook him in the wide meadow .

He smote him lightly with his mace,

The stripling fell down on the green grass .

1 “ H : see on T in y THXOM lIy aBy note a x A Damsel outwits Marko . “ ” “ ” s - ﬂo Here quiet or mooth wmg . [ 54 ]

Sharatz Marko lighted down from his horse ,

He bound the youth feet and hands, — haratz And fastened him to the saddle bow Of S . k — Then he hied him bac to his wine skin,

He cas t the stripling down on the green grass,

And sate him down again for to drink wine . limirovica All this Ve perceived, And she ran to General Vu Ca “ on Vu Ca ! A curse thy wine, — A curse on thy wine and a double curse on thyself!

All thy horsemen have perished, ’ Ve lim ir s The knight hath bound hands, h and He hat bound his feet his hands,

And behold he drinketh red wine, And Velimir lieth on the sward ! ” Vu Ca m ade answer : “ not - in - Be adread, dear daughter law, — Thou wilt see now when the old man goeth forth !

He caused the castle guns to thunder,

He assembled three thousand horsemen,

He mounted his Arab mare, t s ate And rode ou through the castle g . the Down in the meadow he disposed horsemen,

And from fou r sides they closed in .

Marko saw naught thereof, But the war- horse Sharatz saw it ; on He stamped the ground with his hoofs, n And drew igh to his master. Kral evié k But anon when j Marko loo ed up, The horsemen already encompassed him about ! to Therewithal he sprang his light feet, on o f Sharatz And threw him the back . t see Ah, that one had been here to , How he drave the horsemen across the meadow ! His sabre was in his right hand,

- In his left his battle spear, In his teeth the bridle ; [ 55 ] Whomsoever Marko smote with his sabre Was made two instead of one ! 2 1 0

Whomsoever Marko smote with his spear, Him he cast over his head ! And when he had turned him about once and again The troop of horsemen went to the devil ! Vu Ca ﬂed from before him,

On his slender Arab mare, k h ratz Mar o pursued after him on S a . Swift was the wild Arab of Vu Ca VuCa k And fain would ta e refuge in Varadin castle,

k 2 2 0 But Mar o swung his heavy mace,

He hurled it after him athwart the ﬁelds,

And smote him with the mace handle . Vu Ca fell down on the green grass ; k of Then Mar o Prilep lighted down, ’ Vu éa s e He bound hands b hind his back,

He bound his feet and his hands,

- f haratz And hanged him at the saddle bow o S . d He seized the slender Arab stee , son And went again to Velimir the .

He bound them fast each to other, And ﬂung them across the Arab mare ; Sharatz He tied the Arab mare to ,

And hied him straightway to white Prilep,

And cast the twain into the dungeon . ’ so Vu Ca s Right wife wrote a letter, And sent it to white Prilep :

B - in - evié ! rother God, Kralj Marko not Vu Ca Slay my ,

Nor yet my son Velimir. ! ” Ask, Marko, whatsoever thou wilt The letter came to Kraljevié Marko ; W hen he perceived what the letter told him , Mark o wrote another letter “ Thou faithful W ife of Vu Ca ! t obratim s Do thou set free my hree p , [ 56 ]

And give them three to vars o f gold ld 1 Set free also o Toplica , 2 tovars o f And give him three gold , For much time hath that knight lost yonder tovars And give me three of gold, o n Sharatz Because I have laid much labour my .

And if there be aught else, Lady, M iloS of Poce r Thou hast there je,

Thou mayst accord thee with him .

The letter went to Varadin castle . ’ When it came to the General s wife, the She read letter, And sent the gold to Marko o f Prilep ; she k Then too the keys of the dungeon,

And opened the accursed dungeon, Vo And let out the three young jvodas, And with them the aged Toplica ;

She led them to the white tower, And she let call skilful barbers ; as The ﬁrst w hed, the second shaved them,

And the third cut their nails .

She brought them wine and rakia, f And ﬁne meats o every sort.

She told them what Marko had done, And to Vojvoda M iloS she said

- in - G od Vo l\/IiloS Brother , jvoda ,

Set free my lord, And my so n Velimir ! M iloS o f Pocerje answered her “ no Lady, have fear, ’ Give me Vu éa s black horse “ 1 ‘ H II YCTH M P1 CTap OI a TonII II IIy . Old Toplica is here referred f n V k for the ﬁ s . In e u k to r t time a oot ote, how ver, remar s that there is a variant which says that the father of Toplica Milan was imprisoned n In set f the k i Varadin . order to him ree three heroes bro e into the stronghold but were themselves seized by Vu éa . 2 k - s Tovar the load carried by a pac horse . I have ometimes trans “ ” lated this word by a charge .

MARKO KRALJ EVIC AN D T HE FALCON

A RKO KRA LJ EVI C fell sick the of By roadside, by the way heroes, id Bm e his head he thrust in his spear, Sha ratz And to his spear he tethered . And thus Spak e Kralj evié Marko : “ to If one should give me water drink, one If should make a shade for me, Such an one would win a place for his soul 1 Thither sped a falcon— that grey bird I n is a h be k he carried water to him, t And gave o Marko water to drink . his He spread out wings over Marko, And so he contrived shade fo r Marko ; ' And Kraljevic Marko said “ of O falcon, grey bird mine,

What service have I done thee ever, w That thou shouldst give me ater to drink, And shouldst contrive a shade for me ? ” The falcon bird made answer : “ not Kral evié ! Jest , j Marko

When we were in Kossovo battle, of And endured ﬁerce onslaught the Turks, k The Tur s took me,

And clipped both my wings, k Then thou too est me in, Marko,

s et ﬁ r- And didst me on a green tree, k That the Tur ish horses might not destroy me. of Thou gavest me the ﬂesh heroes to eat, k And red blood thou gavest me to drin , ’ n ! Twas the , O Marko, that thou didest me service

1 Le . a place in heaven . MARKO KRALJ EVI C AND THE FALCON (Variant)

’ A RKO lay beside the Sultan s highway, M r He w apped him about in a green dolman,

- k k He covered his face with a silver wor ed erchief, k He struc his spear into the ground upright,

- hara tz And to the spear shaft he tethered S . — On the spear sat an ea gle that grey bird He k spread his wings, he made shade for Mar o, And in his beak he bare cold water

And gave to the wounded hero to drink . Then from the woo dy hill the Vila called “ — - G od ke ep us thou grey eagle bird ! k What indness hath he showed thee ever, evié Hath Marko Kralj showed thee ever, k That thou spreadest thy wings to ma e a shade for him, That in thy beak thou bearest cold water And givest to the wounded hero to drink ? Bu t h the eagle, t at grey bird, made answer th k ! Hold y peace, Vila, be thou stric en dumb What hath he not done for me ? What hath not Marko Kralj evié done for me ? k Thereof shalt thou well wit and now.

When the army perished at Kossovo,

And both Emperors were slain, r Even Knez Lazar and Sultan Mu ad, ’ The blood that fell reached to the horses stirrups, o f k Yea, and to the silken girdles the nights,

That horses and knights swam therein, ! Horse against horse, hero against hero

And we birds ﬂew thither anhungered,

Anhungered and athirst we ﬂew, We did eat of the ﬂesh of heroes And of the blood of heroes we did drink ; we t Anon my wings grew with blood, sk The sun shined down from a clear y withal, ff And my wings waxed sti ,

That with my wings I might not ﬂy .

But my companions ﬂew thence, o f And I remained in the midst the level plain, And the horses and the heroes trampled me under foot !

Bu t Kral evié k God brought j Mar o thither, k o f He too me from the blood heroes, And s et me beside him on Sharatz ;

He bore me to the greenwood,

And set me upon a ﬁr branch . From the skies there fell a slender rain

And my wings were cleansed,

That with my wings I might ﬂy, Y ea , ﬂy over the greenwood

For to join me with my fellows . n Yet a other kindness he showed me, evié Marko Kralj showed me another kindness,

Thereof shalt thou well wit and know . on When the town Kossovo plain went up in ﬂames,

n o f And in ﬂames we t up the tower Hadj i Aga, My eaglets were there ; e vié Marko Kralj gathered them together, He gathered them in his silken bosom hi And bore them to s white manor .

He fed them a full month of days, A full month and a week of days ; set He them free in the greenwood, a And I found my e glets once again . ” Thus did Marko for m y sake ! of Kral evié And men think j Marko,

As of a lucky day in the year.

[ 6 2 ]

- He poured wine into a wine skin, of Sha ratz He hanged it on the saddle ,

And on the other side his heavy mace .

Then he mounted his ﬁery steed, B And went straightway to the ulgarian land, f iSman T o the white palace o King S . f From a ar the King espied him,

And came out for to meet him . f They opened their arms and kissed each other on the ace .

Each ask ed how it did with other.

The faithful servants took the horses,

And led them away to the stables below.

The King took Marko to the white tower,

- They sate them down at the well spread table, k And began to drin dark wine . t k And when hey had well drun en, k Mar o sprang to his light feet, ff He do ed his cap, he bowed him to the ground, k And as ed the King to give him the maid in marriage .

The King gave her without a word, 1 And when Marko had gotten ring and apple ,

And rich garments for the bride,

to - in - - in - And had given gifts mother law and sister law, 2 s e nded to ars Marko had p three v of gold . for o f He required him respite a month days, That he might fare to white Prilep

- - And gather the well beseen wedding guests . The maid ’s mother said to him “ - in - o f O son law, Marko Prilep, 2 Bring not a dever that is a stranger, or But either a brother else a cousin,

For the damsel is peerless of beauty, ” o f And we fear some deed shame .

1 T he ff of . See s k usual o ering a suitor A Damsel outwit Mar o . e and of f The appl quince are ancient symbols ertility . 2 The e k - load carri d by a pac horse . 2 - - man . Dever bride leader, best 63

ne Marko tarried yet o night there . Sharatz In the morning he made ready ,

And hied him straightway to white Prilep .

When he drew nigh to Prilep castle, t From afar his mo her espied him,

And came forth to meet him . her k She opened arms and issed him on the face, s Marko kis ed the white hand of his mother. ’ His mother ask ed Kralj evic Marko “ ' evic k O my son, Kralj Mar o, Hast thou journeyed in peace ?

- in - Hast thou won for me a daughter law,

For - in - me a daughter law, for thyselfa faithful wife ? T o his aged mother Mark o made answer “ Yea, mother, in peace have I journeyed,

I have wooed and won the maiden, e tovars I have sp nt also three of gold .

And when I left the white palace, ’ The maid s mother said to me ‘ - in - eviC O son law, Kralj Marko, B c one ring not as lever that is a stranger,

Bu t or bring a brother a cousin, For o f the damsel is peerless beauty, And of some great shame we are adread ! ’

And, mother, I have no brother,

I have no brother, nor no cousin . The aged mother said to him : “ son k o f O my , Mar o Prilep,

Have no care concerning that, But do thou write a letter f And send it to the Doge o Venice . as the Let him come kum to wedding, t Let him bring ﬁve hundred guests wi h him . ’ Z eml ic And do thou send another letter to Stepan j ,

c 1 0 0 That he may be lever to the damsel .

Let him bring ﬁve hundred guests with him, ” of And so thou shalt fear no deed shame . [ 64 ]

a When Marko he rd these words,

He obeyed his mother .

He wrote the letters on his knees .

One he sent to the Doge of Venice, im Z m l ié obrat e . The other to his p , Stepan j h And wit in a while, B o f ehold, the Doge Venice,

- With ﬁve hundred wedding guests with him .

The Doge gat him to the slender tower,

And the gues ts encamped on the wide plain .

And within a while behold Stepan also,

- t With ﬁve hundred wedding guests wi h him . t They met toge her in the slender tower, f And drank their ﬁll o dark wine .

- The wedding guests departed thence, of B And to the land the ulgars they went, ’ i m n Straight to King SS a s palace .

The King gave them fair welcome and according, 1 The horses were led to the cellars below, the k to And nights the white castle. h He kept t em for three white days, the The horses and knights reposed them . Bu t h w en the fourth morning dawned , The well - beseen CauSes cried “ - - s ! Up, ye wedding guests, well be een the Short are days and long the Stages,

Let us think of the homeward journey .

The King brought forth lordly presents . T o one t he gave embroidered kerchiefs, to ano her apparel .

To the kum he gave a golden table,

c - To the lever a gold embroidered shirt. T o c the lever also he gave over the maid on horseback, And to the dever thus spake the King : “ th Behold, horse and maiden are in y keeping,

1 uon M . The be py a cellar word , however, might better rendered “ ” as sta ble . Horses and cattle were lodged below the living - rooms in the but not in a cellar underground sense .

[ 66 ]

The Doge hied him to the dever Stepan “ “ a Dever, quoth he, give me thy de r ward f r one To be my true love o night . t fo r See, here are three boo s full of ducats thee . And Stepan Z em ljié was corrupted a For three boots of yellow duc ts .

He gave the Doge his dear ward, o f He took from him three boots full ducats .

- The Doge took his god daughter by the white hand, led He her to his tent, And spake smoothly to her “ - Sit thee down, my dear god daughter, t That we may embrace and love each the o her . Bu t the Bulgarian damsel answered and said : ! Unhappy godfather, Doge of Venice

The earth would open under us, s The heaven would break above us . Ho w Should thy god - daughter lie in thine arms ? The Doge of Venice made answer : “ no t — od- Speak foolishness dear g daughter, n Already I have loved ine,

od- Nine g daughters by baptism, And twenty- four by marriage ; N or once has the earth opened,

N o r k the heavens bro en above us .

Sit thee down that we may caress each the other . But the maid said to the Doge o f Godfather, Doge Venice, My Old mother hath adj utod me

to - Never love a full bearded hero, But only a knight smooth of chin as evié Such is Marko Kralj .

When the Doge of Venice heard it, k He let come s ilful barbers. ff hi rd O s hea . One washed him, the other shaved

The fair damsel stooped down,

She gathered up the beard and wrapped it in a kerchief. I 67

Then the Doge dismissed the barbers, And spake softly to his god- daughter : “ ” Sit thee down, dear daughter.

But the Bulgar maid answered .him “ t Ah, godfa her, Doge of Venice, Kral evié k of If j Mar o hear this, ” o ur We shall both lose heads . The Doge said to the fair maiden “ l Sit thee down and play not the fool,

k is - s ts 2 2 0 Mar o over yonder in the midst ofthe wedding gue , is Where his white tent pitched .

On the tent is a golden apple, two In the apple are precious stones,

Which illumine half the camp, it SO s thee down that we may caress each the other. The fair maid said to him : “ l Wait yet a litt e, most dear godfather, Until I go out before thy white tent For sk to look at the y,

Whether it be clear or cloudy . she was And when gone out before the tent, o f Kral evié The maid perceived the tent j Marko,

she - And lightly leapt past the wedding guests, old Like a roedeer a twelvemonth , Kral e ié To the tent of j v Marko . k Within the tent Mar o lay sleeping,

The maiden stood over him,

And down her fair face the tears ran . k Marko awoke and loo ed and was astonied , Then to the Bulgar maid he said : Ignoble maid l Mayst thou not endure

Until we come to my white manor, And until the Christian law is accomplished ?

- He seized his rich wrought sabre, f But the air damsel made obeisance, And said to Kralj evié Marko : [ 63 ]

and evié Lord master, Kralj Marko, f k I am not o ignoble stoc ,

But of a kingly line. I a th It s thou that le dest ignoble ones in y train . k um An ignoble , an ignoble dever. Stepan Z emljié hath sold me

o of To the Doge, my godfather, for three b ots full gold . nd not A if thou believest me , Marko, i s b of o f See, here the eard the Doge Venice . she heard ou t And shook the from the kerchief. ' Kral evic saw When Marko j it, He said to the damsel : “ Sit thee down, fair maid,

o ut On the morrow Marko will seek them .

And again he laid him down to sleep . su n a When day dawned and the c st his rays abroad,

Marko rose to his swift feet, t And donned his fur mantle with the hair ou side .

In his hand he took his heavy mace . orthwith to F to the kum he went and the dever,

f - And gave them air good morrow . “ “ - and Good morrow, quoth he, kum dever ! ? And dever, where is thy ward ? ” Kum, where thy daughter e — he The dever held his peac said no word, But the Doge o f Venice answered evié Marko Kralj , my friend, of Folk are strange humour nowadays, ” not One may even jest in peace. Said Marko Kraljevic “ of ! An ill jest for thee, Doge Venice N O off jest it was to shave thy beard . ” Where is thy beard of yesterday ? n The Doge would have a swered him again, Kral e vié n t But j Marko waited o . O ff a He swung his sabre and cut his he d . Z e ml ic Stepan j ﬂed,

MARKO KRALJ EVIC RECOGNISES HIS FATHER’S SWORD

T UR KI S H A damsel arose early, a Before the d wning and the white day,

For to wash linen in the Marica river . a Before sunrise the water was cle r,

After sunrise the water waxed dim .

And ﬁrst with mud and blood it ﬂowed, a Then it b re down horses and kalpaks, And towards noonday wounded heroes

And it bare with it a seemly knight, its The water took him in current,

He rolled over and over down the Marica river. i The good kn ght perceived the damsel by the river, And began to adjure her in the name o f G od

- in - ! Sister God, fair damsel

Throw me an end of linen cloth , Draw me ou t o f Marica river

And I shall reward thee richly. ’ The damsel hearkened to him in God s name, of She threw him an end linen, w ou t of to And dre him the water the bank.

Seventeen wounds had the knight,

And he wore gorgeous apparel .

his h - On t igh he bore a rich wrought sabre, the On sabre were three golden hilts, On the hilts three precious stones ; ’ was t s And the sabre worth three of the Sultan s ci ie . The knight spake to the Turkish damsel “ ” “ n Sister mine, quoth he, thou Turkish maide , Whom hast thou in thy white manor ? ” Answered to him the Turkish damsel

I have an aged mother,

- And I have a brother, Mustapha Aga . Then said the wounded knight : I 7 1 — i My sister thou Turk sh damsel,

G O - , tell thy brother Mustapha Aga, the That he may bear me to white manor. o f I have with me three purses gold, a In e ch are three hundred ducats, one I Shall give to thee,

- The second to thy brother, Mustapha Aga, The third I shall k eep for myself That I may heal me of my grievous wounds ; G od l And if will that I hea me of my wounds, I shall give great recompense to thee ;

- T o . thee, and to thy brother Mustapha Aga The damsel went to the white manor And told her brother Mustapha- Aga : “ - O brother, Mustapha Aga, n I have found a wou ded knight, the : In Marica, in cold river on o f He hath him three purses gold, In each are three hundred ducats ;

One will he give to me,

v to - The second will he gi e thee, Mustapha Aga, The third will he keep for himself That he may heal him o f his grievous wounds Be not evilly advised T o slay the wounded knight, Bu t the do thou bear him here to white manor. k The Tur gat him to the river Marica, k And when he saw the wounded night,

- He began to examine the rich wrought sabre . ’ off On a sudden he smote with it and cut the knight s head . of He stripped him his rich apparel,

And returned back to the white manor. out His sister came to meet him, she saw And when what he had done,

- She said to Mustapha Aga, her brother “ ? Wherefore hast thou done this, brother May God do so unto thee ! 72

Wherefore hast thou slain my pobratim ? For what hast thou done this evil ? For a rich - wrought sabre ? off own ea God grant it may cut thine h d . the Thus she said and ﬂed into manor .

Thereafter, but a short time had sped

ﬁ rman the When a came from Turkish Sultan, Laying charge on M ustapha that he should join the hos ’ So Mustapha joined him to the Sultan s host: He had girded on the rich - wrought sabre ’ a And when he c me to the Sultan s host,

Great and small examined the sabre, its a But none might draw it from sc bbard . to The sabre went from hand hand, of Kral evié It came into the hands Marko j , And for him the sabre left the scabbard of its own accord

When Marko examined the sabre, h C ! Lo, thereon were t ree hristian words

The ﬁrst was the name of Novak, the smith, was of Vu k aSin The second the name the King, The third was the name of Kralj evié Marko !

- : Marko asked the Turk, Mustapha Aga “ of ! Body me, thou youthful Turk Whence hast thou this sharp sabre ? Hast thou bought it for gold ? Or hast thou won it in battle ? Was it bequeathed thee by thy father ? Or did thy wife bring it thee ? Did thy wife bring it as dowry ?

- the Mustapha Aga, Turk, answered him “ of ! Body me, Giaour Marko h Since t ou askest, I will tell thee truly. as And he told him all even it had come to pass . To him spake Kralj evié Marko “ so h God do unto t ee, Turk, and more also ! Wherefore didst thou not heal his wounds ? I should have caused thee to receive favour

MARKO KRALJ EVIC RECOGNISES HIS FATHER’ S SWORD (Variant)

’ E H Sultan s Majesty came down to Kossovo, W ith an hundred thousand warriors with him,

And camped by Sitnica river. 1 And a public crier went through the host, ff O ering for sale a damascened sabre . The naked sword— three hundred ducats ; The shea th thereof— three hundred ducats ; Straps and swordbe lt— three hundred ducats ; But none might he ﬁnd

That would buy the sabre for gold .

But by chance it fortuned, the That Marko met with Turk, the merchant, And Kraljevié Marko said “ k o f ! O Tur , thou crier merchandise a s ee Give me the d mascened blade that I may it .

The Turk gave it without a word, l m n Marko looked we l at the da asce ed sabre, And to the crier he said : “ I will give thee nine hundred,

Nine hundred ducats, all of yellow gold, a ! But he r me, thou crier us e Let seek a s cluded spot, h l Let us wit draw us from here a litt e, so o u t the e all That I may count to the yellow ducats . k It li eth me not here to ungird me,

off of And to do my three belts gold, For here I owe much money to a Turk, ff He would not su er me to buy the sword . k o f The Tur had joy these words,

So they went up by Sitnica river, 1 T6 1 3 1! one e for . herald , messenger, who cri s articles sale [ 75 ]

Under the white stone bridge. Kral evic And j Marko ungirded, And did o ff his three belts of gold ; out He spread a green mantle,

And emptied thereon his three belts Of gold .

The Turk fell to counting all the yellow ducats, k k What time Mar o loo ed well at the Damascus blade, 10 the t C ! And , upon blade hree hristian words of The ﬁrst was the name Saint Demetrius, n of The seco d was the name the holy archangel, u k in The third was the name of King V aS . Kral evié And when j Marko perceived it, He put question to the Turk ish merchant “ k of O Tur , thou crier merchandise, the one By only God, Whence hast thou this Damascus sabre ? Came it to thee from thy father ? Or did thy wife bring it in wedding portion ? ” Or didst thou win it in ba ttle ? The Turk made answer to Marko “ k k ! Body of me, thou un nown night I will tell thee soothly !

The sabre came not to me from my father,

Nor did my wife bring it in wedding portion . k n ! But hearken, un nown k ight

l - ﬁ eld On the batt e did I win the sabre,

When the Serbian Empire perished,

And two emperors fell at Kossovo,

Sultan Murad and Tsar Lazar,

There won I the sabre. was ea While it yet rly I hied me to Sitnica, w That I might ater my stout steed,

And as it fortuned, on I came a green silken tent. h Within the tent t ere lay a wounded knight, Grim o f aspect he was— God strike him dea d ! on as His moustache fell down his bre t, 76

n He had wrapped himself in a gree mantle,

And beside him was the Damascus sabre. was w And when the wounded knight are of me,

- in - d a G o . He spake, c lling me brother ‘ ’ ‘ B - in - k t rother God, quoth he, unknown nigh , C u t O ff not my head,

For I am grievously wounded, o And right soon will my soul g from me. DO w one thou ait but half hour,

And bury me by Sitnica river. t Lo, I have three bel s of gold about me,

And behold my sabre damascened, is t The which wor h a thousand ducats, ’ And my silken tent also . of k But him truly, would I ta e no gift . — I drew him forth the wounded hero I seized the sabre and cut O ff his head ; n The I took him by the hand,

Likewise by the right foot, n a And cast him into Sit ic river. was t It there I won marvellous great boo y, ” And there I won me this sabre . Kral evié When j Marko heard it, He spake to the crier of merchandise “ so O Turk, may God do unto thee and more also ! was a Him thou slewest my own de r father, fa Vuk aSin ! My ther, King for Hadst thou waited his soul to pass,

Hadst thou buried him yonder,

I would have given thee better burial . so Right he drew the damascened blade, ’ off And strake the Turk s head .

He took him by the hand, a And c st him into Sitnica river. “ ” “ f ” Go, Turk, quoth he, seek my ather ! Marko returned back to the Sultan ’s host ea B ring with him both gold and sabre .

MARKO KRALJ EVI C AN D PHILIP T HE MAGYAR

I RTY H captains sat at wine together, Karlovatz In white town .

Amongst them Philip the Magyar, 1 iredrak e And beside him Vuk the F .

And when they had well drunken,

And were ﬂown with wine, The thirty captains boasted themselves s How many laves each had taken, ff How many heads each had smitten o . And Philip the Magyar spake : “ — e Brothers y thirty captains, se e Karlovatz Ye white , How there are thirty and three towers therein ?

I have garnished each with a head, the Save only tower on the bridge, And - that too I shall presently garnish ” f Kral evié With the head o j Marko . k Thus spa e Philip the Magyar,

For a he thought that none he rd him,

None that was a faithful friend to Marko . ire dra k e But Vuk the F heard him, ratim e ié Pob to Kralj v Marko . so t Right he sprang lightly to his fee , 1 “ - - V Bu aj IIeCII OT BYE : lit. Dragon despot uk . He is a well k in the f k - he f f s u u nown hero ol ballads, where is o ten re erred to as j “ k ” Cf. S . o r u e . orHeHu ﬁ redra e . l V lk o scé n n 2 or the Krauss , f g , p 33 “ Tiernamen kommen bei den Sudslav en ungemein héi uﬁg als Fami und e nlichsten lien noch mehr als Personennamen vor . Am g t sind vu k W lf ma z k . Als ( o ) , j (Schlange, Drache) , selten una (Marder) Tote me D s slav sch sind diese Tiere international . e r ii d i e Bauer benennt e ein frii hzei ti es des sein Kind mit ein m solchen Namen, um g Sterben Kindes zu kommt indessen auch eine Kombinierung Tote mname n v u k - zma v uk - zma o n eni zweier vor, so j, Oder j g j ” W f- . S 80 ee 1 . ol Feuerdrache Appendix, p . I 79

e k He s ized paper and in horn,

And wrote a letter withal , the To Prilep white town, evié k obratim To Kralj Mar o his p . And thus saith Vuk to Marko : “ a - in - ! He r me, my brother God enem Karlovatz Thou hast an ill v at ,

To wit, Philip the Magyar. t He ha h sworn, brother, O ff a That he will smite thy he d, t And garnish a white ower therewith .

- in - k e Therefore, brother God, ep thee well o n o f Against false treason the part Philip .

And Vuk sent him the letter.

When the letter came to Marko,

And he saw what his brother wrote to him,

He leapt to his light feet,

And made him ready in his white manor .

- He girded on his rich wrought sabre,

s - k He ca t his wolf skin cloa about him, to He descended down the stable, har z And made ready stout S at .

- k He covered him with a grey bear s in, And bridled him with a bit o f steel ; on He hanged his heavy mace him, W ith a sword on either side, ratz And ﬂung himself on the back of Sha .

- e On his own back he slung his war sp ar,

And straight through Kossovo plain he fared,

From Pazar by rugged Vlaha Stara, th t l And descended to e coun ry round about Va jevo . Straight athwart M aéva plain he fared

Until he came to Mitrovica town .

And there Marko ferried the Sava .

Straight athwart the Syrmian plain he fared, Karlovatz And when he came to town, He went down through the new market- place I 3 0 I

’ Until he came to Philip s dwelling . He ca used enter Sharatz into the marble courtyard And rode up before the white manor ;

But Philip was not within, to o n For he was gone the hills hunting, d li a An e . And his wife, j j , stood before Marko About her were four handmaidens of Upholding her sleeves and the hem her garment. a And when Marko c me thither, He cried greeting to her “ ! God aid thee, dear sister Is pobratim Philip within ? But Philip’s wife made answer 1 Get thee hence, starveling dervish , ” Philip is no brother to such as thee ! evié When Kralj Marko heard that,

. of He smote her in the face with the palm his hand .

Now a golden ring was on his hand,

And it did scathe upon her visage,

o ut And put three sound teeth from their place. 2 b t k of Then e oo from her three rows ducats ,

And cast them into his silken pocket, And said to the wife of Philip “ Give greeting to Philip the Magyar

When he cometh down from the hills .

Let him come to the new tavern,

That we may drink red wine and be merry, N o t with my gold n or yet with his ” But with thy golden necklace . He turned about the ﬁery Sharatz

And went straightway to the new tavern . He lighted down from Sharatz and tied him before the tavern

Then he sate him down to drink red wine .

No long time, nay, but a short time thereafter, C ame Philip to his white manor. 1 e muHo. of n a Dervish is a word contempt . 2 k s of of A nec lace compo ed three rows gold coins .

[ 82 1

To his wife Andje lij a he said : “ a t ! Pe ce, weep not, fai hful wife

Philip will straightway seize him,

And will bring him to the white manor, ” To rock thy son in his cradle.

He turned his grey Arab mare about, And forthwith went down through the mark et- place

Until he came before the new tavern . t the Bu t Sharatz was te hered by door .

Philip urged his grey Arab mare,

For he would have her enter into the new tavern,

- Sharatz ff But the war horse su ered it not,

But with his hoofs smote her in the ribs .

Philip the Magyar waxed wroth, He seized his studded mace And made to smite Sharatz before the tavern ; Bu t Sharatz lift up his voice in lamentation before the tavern By the merciful God— woe is me ! n That I should perish this mor before the tavern,

At the hands of mighty Philip the Magyar, ” With my — illustrious master nigh at hand ! But from within Marko spake to him ” ff Sharatz ! Su er him to pass, Sharatz When heard Marko, ff He su ered him to pass into the new tavern .

And when Philip entered into the tavern, “ ” He gave no God aid thee, But grasped his heavy mace ’ e vic k And smote Kralj Mar o, ’ Smote him on his hero s Shoulders . k Little enough recked Mar o, And to Philip the Magyar he said “ a Sit thee down in peace, thou Magyar bast rd ! k on k Wa e not the ﬂeas my s in,

But light down from thy horse that we may drink wine . ” There will still be time for ﬁghting.

But Philip hearkened not unto Marko, 83

But he smote him on the right hand, k And bra e his golden goblet, ou t And spilled the red wine. r evié k When K alj Mar o saw it, e He l apt to his feat from the ground, And made assault on the Magyar

He seized his sabre,

And smote him with it, He smote him on the right shoulder on And clave him in twain even the saddle. k ’ Through him went Mar o s sword, the Even unto door of marble stone,

And in twain it hewed him . And when k he had loo ed at the keen blade, Quoth Marko “ ! Dear God, a mighty marvel

Good steel for an evil knight . o ff And he strake with it again and cut his head . ’ Sharatz s - Into corn bag he ﬂung the head, ’ And straightway went to Philip s dwelling.

e- Into the white treasur chamber he went, t s And took herefrom the trea ure. wa Then Marko went on his y singing, 1 But Philip lay in the throes of death ,

And his young wife kept wailing.

1 ‘ e a n 00m B ulm n HOI OM Ronajyh ii : lit . Philip r m ins diggi g the ” ground with his feet . This is a vi vid picture of a m an in his death agony . MARKO KRALJ EVIC AN D BEG KO ST ADIN

o obratim s w p rode their way together, din Kral evié T Beg Kosta and j Marko . And Beg Kos tadin said to Marko “ Pobratim Kral evié , j Marko,

An thou comest to me in autumn, ’ In autumn on Saint Demetrius day, 1 On the day of my patron saint , see Thou shalt brave festival , And have brave welcome and according ; ” And lordly meats in goodly array . Quoth Kraljevié Marko : “ B of oast not thyself, Beg, thy hospitality,

Once when I sought my brother Andrea,

It fortuned I was in thy house, ’ da In autumn, on Saint Demetrius y, o f On the day thy patron saint . a I saw thy hospit lity, I And saw three unworthy deeds . Quoth the Beg Kostadin : “ Pobratim Kral evié , j Marko ; Of which unworthy deeds dost thou speak ? ' Answered to him Kralj evic Mark o “ s This was the ﬁr t unworthy deed, brother

There came to thee two poor lads, They asked o f thee white bread to eat And red wine to drink ; But thou saidst to the two needy ones ‘ Get ye gone, vile outcasts, ’ r Sully not my wine before these Signo s . was Sore grieved I , Beg, was I sore grieved for the two needy ones .

I took them both,

1 R cno Hire : for the See p another name Slava . Appendix,

MARKO KRALJ EVI C AN D ALIL - AG A

wo sworn brothers rode together

T Throu gh the fair city Tsarigrad . one was evic The Kralj Marko, din The other Kosta Beg . And Mark o began to speak on this wise “ Pobratim Kostadin , Beg, of Now that I go forth Tsarigrad, I might well meet with an errant knight

That should bid me have ado with him . Therefore will I feign to be pass ing sore sick ! ” Of the ﬂux, an evil sickness and a terrible

So Marko feigned sickness, k his Not being sic , but of craftiness, Shara tz n On stout he bowed him dow , the That he pressed on saddle with his heart,

And so went forth of Tsarigrad . And a worshipful adventure befell in the way ! ’ - the t There met him Alil Aga, Sul an s man,

With thirty janissaries with him, And said Alil - Aga to Marko : “ Kral evié k Sir Knight, j Mar o, C of ome, let us prove whether us hath more skill of bow and arrow, And if G od and fortune will well

That ye should outshoot me this day, k Then shall ye ta e my white manor,

And all the appurtenance thereof,

And the lady, my faithful wife . h But if I outshoot you t is day,

as k . I not your house not yet your wife, ou But right so I will hang y , Sharatz And possess me of valiant . Kraljev ié Marko made answer : “ ea L ve me in peace, accursed Turk ! 87

- I assent not to this arrow shooting, For k is that a heavy sic ness upon me, k ! Even the ﬂux, a sore sic ness and a terrible m a on Scarce y I hold me horseback, And how Should I shoot with arrows ? k But the Tur would not depart from him, ’ Bu t laid hold on the lappet of Marko s cloak on the

right hand,

And Marko drew knife from girdle, off And cut the right lappet of his mantle. “ ” k “ ! ” Hence, villain, quoth Mar o, be ye accursed k But the Tur would not let be, o f k But laid hold on the left lappet his cloa , And Marko drew k nife from girdle And cut off the left lappet also : “ ! Hence, villain, God smite thee Bu t the k Tur would not let be, Sha ratz He laid hold on by the bridle, on Sharatz With his right hand he laid hold the bridle of , the With his left hand he seized Marko by breast . ’ Then did Marko s wrath blaze forth like living ﬁre ; on Shara tz Upright he sat valiant ,

And drew in the reins to him, Sharatz as e That danced he had b en mad, so And sprang over horses and horsemen . Then Marko called to him Kostadin Beg “ ” Be Kostadin Brother, g , quoth he, to Get thee my house, brother,

Bring me thence a Tartar arrow, In the which Tartar arrow There he nine white falcon feathers

As for me, I go with the Aga to the Kadi, Fo r to conﬁrm our covenant in the tribunal,

That afterwards there be no strife betwixt us . Then the Beg returned to the house

And Marko went with the Aga to the Kadi . ’ - As he entered in, Alil Aga, the Sultan s man, I 88 I

Put off his shoon and sate him down by the Kadi .

He drew forth twelve ducats, of the And set them under the knees Kadi . “ “ ff ” E endi, saith he, here be ducats,

Give not unto Marko a true j udgment. w was of N o the Turkish tongue understanded Marko,

But he had no ducats, So he set his mace across his knees “ ” a k - ff ! And , He r en to me, saith he, Kadi E endi

Give thou me true judgment,

ix- For thou seest my gilded s ribbed mace . An I go for to smite thee therewith N O do leech shall thee none avail, But thou shalt forget thy j udgment seat And nevermore shalt thou behold ducats ! An ague gat hold on the Effendi

k - When he loo ed upon the golden studded mace . k He gave true judgment and his hands shoo .

Now when the heroes departed to the ﬁeld,

With the Aga went thirty janissaries,

But there followed none after Marko,

Save only certain Greeks and Bulgars . And when they were come to the ﬁeld ’ - m an Alil Aga, the Sultan s , saith to Marko “ w Fair Knight, come, loose thine arro s, vauntest for Thou thyself a good knight of prowess, Thou didst boast in the Sultan ’s Divan

- 1 How with an arrow thou mayst smite the eagle bird ,

1 an 8 : LI. 9 7 d 9 a acr eimm O aa E crarora Il s p p p , ’ ' I' ‘ E cram o r III O B im OOIIaEe . p p a, o s hootest an f Thou with arrow the cruci orm eagle, The f l cruci orm eagle that leadeth the c ouds . “ This somewhat Obscure reference to the cruciform eagle is sup posed to mean that when the bird is soaring in the sky it bears to the e e of on the y a watcher ground a strong resemblance to a cross . It will be e the the rem mbered that Vila is also credited with directing clouds . ” ’ “ - The e e . Se e as s in Vuk s D icti ona r cloud gath r r also the word y .

9 0

and ! Thou callest me brother, givest me thy wife n of th But I have o need y wife, as For with us it is not like with the Turks, ’ as A brother s wife to us is a sister.

In mine own house I have a faithful wife, — f e litsa o . The lady J _ noble stock And I would forgive thee all the despite thou hast done Without thou hadst rent my cloak ; of So do thou give me three charges gold, of That I may let mend the lappets my cloak . of o The Turk skipped j y and gladness,

He embraced Marko and kissed him, k And too him to his lordly manor. For three white days he made him good cheer ou t o f m easure, of And gave him three charges gold .

- The lady, also, gave a gold embroidered Shirt,

- And with the shirt a kerchief silver wrought . Also he gave him three hundred horsemen that should

go with him,

That should go with him even to his lordly dwelling. of And ever from that day forth the days their life, They held the lands for the worshipful Sultan ; And wheresoever the enemies made mighty war on

the land,

- k There Alil Aga and Mar o drave them back,

And wheresoever cities were taken,

- k Alil Aga and Marko were at the ta ing. MARKO KRALJ EVIC AN D M INA O F KOSTURA 1

A M RKO sat at supper with his mother, They supped on dry bread and red wine. And there came three letters to Mark o ; C One letter was from onstantinople, Ba aze t From the Sultan j . B The second letter was from uda town, k And it came from the ing thereof. 2 The third letter was from Sibinj , o f From the Vojvoda Janko Sibinj . C In the letter from onstantinople, The Sultan called him to his standard 3 In the harsh country of the Arabs As for B the letter from uda town, k The king as ed him therein to his wedding, his k u m For to be wedding , For he would wed with a Lady Queen . In the letter from Sibinj

Janko prayed him to be a kum,

That he might Christen his two little sons . And Mark o asked his old mother o f counsel “ C ” ounsel me, mother, quoth he, Whither were I best to go ? ’ to Shall I go the Sultan s army, ’ Shall I go to the k ing s wedding For to wed him with his Lady Queen, 1 n of in e Vuk The ame a town Mac donia ( , 2 k i n m . of th Sibinj or Hermannstadt (Lat . C bi iu ) Jan o Sibinj is e same as Hunyadi Janos . 2 Ap aII HH is a word of somewhat vague meanin g . Vuk says it is “ ” “ ” e quivalent to Maurus and Aethiops . Dozon says it includes “ n H : 1 n c a d . e 1 es Arabs, Moors negroes adds y a sans doute da s m ne de k une reminiscence on ca pagnes lointai s Mar o historique, car r u e Ba azet n O uil fu t éf en assu e q j , da s la bataille d ait par Timour, ” 1 0 s n P o sies 2 es u m e e e . / 4 , avait parmi tro pes Vi gt ill auxiliaires s rb s I 9 2 Or shall I go to Janko of Sibinj That I may Christen his two little sons ? ’ Marko s mother answered him : “ son Kral evié O my , j Marko, to fo r A man goeth a wedding to be merry, k m He becometh u because his faith bids him .

But to the army he goeth of necessity . ’ o son G , my , to the Sultan s army,

God will forgive us, my son,

The Turk would never forgive . k Marko hear ened unto his mother, ’ And made him ready to go to the Sultan s host ;

And took his servant Goluban with him . And as he went about to depart he warned his mother k ! Hear en unto me, O mother o f Shut the doors the castle early,

And in the morning open them late, For I am at feud, mother,

With the accursed Mina of Kostura, And I am sore adread

That he will plunder my white manor. Mark o departed to the Sultan’s army With his servant Goluban ; And n a when they were come to the third halti g pl ce, su Marko sate him down to p,

And Goluban served the red wine . evié k Kralj Mar o took the goblet, He took it and fell in such a study That he let fall the goblet on the table ;

The goblet fell, but the wine spilled not .

Goluban his servant awaked him . “ Lord and master, Marko, quoth he,

Oft hast thou been with the army,

But never hast thou drowsed in this wise, ” Nor let fall the cup from thy hand . o f Then Marko came forth his study, And spake to his servant Goluban :

[ 94 ]

e ié Marko Kralj v heard it , And he prayed the illustrious Sultan “ O Sultan, my lord and father,

Tomorrow is my Slava day,

The day o f fair Saint George . l fa the r Give me leave, my , That I may hold my Slava

According to law and custom,

obratim - And give me my p Alil Aga, ” That I may drink wine in peace .

The Sultan might not otherwise, So he sent forth Kralje vié Mark o

That he should celebrate his Slava,

bra tim - And he gave him his po Alil Aga . Mark o went into the greenwood ’ Afar from the Sultan s army ;

He pitched his white tent, He sat down under it and drank dark wine

bratim - A a With his po Alil g . m om And at dayspring of the , F o rthwith the Arab posts were ware was That Marko not with the host, t : And hey cried aloud, saying “ C harge now, ﬁerce Arabs , Fo r the terrible knight is departed ” That rode on the great piebald steed !

Then the ﬁerce Arabs charged, tan And warriors thirty thousand assailed the Sul . Right so the Sultan wrote a letter to Marko “ C son ome quickly, Marko, my , Thirty thousand warriors assail me ! And Mark o made answer to the Sultan “ ! With all speed, O my father, the Sultan k o f But not yet have I drun my ﬁll wine, ” Nor am not near risen from my Slava . And when the dayspring of the second m om was come

1 1 1100 1 1111. [ 9 5 ] Again the Arab watchers cried “ C ! harge, ﬁerce Arabs For departed is the terrible knight

That rideth on the great piebald steed . Forthwithal w the Arabs hurled for ard, t And six y thousand warriors assailed the Sultan . Again the Sultan wrote a letter to Marko “ C k son k ! ome quic ly, my Mar o Sixty thousand warriors assail me ! But Marko made answer to the Sultan “ a Wait yet a little, my father, the Sult n, Not yet have I enough feasted s o f k With my fellow hip ums and friends . of And at the dayspring the third morn, Again the Arab watchers cried “ C ! harge, ﬁerce Arabs Departed is the terrible k night h o n That ridet the great piebald steed . Forthwithal the Arabs hurled forward,

And an hundred thousand warriors assailed the Sultan . Right so the Sultan sent to Mark o a letter : “ Se e k ! that thou come quic ly, son Marko

- in - See that thou come quickly, Marko, my son God . m ” The Arabs have overthrown y tent . on Sharatz Then Marko mounted him , ’ And went and joined him to the Sultan s host. da In the morning when the white y dawned,

The Arab watchers espied him, And they cried from ou t their white throats “ ! Give back now, ﬁerce Arabs

Behold he cometh, the terrible knight On the great piebald steed ! ”

Then Marko smote down among the Arabs, k t And bra e their host in hree parts . the The ﬁrst he hewed in pieces with sword, of Sharatz The second he trampled under foot ,

And the third part he drave before the Sultan . I 9 6

But Marko was full sore wounded ;

Seventy wounds had he gotten,

From the Arabs he had gotten seventy wounds . ’ And he fell down across the Sultan s knees, And the Lord Sulta n asked him “ Kral evié k My son, j Mar o, Are thy wounds to the death ? Thinkest thou to be made whole of thy wounds ? Shall I let bring salves and leeches ? ” Kralj evié Marko made answer : “ ! My Lord, my father the Sultan

My wounds are not unto the death ,

Meseemeth I should well amend me . o The Sultan put his hand in his p cket, n And gave him a thousa d ducats,

And he went forth to let search his grievous wounds . And he sent two faithful servants after Marko

Who should see that he died not . k n ot But Mar o went to no leeches, But he went from inn to inn

Seeking where should be the better wine. k Scarce had Marko drun en somewhat,

When his sore wounds healed and were abated .

Therewithal came a letter to him,

How was that his manor plundered,

Yea, plundered and burnt up with ﬁre . How that his old mother was trampled under of horses ; How his that faithful wife was taken captive . k a Then did Marko ma e gre t dole and sorrow, On his k nees before his father the Sultan “ ” “ be t Lord and master, said , my fa her the Sultan,

My white manor is plundered, h is a My fait ful wife made c ptive, O ld is on Mine mother trampled of horses,

is as - The gold taken from my tre ure chamber, ” a Mina of Kostur hath taken it .

The Lord Sultan soothed him, saying

[ 9 8 ] S The Greeks will rejoice, aying ‘ d - G o be praised, here be day labourers a many, ’ And for small wages will they labour in the vineyard .

Bu t so ye will not , dear brethren, o f o But ye will tarry by the castle K stura,

Wine ye will drink and clear rakia, t Till that I also be come o Kostura .

The three hundred janissaries went forth,

They went forth to white Kostura, 1 - n And Marko gat him to the far famed Holy Mountai , He took the Sacrament and confessed him of For he had done many a deed blood . i ’ on He did a monk s raiment, his And let grow his black beard to girdle, se t k am ila k And on his head he the priestly v a . Then he sprang on the back of Sharatz to And straightway went white Kostura . of When he came to Mina Kostura, Lo , Mina sat drinking wine, ’ And Marko s wife served him . “ ! ” Ha, black monk quoth he, Whence hast thou yonder piebald steed ? Kralj evié Marko made answer “ ! Faith of me, Lord Mina ’ I was aforetime with the Sultan s host e In the dr ad country of the Arabs, 2 And there was one o f little wit was Kral evié Whose name j Marko,

And there in good sooth he perished,

And I buried him, law According to and custom, ’ for And his soul s weal he gave me the horse. na When Mi of Kostura heard it, his e for He leapt lightly to fe t gladness, And he said to Kraljevié Marko

1 Mount Athos . 2 e Ha f j ii Oyii aii nna a ool . [ 9 9 ]

’ ! Good tidings, i faith , black monk

Behold, I wait nine years of days That I might hear such tidings: k ’ I have plundered Mar o s manor,

Yea, plundered it and burnt it with ﬁre ;

I have made captive his faithful wife, h But not yet ave I wedded her, But o f have waited ever for the death Marko, ” And now shalt thou wed me to her. evié k k Kralj Mar o too the book, k a The book he too and wedded Min , And to whom but to his own wife ! k Then he sate him down and dran wine, e k Win he dran and made good cheer, And Mina of Kostura spak e and said “ ! Hearken, Jela, my heart and my soul ’ now k Till hast thou been called Mar o s, ’ From now thou art Lord Mina s lady.

- Go down, my soul, to the treasure chamber

And of ducats bring three goblets full, k ” That I may reward the black mon .

the - Jela went down to treasure chamber, of she t And golden ducats brought hree goblets full . ’ But she fetched them not from Mina s treasure ’ d of as But she fetche them forth Marko s tre ure. she And brought his rusty sabre, the k And gave it to black mon , saying “ k Take this also, blac monk, ’ For of Kral evié the soul s weal j Marko . Kral evié j Marko took the sabre,

He took the sabre and examined it, And he spake to Mina of Kostura “ Wilt thou grant in this thy gladness That the monk may tread a merry meas ure ? Mina of Kos tura made answer “ I will well, thou black monk, ” l n ? I wi l well, and wherefore should I not gra t it I

e Marko leapt lightly to his fe t,

He turned him about two times and three times,

And all the castle shook to its foundations .

Then he pulled out his rusty sabre, n From right to left he swu g it, ’ And hewed O ff Mina s head ! Then he cried with a loud voice “ C ! harge now, my labourers Mina of Kostu ra is no more ! The three hundred janissaries hurled forward of Against the stronghold of Mina Kostura .

They plundered his white manor, n t They plundered it, yea, and bur t it wi h ﬁre ! k k Mar o too his faithful wife, ’ He took Mina s treasure also, his And went ways to white Prilep,

Singing and ever singing .

[ 1 0 2 ]

” That thou takest from Moors their slave- girls ? Kraljevié Mark o laughed “ ” Get ye hence, quoth he, Moorish children, n That I lay no si upon my soul because of you . t But the twelve Moors waxed wonderly wro h, of And every each them drew sword,

And overthrew the tent upon Marko . They cut through the tent ropes

That the tent fell down upon the falcon Marko,

on - ﬂa And his battle g that bare the rood,

And upon Sharatz his stout steed . When Kraljevié Marko perceived That his silken tent was overturned ’ k Marko s wrath blazed up li e living ﬁre . to Lightly he leapt his feet, haratz And seized great S . s a To hor e he sprang behind the d msel,

Three times he girdled her with his girdle,

the - And fourth with his sword belt .

ou t his - Then he pulled well forged sword, so And ran on the Moors . the a Not to white throat he c rved them, But he ca rved them even to the silken girdle ;

One man became two, of so Out twelve Marko made twice many,

Of twelve Moors he made four and twenty. so And he passed athwart the level plain, k Like a star athwart a clear s y. Straight to Prilep town he went

To his white manor . He called J evros ima his mother “ ” “ evros ima be J , quoth , mine aged mother,

Mother, my sweet, dear one,

- in - Behold, mother, my sister God .

Nourish her, mother, as thou hast nourished me, she own Give her in marriage as were thine daughter, ” That in this wise we may gain friends . [ 1 9 3 ]

evrosima J , the matron, nourished her,

Yea, and gave her in marriage

In Rudnik the white town, In the great house of Dizdari c

Where were nine fair brethren .

Thence had Marko strong friends,

oft - in - And would he visit his sister God, As she own had been his born sister,

oft ff - And there full he qua ed the wine cup . M ARKO KRALJ EVIC AN D T HE DAUGHTER O F T HE MOORISH KING

’ A RKO S mother asked a question “ M son Kral evié Ah, my , j Marko, Wherefore dost thou build so many pious buildings ? Hast thou sinned greatly against God ? Or doth gold come to thee without labour 1 ? ” Mark o of Prilep answered her : ’ old I faith, mother mine, was Once that I in the land of the Moors, I arose ea rly and went to the cistern ar tz For to water my Sh a . was And when I come to the cistern,

Lo, twelve Moors were there .

And before my turn, mother, har I would have watered my S atz . But the twelve Moors would not so, us And there was strife betwixt . k I too my heavy mace,

And smote a black Moor, on e I smote down , and there smote me eleven ;

I smote down two, and there smote me ten ;

I smote down three, and there smote me nine ;

I smote down four, and there smote me eight ;

I smote down ﬁve, and there smote me seven ; s ix six I smote down , and there smote me ; And these s ix put me to the worse ! They bound my hands behind my back to And took me the Moorish King .

a o f The King c st me into the depths a dungeon,

Where for seven years I languished .

I knew not when summer came,

1 “ JI o oram 3 a 06uo s uaq u : 6e n i 11 3 myxe 6e3 nau ern . cano ’ h ma c 1 a k f c e ou 6 m . a p , a ro (V s ootnote .)

[ 1 06 ]

n We mou ted our horses, o f And departed thence through the land the Moors . as On a morning, day dawned , to I sate me down rest, the k And Moorish maiden too me,

Encircling me with her black arms, k on And when I loo ed her, mother,

On her black face and white teeth, A loathing gat hold on me ;

- I drew the rich wrought sabre, on And smote her the silken girdle,

That the sabre cut clean through her. Sharatz I mounted my , And the hea d of the Moorish girl spake and said

- in - G od evié ! Brother , Kralj Marko ’ Leave me not ! Leave me not ! G od Therein, mother, I sinned against ,

Gaining much gold thereby, for And this cause I let build many pious buildings . MARKO IN THE DUNGEON OF AZ AK (Fragment)

EA R G O D to t t ! , hee be praise in all hings What a knight ofworship and hardiness was Marko ! see fareth And how he this day in a dungeon, The accurse d dungeon of Azak !

The dungeon is a strange abode. the k Therein water came to his nees,

And the bones of dead heroes reached to his middle. And there went to and fro snak es and scorpions ; ’ The snak es sought men s eyes for to suck ;

for The scorpions sought faces to mar them, s o f The leg heroes were loosed from their knees, m And their ar s fell from their shoulders . In the dungeon Marko made dole and sorrow ou t ofmeasure ;

Such dole he made that God himself was ware of it.

k ou t - of Azak And Marko loo ed to the market place , f If haply he might see one o his own men . one n of own And by the God, one his he saw, f But he saw a air damsel, f Azak The dear daughter o the King of . : And he called unto her, saying “ ’ - in - ! Sister God, thou king s daughter

Draw nigh to me to the window of the dungeon . ’ for The damsel hearkened unto him God s sake,

of - in - For the sake her brother God . to She came nigh the dungeon window, And Marko spake (softly) to her ’ - in - G od ! Sister , king s daughter to of Aza k Go thy father, King ; Give him fair reverence from me and greeting By the true God I beseech him of s That he let me forth the accur ed dungeon .

. f On my aith and honour, [ 1 0 8 ]

And the guaranty of the true God, m a That I y go to Prilep castle,

And bring him gold for ransom . of o f o ! Twenty charges gold, by the faith my b dy

And if he will not believe me, of the Let him bring me forth accursed dungeon ,

Let him bind me in iron, And I will send a letter

To my mother in Prilep castle, she for And will bring the gold ransom,

For I may not long endure in the dungeon . the When damsel understood his words, t She went to the Divan o the King . And when she was entered into the Divan to her fathe The King of Aza k asked her “ ! Marry, my dear daughter What lack est thou now ? or ? A little silk, perchance, velvet or ? Or gold, haply white linen 1 o f Para u n Or ﬁne cloth g , ” C u t and uncut ? Answered him the fair damsel “ o f Aza k ! O my father, King th is In y palace there enough and to spare, N or of am I in lack aught.

I bring thee reverence and greeting, Kral ié ev . From the prisoner, j Marko to He prays thee let him forth of the dungeon, father,

On his faith and honour, on G od And the guaranty of the true , as Till he may go to Prilep c tle,

And he will bring thee gold for ransom . Twenty charges o f gold he will bring thee

But, and if thou wilt not believe him, Let him nevertheless forth of the dungeon ;

1 his ss r th f V l e e nd of . 11 o Ha o ue II eCM u In glo a y at vol the p ii j e, “ s es k h of Para n e ays he do not now w at cloth gu may b .

And he prepared a letter,

But he sent it not whither he had told her, But sea sent it across the dark , sea Across the to Salonica city,

To Do Cilo his obratim - in - G od j , p “ Do éilo obratim - in - O j , p God,

I am fallen on evil days, And suffer torment at the hands of the Arabs ;

Enslaved am I and in a dungeon, Azak In , in an accursed dungeon, not And I may long endure in the dungeon, Fo r me a dungeon is an unwonted lodging ; Deliver me if God thou k nowest ! Then he called to him his grey falcon 1 “ not ! O falcon, fail me at thy peril a Bear this letter to Salonic city, — To Do eilo obratim ih - j , my p God, o u t f t That he may deliver me o his dungeon . The falcon took the letter s k And he soared to the y.

Straight he went to Salonica city. Now was m om it of the Sabbath day, of And the lords Salonica were in church, of In the white church were the lords Salonica,

At matins and at the liturgy.

The falcon came to the white church, G od The falcon screamed that himself heard it, The Vojvoda Doj Cilo knew it

1 - f Th . 8 c e LI 1 1 1 36 : . Gay Goshawk And when he ﬂew to that castle He lighted on the ash ; he and And there sat sang their loves, As f the she came rom mass .

’ her She s gane unto west window, And f ainly aye it drew, And soon into her white silk lap

The bird the letter threw . I I

And came forth of the white church, n And sate him down o a silver settle . T o him came the grey- green falcon

And let fall the letter from beneath his wing.

Doj Cilo took the letter .

When he saw what the letter told him,

He smote his knee with his hand, He split the new cloth on his knee

- on And the golden wedding ring his hand . And tears ran down his cheeks : “ ' evic k ! Alas, brother, Kralj Mar o Thou art indeed fallen o n evil days ; ” t No lightly shalt thou be delivered . Then he bethought him how and what he should

All ways he pondered and one way he chose . d e He took black y , And dyed black his white face ; of e He made hims lf a black Arab,

And he led out his good brown steed . d On the brown Steed he went with spee , t Aza k And came forthwi h to town . was the o f Azak And when he come to plain , Fiercely he spurred his steed ; a The good horse re red and sprang,

Sideways he sprang twelve ells,

In breadth four and twenty,

- n In height three mighty spear le gths . MARKO AN D THE M OOR

B A L CK Moor builded him a manor, A of He builded a manor twenty storeys,

By the wide blue sea . f And when the Moor had inished his manor, set He glass in the windows thereof, k And spread therein sil and velvet, And thus he spak e to his manor : “ ~ Wherefore shouldst thou be desolate on the sea coast, O m anor ?

There be none to come and go about thee,

For I have no mother nor no sisters, Nor have I yet married me ;

But I swear my wife shall come and go about thee, so n of Else am I not the my mother, ff o f Bu t the o spring an Arab mare . ’ I shall woo the Sultan s daughter,

And either he shall give her to me, ou t Or he shall come into the ﬁeld against me . to Thus spake the Arab his manor, forthwithal And he wrote a letter, And sent it to Stamboul to the Sultan “ o f ! Sire, Sultan Stamboul sea By the I have builded a manor,

And none cometh and goeth about it, For I have not yet married me, Give me then thy daughter in marriage ;

But if thou wilt not give her to me, ” u t Come o into the ﬁeld against me. The letter came to the illustrious Sultan ; b e When perceived what the letter told him, k He let see knights of prowess, And he promised gold out of measure W the To homsoever should slay black Arab .

And there went forth hardy knights a many,

[ 1 1 4 ]

t Ho, Sul an, bring forth thy daughter so Right he drew his heavy mace, ’ And beat therewith on the Sultan s palace,

That he shattered the glass in the windows .

And the Sultan being in sore straits,

To his shame yielded his daughter to him . The Arab sate him down and spak e of the wedding “ ” Fifteen white days will pass, quoth he,

sea - Or I may reach the level coast, ” - And gather the gay wedding guests . orthwith b e F mounted his slender mare, And went forth to the level sea - coast

r - - Fo to gather the gay clad wedding guests . ’ When the Sultan s daughter heard it, She hissed like an angry snake : “ ” “ ! she ! Dear God cried , Woe is me For whom have I been reared and tended ? ” for ! For a black Arab, to be his wife was But when dark night come, ’ The Sultan s Sultana dreamed a dream, k And in the dream one spa e to her, saying “ There lieth within your empire

The wide plain of Kossovo, as o f And Prilep c tle stands in the plain Kossovo, Kral evic And in Prilep dwells j Marko, And k of men praise him for a good night prowess . evié Send therefore, a letter to Marko Kralj ,

C son- in - - - all him your the true God, Promise him gold out of measure

If he but save your daughter from the Moor .

When day dawned on the morrow, ’ t n ta The Sul a a ran to the Sul n s maj esty, she And told what had dreamed in her dream .

And when the Sultan understood her words, ﬁ rman With speed he wrote a ,

And sent it to white Prilep, Even to K ralj evic Marko I 1 1 5 I

- in- evié ! Son God, Kralj Marko Come to me to white Stamboul ;

Slay me this black Arab, k That he ta e not my daughter from me,

And I shall give thee three charges of gold . ﬁ rman evié The went to Kralj Marko, ﬁ rman And when he received the ,

And when he saw what was writ therein, ’ 1 He said to the Sultan s courier : “ t God be with thee, hou royal messager,

To the Sultan my father, greeting.

I dare not adventure me against the Moor, For k the Moor is a full perilous night, k the And if he should ta e head from my shoulders, Of what avail were three charges of gold ? ”

The courier went back to the illustrious Sultan, k And told what Marko had spo en .

When the Sultana heard it,

She indited another letter, And sent it to Kralj evié Mark o “ Son - in- Kral evié k God, j Mar o,

Give not my daughter to the Moor,

And thou shalt have ﬁve charges of gold . Kral e vié l Marko j received the etter,

And when he saw what was writ therein, He said to the imperial courier “ k ! Hie thee bac , thou royal messager

- in - Hie thee back, and tell my mother God t I dare not adven ure me against the Moor.

The Moor is a full perilous knight, off He will take the head from my shoulders, And I prefer mine own head as Before all the tre ure of the illustrious Sultan . The courier went back and told the Sultana k k The words that Mar o had spo en . ’ When the Sultan s daughter heard it, 1 TaTa HH f e en . p the Tatar, here signi ying a mounted m ss ger [ 1 1 6 ]

she e Lightly leapt to her fe t,

And seized pen and paper . k She struc the pen into her face, k She drew blood from her chee , And wrote a letter to Marko : “ ' B - in- G od Kral evic rother , j Marko,

a h - in - G od I c ll on thee as my brot er , as And my kum in God, h And in t ine own Saint John, not k Give me Over to the blac Arab, h s of And t ou shalt have even charges gold , 1 And a sevenfold present ,

N ot of or things woven spun, ’ Nor as such passeth through the weaver s loom,

But thy gifts shall be wrought of ﬁne gold,

And I shall give thee a golden salver, Whereon a twisted snake his on Lifteth up head high , his Holding in teeth a precious stone, That shineth so as ye may s up by night o f As it were by the light day.

- And I shall give thee a well wrought sabre, bath That a threefold hilt of gold, W t herein be hree precious stones . ’ is The sabre worth three of the Sultan s cities, ff ’ And I shall a ix the Sultan s seal, That the Vizier’s self may not slay thee h ai e n o f Wit out he Obt n p rmissio the illustrious Sultan .

She sent a courier with the letter to Marko .

When the letter came to Marko,

And he saw what the letter told him, F orthwith Marko spake and said

W o e is - in - ! me, my sister God

It were ill to go, and worse not to go, For no t nor though I fear Sultan Sultana,

1 = 60mq aay1£ pre sent given by bride to bridegroom and his neat relations .

[ 1 1 8 ]

What is it that u rgeth thee into the lake ? Wherefore wilt thou wed thee with the lake ? Into what sore straits art thou come ? ” The Turk ish maiden made answer “ ! Let me pass, foul churl Wherefore dost thou ask since thou canst n ot help me ? she But told him all from beginning to end, the How it was she sought refuge in lake . “ ” “ t she k to And at the last, quo h , they spa e me of

Marko, a of That dwelleth in the c stle Prilep, was They said that Marko a worthy knight, That could slay the Arab an he would ;

- in - G od Therefore did I call him my brother ,

- in - — I called him my kum Saint John, of And promised him many gifts price . ! not In vain Marko will come, ” his ! He will not come, may mother lose him Bu t Kralj evié Marko spake and said :

C not - in - G od urse me , sister , Fo r Kral e vié thou seest Marko j in his proper person .

When the fair damsel heard it, ’ She threw her arms about Marko s neck .

- in - evic Brother God, Kralj Marko, ” not to the ! Give me , I pray thee, black Arab Answered her again Kraljevié Mark o : “ - in - k Sister God, thou Tur ish maiden, is own Whilst my head mine , to the I will not give thee black Arab .

Speak no word to any concerning me,

Save only to the Sultan and Sultana .

Let somewhat be prepared for my supper, of See that there be no stint wine, to And let it be sent to me the new inn . h And when the Moor comet with his guests, f Let him receive air welcome,

And let them give thee to the Moor, [ 1 1 9 ]

the That there be no brawling in palace. For k I now how I shall save thee, k If God and nightly fortune prevail . so Right went Marko to the new inn, ’ The damsel hied her to the Sultan s palace, And told the Sultan and Sultana Kral vié k was h That je Mar o come t ither .

When the Sultan and the Sultana heard it,

k him - They let ma e a lordly supper, o f Therewith also red wine out measure,

And let carry it to the new inn . k k Now while Mar o sat drin ing his wine,

They began to shut the houses in Stamboul city, k And now came the inn eeper for to close his doors, And Kralj evié Mark o ask ed him “ Wherefore dost thou close thus early ? Straightway the innkeeper made answer “ k k ! God save us, thou un nown night ’ A Moor hath wooed the Sultan s daughter,

And hath won her and shamed our Sultan,

And this night he cometh for the damsel . of Great is the terror the Moor,

And for this cause we close thus early. But ff the Marko su ered not door to be shut, s ee But stayed where he was that he might the Moor,

- - And his gay clad wedding guests . now And a sound arose in white Stamboul,

And behold the swarthy Moor, his Riding upon slender Arab mare,

t - Wi h ﬁve hundred wedding guests with him,

Five hundred swarthy Arabs . 1 A Moor was dever, the chief guest a Moor,

And a swarthy Moor was the bridegroom .

His mare bounded furiously beneath him,

That from her feet the stones ﬂew up,

And beat upon shop and tavern . 1 th n n - Se n 8 CTa u CB aT e . e e . 1 . p se ior weddi g guest App dix, p 4 When they were come before the new inn, The Arab communed with himself G od ! Dear , what great marvel is this All Sta mboul hath closed its doors

o f Because the great terror of my name, o f no t Alone the door the new inn is closed . Whether doth no man lodge there ? is so Or there any dull and witless, That he k noweth not yet of my renown ? ’ r to The A ab went the Sultan s court, t And there through the dark night he arried .

When day dawned on the morrow, The Sultan led forth his daughter to the Arab ; The damsel’s garments were made ready

w k - k And t elve pac horses too the burden . s Acro s Stamboul went the Arab,

- s With the damsel and the wedding guest with him . t inn When hey were come before the new ,

o f The door the inn stood ever open . w The Moor urged for ard his slender mare, For to see who might be in the tavern ;

And within the tavern sat Marko, was And ever the red wine he drinking. k not as k He dran men are wont to drin , But he drank from a basin o f twelve okas ; k to Sharatz Himself dran half, and half he gave .

Fain would the Moor have picked a quarrel, Bu t Shara tz tethered to the doorpost, ff to Su ered him not enter in, But k k ic ed his mare in the ribs .

to - The Moor returned the wedding guests,

on to - And they went together the market place . Kral e vié Then arose Marko j ,

- k He turned his wolf skin cloa inside out, Inside out his cap of wolf- sk in ;

on Sharatz He made fast the girths ,

one - On side he hanged a full wine skin,

[ 1 2 2 ]

” And then shall I smite O ff thy head ! But Kralj evié Marko answered : ! Lie me no lies, black Arab

If God and knightly fortune will it, so Thou shalt not leap far as now I stand, How then shalt thou leap over me ? ”

Ah, hadst thou but seen the black Arab, ’ u How he t gged at his mare s bridle, And strak e her with the sharp stirrup - irons !

For in good sooth was he minded to overleap him .

But - Sharatz ff the war wise su ered it not, on But rose up his hind legs, And on his fore- legs received the Arab mare ;

With his teeth also he laid hold on her, off And rent her right ear,

That the mare was all bathed in blood . see Ah, had one been there to ,

How hero ran in upon hero, The swarthy Moor upon Kraljevié Mark o !

But neither might the Moor slay Marko,

Nor yet might Marko slay the Moor, And ever the clash o f sharp swords endured !

Thus, for four hours, they drave each against other . And when the black Arab saw k That Marko was li e to prevail against him,

He turned about his slender mare,

m - And ﬂed across Sta boul market place.

Marko pursued after him, was the But swift wild Arab mare, was she as Swift , swift the mountain Vila, she Sharatz And well had outstripped , But Marko bethought him Of his mace ;

He swung it round about and cast it,

And smote the Arab fair between the shoulders . was The Arab fell down, and when Marko come, ’ o ff He cut the Arab s head,

And laid hold upon his slender mare . [ 1 2 3 ] Right with that he returned back through Stamboul

k - mar et place,

o f - was But the wedding guests there none nowhere, ’ a Alone remained the Sultan s fair d ughter,

k - And round about her the twelve pac loads, f That held air garments of the damsel . So Marko returned to the damsel, ’ And took her to the Sultan s palace, And spak e to the illustrious Sultan “ ! Behold, Sultan, thy fair daughter And behold the head o f the Arab !

the - Behold also twelve pack loads, a f Wherein are the fair g rments o the damsel . Sharatz Therewith he turned about his ,

And right so departed unto white Prilep .

When day dawned on the morrow, of The Sultan made ready seven charges gold,

And the damsel prepared a sevenfold present, Not o f or things woven spun, ’ No r of such as passeth through the weaver s loom, of But her gifts were wrought ﬁne gold .

She sent him a golden salver, Whereon a twisted snake on Lift up his head high,

And held in his teeth a precious stone, That shone so as ye might sup by night f As it had been the light o day.

l - She sent him a so a rich wrought sabre,

That had a threefold hilt of gold,

Wherein were three precious stones . ’ was l Therewith, also, the Su tan s seal, to That not the Grand Vizier durst do scathe Marko, m of Without the consent ent the illustrious Sultan . All these she sent to Mark o with the message “ k Behold, Mar o, a little gold for thee,

And if ever thou shouldst lack for money, ” C the ome again to Sultan thy father. MARKO KRALJ EVIC AND MUSA THE OUTLAW 1

USA was , the Albanian, drinking wine

In Stamboul, in the white inn . ff And when Musa had qua ed his ﬁll, Being drunken he spake a great word Nine years already

Have I served the Sultan in Stamboul, n Nor have I gained by my service horse nor weapo , ne old o ne Nor a w cloak nor yet an . is But I swear by all that holy, o I shall g hence to the level coast,

I shall close the routes by sea, the And roads by land .

on the sea - I shall build a tower coast, set b ools And it about with iron , And I shall hang thereon the hodjas and the hadjis 2 the k was What Tur said when he drunken, That sober he fulﬁlled :

To the level coast he betook him,

sea - n He closed the routes rou d about,

And the roads by land, ’ By which the Sultan s treasure passed, tovars Each year three hundred , And Musa took it all for himself!

sea - On the coast he builded him a tower, se t Round about the tower he iron hooks, ’ And hanged thereon the Sultan s hodjas and hadj is . N ow when the Sultan was weary of complaints, ’ Cu rilic He sent against him the Vizier p ,

1 KeceI a turcicus v ectus Vuk mj latro equo ( , The word “ s f k of come rom the Tur ish Eeca a purse . Here the meaning high ” “ ” wayman or outlaw is indicated . 2 “ ” t c k Hodja sacerdos u r icus (Vu ) . Hadji one who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca (or to Jeru the of k salem in case a Christian) (Vu ) .

[ 1 26 ]

His hair reached down to the black earth , The halfthereofserved him for bed and halffor coverlet ; t C Wi h the nails Of his ﬁngers he ould have ploughed,

The mould from the stone had gotten hold on him, was o f And he become the colour a dark stone . The Sultan spak e to Kralj evié Mark o ? Art thou in good sooth alive, Marko ” “ t Truly, Sul an, quoth he, but in evil case . Then th e Sultan told Marko h The despite t at Musa had done upon him, And he ask ed Kralj evié Marko “ C anst thou take it upon thee, Marko, T o go down to the level coast- land And slay Musa the Highwayman ? t I will give thee gold as seeme h good unto thee. Marko made answer to him : “ ’ ! God s truth , my Lord Sultan The mould from the stone hath gotten hold on me e That I may not even see with mine ey s,

Much less strive with Musa body to body.

But set me in an inn somewhither,

Let serve me with wine and rakia,

With the ﬂesh Of fat rams, And with loaves of white brea d

Let me remain there certain days,

And I shall tell thee when I am in case to ﬁght . t The Sul an sent fetch three barbers,

One washed Marko, the second shaved him,

ﬁ n e r- The third cut his g nails . set the inn The Sultan Marko in new ,

And let serve him with wine and rakia, s of With the ﬂe h fat rams,

And with loaves of white bread .

And there Marko tarried three months of days, his Until life was a little returned to him . And the Sultan ask ed Kralje vié Marko : “ Canst thou now take upon thee this adventure ? [ 1 2 7 ]

of It wearies me angry wretches, f That complain ever o that accursed Musa . Marko said to the illustrious Sultan : “ Let bring dry cornel - wood

That has been nine years seasoning, ou t That I may see what I can bring of it .

n - The Sultan let bri g dry cornel wood, e Marko gripp d it in his right hand, k in The wood crunching bra e in two pieces and three, f But no drop o water came forth of it . ’ ” “ o is G d s truth , Sultan, quoth he, the time not yet.

So there passed another month of days, was Until that Marko somewhat refreshed,

And when him seemed he might now do battle,

k - He as ed for dry cornel wood, k of And they brought Mar o wood the cornel .

And when he grasped it in his right hand, It bras t crunching in two pieces and in three r o f And there sp ang forth two drops water . so the t Right , withal, Marko spake to Sul an, saying “ ”

the . Sultan, time is come

Straightway he betook him to Novak the smith, “ ” t k Forge me a sabre, smi h Nova , quoth he,

Such as thou hast never forged before. c t He gave him thirty du a s,

And gat him to the inn,

And there drank wine for three days and for four, And then betoo k him once again to Novak : “ ” v ? Hast thou forged me the sabre, No ak quoth he . ou t The smith brought the weapon he had forged . To him Kraljevié Marko t ? Is it a good sword, smi h Novak And Novak answered and said “ the Lo, here is the sabre and here anvil, o f See for thyself what manner sword it is .

Marko swung the sabre in his right hand, And smote down upon the anvil, [ 1 2 8 ]

And hewed the anvil in hal f. Then he ask ed Novak the smi th “ k In good sooth, Nova , Hast thou ever forged a better blade ? Novak the smith answered him again “ Kral evié In good sooth, j Marko, o n e I have forged better, — n A better sabre for a better k ight .

k - When Musa betoo him to the coast land,

I forged a sabre for him, And when he smote down with it upon the anvil ” N ot even the block remained whole . ev ié k Thereat Kralj Mar o waxed wroth, And thus to Novak the smith he spake : “ t ! Stretch for h thy hand, Novak

r for St etch forth thy hand that I pay thee the sabre . was of The smith deceived, the serpent foolishness bit hi was d He deceive , and he stretched forth his right hand . Kralj evié Marko swung the sabre And hewed off his arm at the shoulder “ Lo k ! , here thy recompense, smith Nova

Nevermore shalt thou make blades or better or worse.

And here for thee are an hundred ducats, ” r to Fo nourish thee the days of thy life .

He gave him an hundred ducats,

- Sharatz He mounted the war tried ,

- And hied him straightway to the level coast land, W k of here he went to and fro see ing word Musa . And on a m o m as he journeyed early

KaCa nik Up the hard pass of , on ! Lo, a sudden, Musa the Outlaw

C - ross legged he sat upon a black horse, Tossing his mace to the clouds

And catching it in his white hand as it fell . one t And when they drew nigh to the o her, Marko spa ke to Musa and said “ h ! Bold Musa, get t ee out of my way

1 39 But Marko thrust out his mace ff And brake o the blade at the hilt . t Then they seized heir ribbed maces, t e to And herewith b gan smite each the other,

That the ribbed maces brake, on the And they cast them from them green grass . t They lighted down from heir good horses, to They seized each other body body, on And wrestled this way and that the green grass .

For hero met hero in very sooth, When Deli Musa met Kralj evié Marko !

Nor might Musa overthrow Marko,

Nor by Marko might he be overthrown . ’ So they wrestled till noon o f a summer s day ;

White foam fell from Musa,

From Marko foam white and bloody. And Musa the Outlaw spake and said “ or Overthrow me, Marko, thee shall I overthrow . ' Kral evic t j Marko put forth his s rength ,

But in no wise might he prevail .

Then Musa put forth his strength , on He overthrew Marko the green grass, ’ And knelt upon the hero s breast. Then Marko made grievous moan “ Where art thou this day, sworn sister Vila ? Where art thou this day ? Foul fall thee ! Falsely didst thou swear to Thou wouldst be with me aid me, If haply I should come into evil straits ! From the clouds the Vila made known her presence ' evic: How now, brother Kralj Marko ! not Did I lay charge upon thee, T o do no battle on the holy Sabbath ?

It were shame also that two should prevail against one . Bethink thee ! Where are thy hidden fangs 1 ? ” d Musa looke up to the hills and to the clouds, 1 “ ” Le. Where is thy concealed weapon ? 1 3 1 f Ifhaply he might know whence came the voice O the Vila . so k k Right Mar o drew forth a nife craftily, And so he carved Musa the Outlaw th 1 From e navel even to the white throat . But the dead Musa lay heavy on Mark o

That scarce might b e win out from under him .

And when Marko had rolled Musa over, n e t He perceived i Musa thre mighty hear s,

one . And three sets of ribs, over other was The ﬁrst heart quite spent,

The second throbbed strongly, On the third slept an evil snak e ; k k And when the sna e awo e,

Dead Musa writhed on the greensward,

’ And the snak e spak e thus unto Marko : “ Kral evié r Give thanks to God, j Ma ko, That I was not awak ed from sleep was Whilst Musa yet alive,

Else had three hundred woes come u n thee. Kral evié k When j Mar o saw this, his Tears ran down face. “ o f ! God Mercy, quoth he, woe is me ” For I have slain a better than myself. ’ O ff Then he strake Musa s head,

s - k of Sharatz And ca t it into the corn sac ,

And bore it to white Stamboul .

When he cast down the head before the illustrious Sultan, a to Sore adread the Sult n sprang his feet, ' And Kraljevic Mark o said to him “ Be t ! not adread, my Lord Sul an

How hadst thou received him living, ” When his dea d head maketh thee so to leap ? Three charges of gold the Sultan gave him ;

to Marko went forth white Prilep, on KaCa nik Musa tarried .

’ unseam d f Ma cbeté Till he him rom the nave to the chaps, , 1 SC , . 2 . [ 1 32 ]

of - e Note . The story three heart d Musa was the legend referred to of an e - by the signatories app al by Jugo Slavs against Italian pretensions . “ We ff f hi ask for o er riends p ; they obedience, proclaiming us bar i the e not in beh nd tim s , put your hope the exhaustion of the Jugo- Slav race ! If our nation sp en t its strength ﬁrst i n B lk and e the a an wars th n in this world war, its remaining power of resistance has today increased by the hope of the union of all our k the in e lands, and it will (li e hero our l gends who had three hearts) k f i f f the last wa e to li ewith its th rd strength, to de end itsel to breath rather ” n than bend its head under a ew yoke . This document was signed M eStrovic n m en of by Ivan and other distinguished artists a d letters .

[ 1 34 ]

t chri And came with a straigh course to white O da . the Now when he was come to river bridge, was Lo, a knight there, Seated cross - legged on a brown horse ;

- And ever he threw his battle mace to the clouds,

And caught it again in his white hands . “ d ” G o aid thee, saith he to Marko,

And Marko gave him fair greeting again . Then said the knight to M ark o of Prilep “ Tell me, I pray thee, stranger knight, not Art thou come from Prilep, From the manor of Kraljevic Marko ? Is Marko in his white manor ? And hath he many invited guests there with him ? ” Kraljevié Marko made answer : “ — h In good sooth t ou Stranger knight, ’ was at Prile This morning I p, i And Marko s indeed in his fair manor. celebrateth He his patron saint,

And he hath many invited guests there with him . The worshipful stranger knight answered him aga i n “ so sir Though he have never many, fair , G od If will and knightly fortune prevail,

His table Shall swim in blood,

And by God, I will hang him, on of Even the gate white Prilep . For long since he slew my brother, ” Musa, the outlaw . SO he urged his brown horse and went his ways, ’ And Marko s countenance was sore troubled . was This way and that he pondered, and his mind divided ;

For if he should make him known,

The Turk would surely slay him, For that he had no weapon ; ff o And if he su ered him to g his ways to Prilep,

The Turk would surely hew down many guests, h i W at t me he sought Marko in his manor . [ 1 35 ]

on one Many counsels he pondered, he resolved , And so he cried with a loud voice : “ e ? Whither go st thou, Djemo LO Kral evié k ! , here am I , j Mar o

Djemo, the Mountaineer, turned him about, k haratz But Mar o put his trust in S . Sharatz On his he trusted he should have escaped, the And he ﬂed away athwart wide plain, And Djemo followed hard after him ; was Sharatz bad Swift , and right well escaped him, Bu t Djemo seized his battle- mace ;

He wheeled it round him and cast it, k And smote Mar o between the living shoulders. on Marko fell down the green grass, He fell and Djemo hasted to him k And bound his hands behind his bac .

- Then he drew forth the chain from the saddle bag,

And bound him fast in bitter iron .

On his feet two fetters,

On his arms two armbands, k of Round his nec the heavy chain iron . ’ b e Sharatz Then mounted Marko s , And by the halter led the brown horse

Whereon he had bound Marko, chrida And came straightway to white O . O chrida s e t And by he up a gallows, For k there he purposed to hang Mar o . C But the hristian lords besought him , saying

B t - in - D ro her God, jemo the Mountaineer, k Hang not Mar o here,

Lest vine and wheat bear not any fruit. ” LO ! , here be three charges of gold

o o f Djemo to k the three charges gold, And led away Mark o to Vu éitern ;

And by the town he set up a gallows,

Fo r k he purposed to hang Mar o there. Bu t C the hristian lords besought him, saying 1 36

- in - G od the Q Brother , Djemo Mountaineer, not Hang Marko here, not Lest vine and wheat bear any fruit . ” LO of ! , here be three charges gold O f Djemo took the three charges gold, Z veCa n And drave Marko further to white . set And there Djemo up a gallows, to k For there he purposed hang Mar o . But from Z veCa n the lords came and besought him

- in - Brother God, Djemo the Mountaineer, not Hang Marko here, n t Lest vine and wheat bear o any fruit . ” LO t ! , here be hree charges of gold D o f jemo took the three charges gold, And departed thence

Through a certain mountain called Janjina . D was And jemo sore athirst, And he spak e (softly) to bold Mark o “ t Knowest thou, Marko, if here be water here beside or any inn ? ” Sore thirst prevaileth over me. ' T o him answered Kralje vic Marko “ of o n Knights worship speak not this wise, Djemo, o r But rather they slay horse falcon,

And stay their thirst with blood from the throat . Djemo the Mountaineer made answer : “ N or horse nor yet falcon will I slay, to Kral e VIc But I am minded slay thee, j , to For stay my thirst with blood from thy throat . o u t — Therewith he pulled his well wrought sabre, t Kral evié k Being in mind o slay j Mar o . Bu t Kral evié j Marko spake to him, saying

Soothly, Dj emo, there is an inn hard by

- And an accursed ale wife, Janja .

of m Now will Janja revenge herself e . e Gr atly of her wine have I drunken, ” But have never given her a dinar .

1 38

th e - And his legs cracked in knee joints,

But the hard iron held him . D jemo sate him down on the black earth, k k e And Mar o sat drin ing the dark win . to D He drank the health of jemo the Mountaineer, t h He drank o his healt but gave him naught to drink .

And when Marko was ﬂushed with wine, Sharatz He tied to the brown horse, Sharatz And bound Djemo upon , ’ Himself he mounted upon Dje m o s brown u Citern And went straightway to V . C Thence came forth to him hristian lords, saying “ - in - Kral e vié Brother God, j Marko,

See that thou hang Djemo here . LO o f ! , here be three charges gold But Marko gave back to them the gold to a That they had given Djemo the Mount ineer, n t Z eCan And went o fur her to white v . C And the hristian lords came forth, saying ' - in - evic k Brother God, Kralj Mar o,

See that thou hang Djemo here . ” LO of ! , here be three charges gold But Marko gave back to them the gold D That they had given to jemo the Mountaineer, And to chrida continued white O . C And the hristian lords came forth , saying “ ' - in - G od evic lVIark o Brother , Kralj ,

See that thou hang Djemo here . o f ! Lo, here be three charges gold k And Marko would not ta e the gold, But gave back to them the three charges to That they had given Djemo the Mountaineer . O chrida At he builded a gallows,

And hanged Djemo the Mountaineer . ﬁsh O chrida And he took from lake,

And straightway gat him to white Prilep,

And there did honour to his patron saint . MARKO KRALJ EVI C ABOLISHES THE

MARRIAGE - T AX

RA L EVI C A J M RKO rode forth early,

K Early he rode athwart the plain of Kossovo . to Servana And when he was come river,

There met him a damsel of Kossovo . And Marko gave her fair greeting “ s ! God aid thee, thou damsel of Kos ovo The damsel bowed her to the ground “ ” Fair fall thee— s tranger knight ! Then Marko spak e to her and said “ Dear sister, damsel of Kossovo, Right fair thou art— mayst thou wax younger ! l Full seem y thou art Of body and stature,

Rosy thy countenance, and high thy bearing. Bu t besee m eth thy hair, Sister, thee not . Wherefore art thou grown so grey ? By whom hast thou lost thy gladness ? ’ own or Or by thine fault by thy mother s, ” Or by the mean of thine aged father ? of The damsel Kossovo wept tears, And to Kraljevic Marko she said : k Dear brother, thou stranger night,

Not by mine own fault am I unhappy, N ot own by mine fault nor because of my mother, r No yet because of mine aged father . h Natheless, miserable t at I am, I have lost all gladness .

Lo of , nine years days are passed, sea Since there came a Moor from beyond the ,

And leased Kossovo from the Sultan, And he in ﬂicteth outrage upon Kossovo k That the folk give him meat and drin ou t of measure. In this too he doeth Violence For every woman that would wed must pay him thirty

ducats, I 1 4 0

And every man four and thirty. bath the Whosoever the money and will pay full tale thereof, k to Such an one may ta e him a wife,

Such a damsel may dare to be wedded .

as for But me, my brothers are poor men, NO to gold had they to give the Moor, was Wherefore I left forlorn, r No might not wed me.

And for that have I lost all gladness,

Yet not therefor would I make such dole and sorrow, ff u s not to That he su ereth be married,

N o r to o u r wed with the knights lovers, But 10 ! , another grief and a greater the A greater shame Moor hath put upon us,

For each night he will have a young wife, and a maiden also, embraceth And the Moor the maiden,

And his servants take the young wife .

And all Kossovo must send him in appointed turn,

Their young wives and their maidens also, own And behold, wretched that I am, mine turn is come, t And this night I must hither to the Moor,

That he may lie with me this night .

And I think and ponder many thoughts, G od how? Dear , what shall I do and a Unhappy that I am, shall I le p into the river, Or shall I hang myself?

For, brother, I had liever lose my head, ’ ” Than embrace my country s foe ! But Kralje vié Marko spak e and said ! Dear sister, damsel of Kossovo k Spea not foolishly, leap not into the river, a De l not death unto thyself. not s in n th ! I pray thee, sister, lay this upo y soul ’ But say me where is the Moor s manor, Where is the manor o f the black lVIoo r ? ” I have words to speak with him . Quoth the damsel :

1 4 2

That living ﬁre ﬂashed from his hoofs,

And a blue ﬂame went from his nostrils . k In wrath rode Mar o athwart Kossovo, ’ Tears ran down the hero s face, And wrathful through his tears he spake “ ! Ah me Thou Kossovo plain,

What ills are come upon thee now, 1 s o u r Since the day of illustrious prince , That Moors should sit in j udgment over thee ! Bu t ff this shame I may not su er,

N or endure the heaviness thereof, the That Moors do us this great despite, And lie with our brides and young maidens ! t n This day, my bre hre , I shall revenge you, ! ” I shall revenge you, or I will perish

Right so Marko went towards the tents,

And the Moorish guard perceived him, And said to the black Moor : “ sea ! Lord and master, Moor from beyond the to A marvellous knight rideth down Kossovo, O r n a passing great piebald ho se,

And he hath spurred him to fury, ﬂashe th That living ﬁre from his hoofs,

And a blue ﬂame goeth from his nostrils . is a k on This knight surely minded to m e onfall us . But the black Moor ma de answer :

- m My children y forty henchmen, is dare th on There no knight that to make onfall us,

It is like that he hath found a damsel, And hasteth to us bearing the marriage- tax

He is grieved that he must needs yield up the gold, for is ou t o f And that cause he wroth measure. G o now our ye out before courtyard,

And receive the knight well and seemly,

And do humble obeisance before him .

Take from him his good steed, 1 Tsar Lazar . I 1 4 3 k His steed and his weapons li ewise, ff And su er him then to enter into my tent . I seek not his gold but I will have his head

That I may possess a horse that is worthy of me. Then the Moor’s henchmen went out ’ For to take Marko s trusty steed ; Bu t k when they saw Mar o near at hand, n They durst ot go to him . So they ﬂed into the Moor’s tent

And hid them behind the Moor their master. h They covered their swords with t eir mantles,

Lest Marko might be ware of their weapons . the Alone entered Marko into courtyard, B Sharatz efore the tent he lighted down from , And to his trusty Sharatz thus he spak e “ G O t hou, Sharo, to and fro within this courtyard, For of I will into the tent the Moor,

But be thou ever by the door of the tent, ” Lest I be put in jeopardy .

Therewithal Marko went into the tent, k And the Moor sat there drin ing cool wine,

And a young bride and a maiden served him . And Marko gave him fair greeting : “ ! ” God aid thee, noble lord The Moor returned him yet fairer salutation ! Long life to thee, fair stranger, and worshipful knight C ome, Sir Knight, let us drink wine together,

Then shalt thou tell me wherefore thou art come. But Kraljevié Marko said

I have not time to drink with thee,

But I am come to thee of good intent, Of better intent might no man be ;

I have wooed a fair damsel,

- on The wedding guests are the road here beside,

- And I am come bearing the tax money,

That I may pay the money and lead home the damsel, No man daring to stand in the way; [ 1 44 ]

how r - ? Tell me, much is the ma riage tax Then the Moor answered Marko fairly “ n Thou k owest it this long time already, k Whosoever ta eth a husband payeth thirty ducats, k And whoso ta eth a wife payeth four and thirty. t But meseeme h thou art a noble knight of prowess, ” to And it will do thee no hurt give an hundred . k Marko felt with his hand in his poc ets, And threw down before the Moor three ducats “ “ u Tr st me, quoth he, no more gold have I , But and if thou mayst endure

Till I am returned home with the fair damsel,

Then will rich presents be given to me, o And unt thee shall I give them all . the t To thee presen s, to me the maiden . The Moor gnashed like an angry snake “ ettes t From me, thou whore, thou g no credit, the Thou givest not gold and wouldst mock me withal . Right on that he seized his hea vy mace Kral evié And smote j Marko, ea Three times he smote him, y , and four times ! Kralje vié Marko laughed : “ O worshipful black Moor, quoth he, Art jesting or smitest thou in good earnest ? The Moor gnashed like an angry snak e : “ “ I jest not, he said, but smite in earnest . Quoth Marko : “ I weened that thou didst but jest, thou felon knight, a e But since thou dost smite in good e rn st, Wit ye well that I also have a mace

Wherewith to smite thee three, yea, and four times . For o ft as as ye have smitten me,

So Often shall I smite thee again . o of Then shall we g forth the tent, to For ﬁght together to the utterance.

his - Marko drew battle mace, k And smote the blac Moor,

MARKO ’ S HUNTING WITH THE TURKS

U A D a - R the Vizier went hunting,

M the a - In green mountain he went hunting, r With a b ave fellowship of twelve, ' ic k as e v . And thirteenth, Kralj Mar o

Three white days they hunted,

N or any quarry might they ﬁnd . And it fortuned that chance brought them 1 To a green lake in the forest ,

Wherein swam ducks of golden wing . the And Vizier loosed his falcon,

For to take a duck of golden wing . e But the duck tarri d not in his sight,

But soared upward to the clouds,

ﬁ r- And the falcon perched him in a green tree. Then spake Kralj evié Mark o : “ Is it permitted, Murad Vizier, now That I loose my falcon, ” For to take yonder duck O f golden wing ? Quoth Murad the Vizier : ? Yea, verily it is permitted, Marko, and wherefore not

Marko loosed his falcon,

He ﬂew up into the clouds, ze of And sei d the duck golden wing,

ﬁ - e And dropped with her under the green r tr e . ’ And when the Vizier s falcon saw this, of He was grieved out measure, was For he wont to use an evil custom, won And take the quarry that another had . ’ so Right he sped to Marko s falcon, For to take from him the duck o f golden wing ;

1 ‘ I Op a is used indi ffe rently to mean either a mountain or a fo

The and - reason is that Serbia is both mountainous well wooded , two ideas are closely associated . [ 1 47 ]

1 ’ ff- k was k But full sti nec ed Mar o s falcon, nas Eve his lord and master,

He yielded not up the duck of golden wing, ’ But strake the Vizier s falcon,

And strewed abroad his grey feathers .

And when Murad perceived it, was He wonderly wroth , ’ forthwithal And he took Marko s falcon,

ﬁ r- And dashed him against the green tree,

That he brake his right wing. And with that Murad returned back through the green

wood, of With his brave fellowship twelve with him . Marko’s falcon hissed k Li e angry snakes among the rocks . k Mar o took his falcon, to And began bind up his wing, And with wrathful voice he said “ Alas for thee and for me, falcon, To go on hunting with the Turks without fellowship

of Serbs, r Fo so they give us but a sorry share . ’ When he had bound up the falcon s wing, k on of Sharatz Mar o sprang the back ,

And pursued after through the black forest . Sharatz went like the mountain Vila,

Swift and far he went, And within a while they came to the edge of the dark

on And the plain below they saw the Vizier, hi t With s fellowship of twelve wi h him . lVI u rad The Vizier looked about him, Kral evié And when he was ware of j Marko, He said to his fellowship “ My children, my brave fellowship of twelve,

1 “ Sti ff- necked joryHHua is rendered as der Eigensinnige V ’ “ ” uk s D i ct. . , also as pertinax 1 0— 2 [ 1 4 8 ]

see Ye yonder wreath of mist, Yonder mist wreath by the dark forest ? evié k In yonder mist is Kralj Mar o, See to what madness he hath urged Sharatz ! ” od — bode th t l G wot this but li t e good . so k Right Mar o came thither, his He pulled out sword from his thigh,

And ran upon Murad the Vizier.

The brave fellowship ﬂed athwart the plain,

As to a - sparrows ﬂee the thicket before the sp rrow hawk.

But Marko overtook Murad, off And hewed his head, of And the twelve companions, H e a m de four and twenty . k Then Mar o fell to pondering, 1 edre n Whether were better to seek the Sultan at J , n Or to hie him to Prilep to his ow white manor.

And when he had well considered, he said “ edre n to It were better to go to J the Sultan,

And tell him what I have done, Than to suffer the Turk s ﬁrst to make accusation ” against me . was to edren When Marko come J , ’ t And was entered into the Divan in o the Sultan s presence, His eyes grew blurred in his head k o f Li e the eyes a famished wolf in the forest . as And when he looked, it was if lightning ﬂashed. k The Sovereign Sultan as ed him, saying “ ' son Kral evic My , j Marko, Wherefore art thou come in such sore anger ? ” Art thou i n lack o f money ?

Then Marko began to speak to the Sultan, as And he told him all it had come to pass .

When the Sultan had heard Marko, out He burst laughing, And said to him : 1 n Adria ople .

M ARKO DRINKS WINE IN RAMADAN

ULTA N SU LEIM A N let cry an order

That none should drink wine in Ramadan,

That none should wear green apparel,

That none should bear a sword, 1 That none should dance with women in the kolo Bu t Marko danced with women in the kolo,

on - Marko girded his well forged sabre, e Marko garb d himself in green apparel,

Marko d rank red wine in Ramadan . the And he forced the hodjas and hadj is,

- That they also drank the wine cup with him . And there went Turks to seek judgment of the Sultan “ ” “ our Sultan Suleiman, said they, father and our mother ! Hast thou not let cry an order

That none should drink wine in Ramadan,

That none should wear green apparel,

That none should bear a sword, That none should dance with women in the kolo ! ’ danceth Yet Marko in the women s kolo,

his - Marko girdeth on well forged sabre, arbeth Marko g him in green apparel, Marko drinketh wine in Ramada n !

Did he drink alone it were no great matter, com elle th But he p the hodjas and the hadjis, h ” That t ey also drink wine with him . the And when Sultan understood these words, He sent two on a message to Marko : “ ” “ G O forth, quoth he, ye two messengers, Sa Kral evié y to j Marko,

That the Sultan biddeth him to the Divan . s The two me sengers went forth ,

1 . . i . Kolo, lit a wheel Serb nat onal dance I I S I I

evié k And when they were come to Kralj Mar o, k Behold, Marko sat in his tent drin ing, And before him was a tank ard of twelve ok as 1 k Unto him the two messengers spa e, saying “ ' evic k ! Hearken unto us, Kralj Mar o t The Sultan bidde h thee to the Divan,

In the Divan must thou appear before him .

Therewithal Marko waxed passing wroth, a He seized the t nkard with the wine therein, ’ And smote the Sultan s messengers,

That their heads brast and the tankard also, And blood and wine were mingled together ! ’ T o k the Sultan s Divan went Mar o, k And sate him down by the right nee of the Sultan . ca of His p sable he pulled down over his eyes, k His mace he ept fondling ever, n And his sabre he laid across his k ees . And Sultan Suleiman spak e to him : “ ' Kral evic ! My son, j Marko

I did let cry an order, m That none should drink wine in Ra adan,

That none should wear green apparel,

That none should bear a sword, k That none should dance with women in the olo . o f k Yet there are that say ill thee, Mar o, tn And bear false wi ess against thee, dances t That thou with women in the kolo, th That thou bearest y sabre, s That thou goe t garbed in green apparel, drin k es t That thou wine in Ramadan, constra in es t And further thou hodjas and hadj is, That they should drink wine with thee ! And wherefore nowhast thou pulled thy kalpak over thine eyes ? Wherefore dost thou toy with thy mace ? Wherefore is thy sabre laid across thy knees ? 1 1 k 6 n 2 O as gallo s . I 1 5 2 I

Quoth Kralje vié Mark o “ Father, Sultan Suleiman,

If I drink wine in Ramadan, k it If indeed I drin , my faith alloweth ; If I put constraint on the hodjas and the hadj is It is that fo r very shame k I may not drin while they do naught but look .

Let them not come to me to the inn .

And if I wear green apparel,

I am young and it liketh me well .

- If I bear my rich wrought sabre, own With mine gold I bought it, k And if I dance with women in the olo, I t is own that I have no wife of mine ,

And thou too, Sultan, wert once unwed .

If I have pulled my kalpak over mine eyes, w t The forehead sweats hen the Sultan fre s, to m And I y with my ace,

And lay my sabre in my lap, Because I fear that strife may come o f this ;

And if strife should come, ” W o e to him that is nearest Marko ! The Sultan look ed about him on every side If haply there should be any nearer to Marko ; t But near Marko here was none other,

But o f the Sultan Suleiman was nearest all . k The Sultan gave back a little, Mar o followed after,

Until he drave him to the wall . Then the Sultan put his hand in his pock et

And drew forth an hundred ducats, to Kral e vié And gave them j Marko . “ ” “ ’ Go, Marko, quoth he, drink wine to thy heart s ” content .

[ 1 54 ]

k x Stro es si and thirty Of golden maces . t k To the good servant hey made soft the bac , of And when it wearied the hero ﬁghting, ff And his shoulders were grown sti ,

He went weeping into the castle to Marko . Marko Kralje vié said to him : “ Vaistina , my dear child, son ? Wherefore, , dost thou shed these tears or son ? Art thou anhungered art athirst, my

If thou art anhungered, here be victuals, 1 0 . If athirst, , here is cool wine

Shed not these great tears, r Fo so thou doest despite to my patron saint . And the servant Va istina said : “ Kral evié Lord and master, j Marko,

Neither am I anhungered nor yet athirst . n Evil have I gotten with the bread that I have eate , And worse evil with the wine that I have drunken ! In thy lordly manor, Marko

Thou sentest me to keep watch and ward, But who would k eep watch and ward for thee ? There came three Turkish Agas

With thirty janissaries with them, And the three Agas called with a loud voice ‘ ! Giaour, open the gate see That we may , witless Giaour, ’ How celebrateth Marko his Slava . And in Turkish made I fair answer ‘ ! Open for yourselves, Turkish janissaries n ot I dare open the door, ’ For I fear my lord and master . of The Turks recked little enough that, k ou t They pluc ed thirty maces,

They brake down the door of the gate, ou t to And they paid on my shoulders, s s ix o f Stroke and thirty golden maces . s When Marko heard the e words, I 1 55

He took his sabre and his mace, And before his guests he swore : “ Hearken, my lords and guests, the son t I am not of my mo her,

The illustrious queen, not If I garnish Prilep, N ot basil nor with yet with red roses, ‘ ” But with a row of Turkish heads .

Then his mother began to beseech him, The illustrious queen spak e and said “ ! Stay thee, Marko, my dear child so d And right the mother ma e bare her breast, saying “ h ’ Lest thy mot er s milk slay thee,

D n o f o O o deed blo d this day .

This day is thy glorious Slava,

If any enter into thy manor this day, G ive drink to the thirsty, give food to the hungry, the of th For souls y parents, ’ 1 ” for the own elina And weal of thine soul and J s . t Marko gave heed to his mo her, not He put by his sabre but put his mace aside, SO the Turks entered into the manor to their scathe. et And he s them in Order round the table . “ ” “ Vaistina l\/I ark o k , quoth , give them to drin , ” Jela, my soul, give them to eat . k The servant brought wine and ra ia, elitsa And J brought goodly viands, f k SO they were o good cheer and dran wine .

And when the Turks had drunk a little, They said among themselves in Turkish “ ! Brethren, let us hence r Before the viands stick in ou throats . k The Turks thought that Mar o knew not Turkish, ’ Bu t Mark o had been at the Sulta n s court sea k Beyond the in Syria of the Tur s,

1 “ In Dj emo the Mountainee r J evrosima gives e xpression to the am and in k her. s e sentiments, each case Mar o gives way to [ 1 56 ]

And had dwelt there seven years, k And had learnt ﬁne Tur ish,

As if a Turk ish mother had borne him . And Marko said to the Turks : “ ! Sit ye down, Turks, drink wine ’ Pay me the leech s fee for my servant ; do so But if ye will not , Wait until I reach you

Bu t o ne buffet apiece with my mace .

There is but little substance therein,

o f Forty okas cold iron, Of Twenty fair okas clear Silver, And six ok as o f beaten gold ;

In all six and sixty okas .

And I let you wit that well have ye earned it, F r k o ye did brea down my door, ’ And did count ou t on my servant s shoulders f ” Six and thirty blows o golden maces . k Therewith an ague too all the Turks, k ’ For fear of Mar o s terrible mace . o ne Each drew forth twenty ducats,

And the Agas drew forth thirty ducats . ’ on o f They put the ducats the hem Marko s garment, s e For o they hoped Marko would leave them in p ace, n But he would in o wise leave them .

Marko, the Giaour, drank wine, Fain would he have picked a quarrel with the Turks HO s it , Turks, ye down and drink,

And do ye give me somewhat in return .

My Jela is not a slave, She has soiled the silk en robe she wears ” e ou While s rving y with goodly viands . now And the Turks were in straits, l For already some acked money,

And one borrowed from another.

Each one yielded up ten ducats,

And the Agas gave twenty ducats apiece .

MARKO ’ S PLOUGHING

RA L EVI C A J M RKO sat at wine, e vros im a K With the aged J his mother.

And when they had enough drunken, ’ Marko s mother spake to him, saying “ ' son Kral evic k O my , j Mar o, C ease, my son, from thy adventures, For evil may bring no good thing with it,

And it wearies thine aged mother,

That she must ever be washing bloody garments . SO take thou plough and oxen,

Plough hill and valley,

Then sow, my son, fair wheat,

And thus shalt thou feed both thee and me.

Marko hearkened unto his mother, k He too plough and oxen, Bu not t he ploughed hill nor valley, h ’ But e ploughed the Sultan s highway. re And the passed that way Turkish janissaries, e of h Having thre charges gold wit them, ' And they said to Kraljevic Marko “ ! ” Go to, Marko, plough not the highway ” “ G O ! to, Turks, quoth he, spoil not my ploughing G O to ! , Marko, plough not the highway ” G O to ! , Turks, spoil not my ploughing of And when it wearied Marko words, o n He swung plough and oxen high, the re ith And slew the Turkish janissaries .

o f Then he took the three charges gold,

And brought them to his mother, “ B ” “ ehold, quoth he, what I have ploughed for thee ” this day. THE MARRIAGE OF DJURO OF SMEDEREVO

HEN Dj uro of Smederevo married him, ’ HH k O ff He wooed a ing s daughter afar ,

o f k In the fair city Dubrovni , W i was k hereof M chael ing, ’ 1 e rina And his daughter s name was J . D uro j wooed her, the King gave her to him.

In his wooing of the fair damsel, Djuro spent three charges o f gold ; of In gifts also for the mother and sister his bride, t He spent a housand golden ducats .

of - When he began to talk the wedding day, : Then the King answered Dj uro, saying “ k to of Hear en me, Djuro Smederevo, as When thou art come to thy c tle of Smederevo, s — And goe t about to gather thy wedding guests ,

as k as - See that thou not Serbs wedding guests, k For overmuch do the Serbs love drin ing, f And o brawling also are they overfond .

They would get drunken, they would raise strife and

tumult, t not And if hou mightst stay the strife, Small hope were thine to lead forth my daughter ! B Therefore do thou summon Greeks and ulgars, o f as as Gather them many ye will, for And come the damsel when it pleaseth thee . D of When juro Smederevo heard it, r He made him ready to go fo th of the white palace, And took his journey toward Smederevo on But his way thither a letter overtook him, From J erina the fair damsel : to of Hearken me, Djuro Smederevo,

When thou art come to white Smederevo,

th - And goest about to gather y wedding guests, 1 ina f f of er Cf. atovich . J ounded the ortress Avala , Mij 1 60 J

n ot o f Heed the words my father, k B Summon neither Gree s nor yet ulgars, Or never wilt thou go forth alive

of o u r of k Out city Dubrovni , Nor never mayst thou lead home thy bride !

So do ask to - thou Serbs be thy wedding guests, k Debelié As kum ta e Novak , As rik uma k G ru a N ovak ovié p , j , k As stari svat, Jan o of Sibinj , ' evic As dever, Marko Kralj , CauS As , the winged Relja, M iloS O bilié As vojvoda, , As barjaktar, Milan Toplica, i n néié As r ve ac Kosa . p , Ivan as k As for the others, whom ye will ; D Gather together, juro, a thousand guests, k And come as soon as it li eth thee . D uro When j had scanned the letter,

He had little pleasure of it,

And came in a study to Smederevo . was O ff While he yet afar ,

His mother spied him, And came ou t for to meet him ;

They embraced and kissed each the other, ’ And his Dj uro kissed mother s hand .

Then each took other by the hand, so And they entered into the white manor,

- And sate them down at the well spread sofra . ’ And Dju ro s mother asked him “ Son of D uro o f ! mine, j , Djuro Smederevo Art thou come to me in peace ? Hast thou won for me a daughter- in - law ? For ? me a daughter, for thee a faithful wife Answered to her Djuro Sm ederevac : “ ! God be praised, mine aged mother I have journeyed in peace hither ; wo n for A daughter have I thee,

[ 1 6 2 ]

As § vojvoda, Milo Obilic, As barjaktar, Milan Toplica, ' rive nac Kosa n éic As p , Ivan , for As the others, ask whom ye will,

Gather together, Dj uro, a thousand guests, k ’ And come hither as soon as it li eth thee . C ounsel me now, mother,

- in- Whether should I obey the King, my father law, ” e rina ? Or the maid, J , his lovely daughter t : His mo her answered him, saying son D Dear , juro of Smederevo,

The Latins were ever deceivers, f n so . And ain, my , would they deceive thee

not - in - Hearken to the King thy father law, f rina But Obey the word o thy bride J e .

as k to th e - s Do thou Serbs be y w dding gue ts,

And if haply thou art in straits,

They will be with thee in thy need . D o f When juro Smederevo heard it, on He sate him down and his knee he wrote letters,

And sent them forth everywhither.

Then he rested him certain days, ta And behold there came S rina Novak, And his son Gruj ica with him ;

Thereafter but a little time, o f Behold Janko Sibinj , With an hundred wedding- gues ts with him ; And Janko entered into the white manor ;

Then across the ﬁelds appeared Marko, o f And after Marko, Relja Pazar, M iloS And after Relja, the vojvoda, A M iloS fter , Milan Toplica, Kosanéié And after Milan, Ivan . So the Serb knights assembled together,

- With a thousand well bes een guests with them .

Fair welcome indeed they had of Dj uro, k s And he spa e them words of counsel, aying 1 63 ! Ye thousand guests, my brothers not own k I go mine self to Dubrovni , Bu t obratim k I send my p , Mar o ; k See that ye do well obey Mar o,

k u m And my also, Starina Novak .

SO - s the wedding gue ts departed thence, k And journeyed in peace to Dubrovni .

And when they were come to Dubrovnik city, ' Kralj evic Mark o spak e and said : “ ! Ye thousand guests, my brothers

Now shall we go in at the gates,

And we must pass, dear brothers, 1 Gates seven and seventy , as l Before we may come at the white c t e . the And before castle they have laid tables, k They have set wine and ra ia thereon, And o f ﬁne meats every sort ;

the - About tables be serving men and maids,

For to take your horses and your weapons,

Ye will give them your horses, your weapons ye will not

give, sit But ye will down armed at the tables, And drink the dark W ine above your weapons ; k When the King of Dubrovni cometh, B e . ye silent, for I will speak with him t as t Therewi hal they arrived before the c le, k The menservants too their horses, And the maidservants would tak e their shining weapons h They gave up their horses, t eir weapons they did not give,

But they sat down armed at the tables, k k And dran the dar wine across their weapons . o f And behold the King Dubrovnik cometh, k Fair words he spa e to them, saying N k Fair Sir, most worshipful ova , Never or now have I seen wedding- gues ts 1 f S A avourite expression to denote vaguely any large n umber . ee The k Siste r of Le a Kapetan .

I I [ 1 64 ]

That sat weaponed at their wine . k be Nova held his peace, no word said , But Kraljev ié Mark o spak e and said : o f o ! Fair sweet Sir, thou King Dubr vnik is This the custom of the Serbs, For they use to drink their wine across their weapons ” And beside their weapons they seek sleep at night . The king turned him about and went back into the cast]

There they spent the dark night,

And when day dawned on the morrow, A Latin stripling cried aloud from the wall “ ’ Debelic ! Hear ye, Novak Lo , yonder in the white tower be two Latins

That would fain joust with thee,

And thou must needs go forth to them in the ﬁeld, ” erina And then shall ye lead away the damsel J .

When Starina Novak heard it,

He looked at his son Gruj ica, a k not And Gruj ic loo ed to the right nor to the left,

But leapt lightly to his feet, And went up into the white castle

And when he was entered into the white castle,

Behold, two young Latins met him,

Each with a sharp sword in his hand . so Right they ran upon Gruj ica,

That he stooped down to the black earth, ff But with his untried sword he smote such bu ets, the That of two Latins he made four. o f And as he went down out the castle, erina He was ware of the damsel J . “ ” “ ” she ! Tarry a little, q uoth , youthful Gruj ica h she And t erewithal threw him a golden apple . “ ” “ k she Ta e it, quoth , youthful Gruj ica,

That if ye should be in straits, Ye may know where J e rina abideth !

Gruj ica went down to Starina Novak, f Bearing with him the heads o the Latins.

[ 1 66 ]

erina For I have seen where J abideth .

They went up into the slender tower, e rina And found the damsel J , ou t And led her down of the slender tower . With that the Latin stripling cried from the wall k Hearken ye, Starina Nova , There be now closed against you ” Seven and seventy gates . Upon that Mark o Kralj evicspak e a word “ ” “ Sharatz Gruj ica, quoth he, bring me my charger , ” n o f For o him are the keys the gates . on Sharatz And when Marko was mounted ,

He drew his heavy mace, so And did his anger rage, as That each door he smote it,

Brast altogether in sunder, was o f the Till he come to the gate citadel, ’ ! A mighty gate it was, God s curse upon it

And when Marko smote it with his heavy mace,

The whole castle shook to its foundations, ri And Sto es fell down from the walls . the Upon that King lift up his voice, In Dubrovnik castle where the adventure was “ k ” “ ! ” Mar o, saith he, smite no more

Then he hasted and ran and brought the keys, f the And opened the doors o gate .

Marko stood by the doors Of the gate,

- And counted his thousand wedding guests, Till the tale was complete and they were gone forth

every one . Then said Marko to the King “ C ome hither, friend and king, C h ome hither t at we may give thee gifts, And also that we may ask pardon

For any scathe that haply hath been done .

The King of Dubrovnik went to him,

For he thought and expected, [ 1 67 ]

That Marko should give presents to him . But k Mar o swung his heavy mace,

And the King fell dead in the gateway.

- u And the wedding g ests departed thence,

And came straight to Smederevo cas tle .

And when they were come to Smederevo castle, D juro gave them fair welcome, k And ept them for ﬁfteen days . e rina his Then Djuro went with J into castle,

And the others departed each to his own dwelling. T HE MARRIAGE O F STOJAN POPOVIC1

T A N P V C OJ PO O I wooed a maiden , O ff He wooed a maiden afar ,

In rich Latin Venice. f she was o . And daughter to Michael, King Venice

He put a ring on her ﬁnger and set a day for the wedding,

After he should have gone to his white manor,

- - And gathered the well beseen wedding guests .

And by the time he had given ring and apple, He had spent three charges of gold ;

- in - - in - In gifts also for mother law and sister law, n Stojan spe ded a thousand ducats . And the King spak e softly to Stojan “ ” - in - ! Son law, quoth he, Stojan Popovic

t - Ga her thou wedding guests as many as thou wilt, And come for the damsel when good thee seemeth Bu t k ! hear en, Stojan Popovic

B - ring not Serbs as thy wedding guests, For overmuch do the Serbs love drinking, of And brawling also are they overfond,

They would get drunken, they would raise strife and tumult, And it is ill to stay tumult 2 In sculptured Venice of the Latins . B B ring with thee, therefore, Greeks and ulgars .

When the Lady Queen heard these words,

She cast a glance at Stojan,

At Stojan she cast a glance and a smile .

And now Stojan made him ready,

And went forth of the white palace . on And the road a letter came to him, ’ - in - From his mother law, the damsel s mother 1 “ n Concer ing this Stojan Popovic, I have never heard anything n r k V k o n u . more, do I ow anything more than what is here given ( ) 2 ' ‘ II JI eI euome B sr a 3 112111 11 OHO III TO e 110 R hama cnoaa a a 11 , j y y ’

a n san V k s . Rams y s p e o m e wra . ( u note )

1 79

As éa uS the , winged Relja, § ' As barjaktar, Milo Obilic, ' As Kral e v ic k dever, j Mar o,

And others as good thee seemeth . ” n SO shalt thou fear o treason . ’ Stojan hearkened to his mother s counsel ; ou t t He sent letters everywhi her,

- - For to gather the well beseen wedding guests .

- And he gathered a thousand wedding guests . o f The kum was the King Buda, ’ was M an duSic The stari svat Vuk , k of The vojvoda was Jan o Sibinj , CauS was win éd The the g Relja, ’ a M iloS The barjakt r was Obilic, was Kral e VIc And the dever Marko j . ou t So they set for Latin Venice,

And when they were come to Latin Venice,

The King gave them fair welcome,

The horses were led down to the stables,

And the knights were brought into the white castle . of When the morning the fourth day dawned , The gay- clad Ca uS cried aloud “ Haz u rala ! - ! Arise, ye wedding guests

The days are short and long are the stages,

The hour is come that we must depart hence.

Right on that the King of Venice came forth,

Bringing lordly presents .

o f To the kum he gave a shirt gold,

To the stari svat a golden tray, v o To the jvoda a golden apple, éaus To the he gave a spear,

M iloS - To a rich chased sabre, Kral ev ié To j he gave a heavy mace . He gave him also the bride and the horse whereon she

rode .

Lo, Marko, horse and maid are in thy keeping, ’ Sto an s Till ye be come to j manor, 1 7 1

h And t ere thou shalt give over to him the fair damsel .

the - With that wedding guests arose,

And bravely did the King conduct them forth,

T o - all the wedding guests he gave gifts in turn, T o one k h a erchief, to anot er a shirt all rare embroidered . O S they departed thence in merry wise,

And gat them up into the mountain .

And when they were come up into the mountain, k There sat a night by the highway, was That clad right marvellously,

All in silver and in ﬁne gold .

His mighty plumes came down over him, ! Yea, brothers, down to the green grass

Black indeed was his moustache about his teeth, as as of And in size it was large a lamb half a year. as Through his moustache a bre tplate shone, the Like bright sun through woodland trees .

His legs were yellow to the knee, ! Yea, my brothers, with purest gold was His mace hard by him,

- In his lap lay his battle spear,

- On his thigh was a rich wrought sabre . k And ever as the knight dran the red wine, The Vila of the mountain served him ; With her right hand she gave him to drink from a

golden cup, she And with her left gave him to eat .

- Now when the wedding guests should have passed by,

The knight leapt lightly to his feet, And spak e to the King o f Buda : “ ” Kin l Ha, Sir g quoth he, ! Ha, Sir Kum Throw down the golden shirt ” That they gave thee yonder. t The King yielded it wi hout a word . on Vu k The King passed and drew nigh, k And of him the night required the golden tray,

And Vuk gave it without a word . I I 72 I

of Then came Janko Sibinj ,

Of him was required the golden apple, k And Jan o gave it without a word .

Next came the winged Relja, of Forthwith the knight required his spear him,

And Relja gave it without a word .

M iloS o f Po cer e Then j drew near, Bu t when the knight required of him his rich - wrough

sabre, § Fain would Milo have had ado with him, Bu t out his fellows cried upon him, saying ” not ! Give up thy sabre, seek to do battle

il S - And M o yielded up the rich wrought sabre. A d Kral e vié n behold Marko j cometh, t n Wi h the damsel o horseback with him . F orthwithal the knight lift up his voice ” k ! uoth he Ha, Sir Mar o q , now Give me the horse and the damsel, h ” That t ey gave to thee down yonder. Kralj e vié Mark o made answer : “ - in - Brother God, thou Latin giant, ’ is the The horse not mine, and maid is another s,

Yet soothly, brother, they gave me a present, A gift for mine own self— a heavy mace

‘ ” The which I am well minded to give thee.

The giant would not answer him again, Bu t he sought to seize the horse a Whereon the d msel sat.

So Marko drew his heavy mace, k b e By quic ness deceived the eyes of the Latin,

Then he swung mightily with his mace, a And smote the Latin between his d rk eyes, of That both eyes sprang forth his head . ' Kral evic Then went Marko j to him, ’ And cut off the giant s head ; off his He stripped from him fair gear,

And he took also the lordly presents,

T HE DEATH O F MARKO KRALJ EVIC

A O KRA LJ EVI C M RK rode forth early, On a Sabbath morn before the bright sun, sea w He rode by the shore to ards Urvina mountain . k And when Mar o was gone up into the mountain, Sharatz Behold began to stumble,

T o ea . stumble, y , and to shed tears

Thereat Marko was much grieved, And he said unto Sharatz “ ? ? What aileth thee, Sharo What aileth thee, my good steed

An hundred and sixty years have we been together, or now And never hath thy foot failed thee, stum bles t But today thou , d t bo de th wo . G o , this no good thing of One us twain will surely lose his head, o r Or my head haply thine .

Thus Marko was discoursing,

When the Vila cried from Urvina mountain, ' And called to Kralj evic Marko ' - in - evic ! Brother God, Kralj Marko

Wouldst thou know, brother, wherefore thy horse stumbleth ? Sha ratz is for heavy thee, his master, ” For soon shall ye be divided . Bu t Marko answered the Vila ” “ ! White Vila, quoth he, a plague on thy tongue Since that with him I have seen the earth and the cities

thereof, fro the And am gone to and from the east unto west, Sharatz Nor found nowhere better horse than , Nor never knight that put me to the worse, not Sharatz I think to separate me from , o n Whilst my head endureth my shoulders .

But the white Vila answered him again, [ 1 75 ]

' - ih - Kral e vic k ! Brother God, j Mar o a k Sha ratz Truly none may t e from thee, N or mayst thou be slain, Marko, B y means of might or by sharp sword,

B - or l - m y war spear by batt e ace. k Thou fearest no earthly night, k Yet shalt thou die, Mar o,

By the hand of God, that old slayer.

But if thou wilt not believe me, a When thou comest to the top of the mount in, o k Lo about thee from the right hand to the left, And thou shalt see two slim ﬁr trees

ou t- o f That top all the trees the forest, t And crown the forest wi h their verdure, And between them is a well o f water ; Do Sharatz thou ride thither,

to Light down from him and tie him a ﬁr tree,

o f Then bend thee down over the well water,

And thou shalt see thy face mirrored, k And thou shalt now when thou must die . k k Mar o hear ened unto the Vila, was And when he come to the top of the mountain,

He looked about him from the right hand unto the left, And he was ware Of two slender ﬁr trees

o u t- That topped all the trees of the forest,

And crowned it with their verdure . Sharatz Thither he steered ,

And lighting down tied him to a ﬁr tree . of Then he stooped him down over the well water, And considered his countenance in the Water ;

And when he had considered his countenance,

He wist well when he should die, And he shed tears and spak e on this wise “ Deceitful world— thou wert a fair ﬂower to me ! th f o . Fair wert thou, but few e years my sojourn Three hundred brief years have I tarried ; t The hour now cometh hat I must go forth ofthis world . I 1 76

o u t Then Marko pulled his sabre, ou t From his girdle he pulled his sabre, Shara tz He came nigh unto his horse , O ff Sharatz And with his sabre cut the head of , That never he should fall into the hands of the Tur

Nor never be for a slave to them,

r - N o bear for them the copper water pots . Sharatz And when Marko had slain , Sharatz He buried his horse , He buried Sharatz better than he had buried Andrew

his brother.

In four pieces he broke his sharp sabre,

Lest the Turks, ﬁnding it,

Should boast them to have gotten it of Marko,

And so cause Christians to revile him .

And after Marko had broken his sharp sabre,

k - He bra e his war spear in seven pieces,

And cas t them into the ﬁr branches .

Then Marko took his ribbed mace,

In his right hand he took it, And cast it from Urvina mountain Into the great grey sea ;

And concerning the mace he spake, saying “ sea When my mace shall come up out of the , Another Marko shall appear upon earth ! ”

And when he had destroyed his weapons,

He drew forth an inkhorn from his girdle, k From his pocket he too unwritten paper, And therewithal he wrote a letter “ n Whoso cometh up into Urvina mou tain, the Unto well between the ﬁr trees, ﬁ nde th k k And there the night Mar o,

Let him wit well that Marko is dead, 1 And by Marko there be three purses of gold , Yea of , verily gold, of yellow ducats ; to ﬁ ndeth One purse I give him that me, 1 “ ” - Lit . three money belts .

1 78

on Right that the monk lighted down from his horse,

And touched with his hand the worshipful Marko, Bu t k was Mar o already long dead . the Vaso, Igumen, wept tears, f For he was passing heavy because o Marko . of From his girdle he took the three purses gold , t m his o wn And girded he about middle .

Then Vaso, the Igumen, thought and considered Where he should bury the dead Marko ;

He thought and considered and took resolve, se t a And he the de d Marko upon his horse,

s sea - And o brought him to the shore . He sate him down in a ship with the dead Marko

with him, And brought him with a straight course to the Holy Mountain so to o f ilindar And the church V . Vilindar And he let carry him into the church Of , k Over Mar o he read words meet for the dead , the And in earth he buried his body, ilindar In the middle church of white V . old There the man buried Marko, t But he left no sign hereon,

That none should know the grave Of Marko, And that his enemies should not revenge them on

the dead . APP ENDIX

THE DATE O F THE BALLADS

F the court poetry that is said to have ﬂourished in the time of O and f n and Tsar Dushan be ore it, othing has come down to us, after Kossovo ( 1 3 89) anythi ng in the nature of court poe try must e Bu t e not sp edily have cease d to exist . S rbian minstrelsy did altogether the l n e wf and n ﬁ and in perish ; popular ba lad gained orce sig i cance, all probability the heroes of Kossovo we re already widely sung during

th f - the e li e time of many who had actually fought in that battle . For e k and the k and Laonicas S rb is a born ma er, two Gree historians Ducas , who are thought to have lived withi n seve nty - ﬁv e years of the date of

are f the i of the . Kossovo, both amiliar with tradit onal story struggle ' Laonicas n e e e a e e k n M Ao cs , i d d , r l t s how a S rbian ight called n rode alone i nto the Turkish camp . Pretending to be a deserter with impor ’ tant information he gaine d access to M u rad s pres ence and slew the - e th Sultan with a spear thrust . Ducas t lls much e same story but does the of the a k he not give name Serbi n night ; says, moreover, that the e on n he in n weapon us d was a dagger, which poi t is agreeme t with the

existing poems . An anonymous translation of Ducas in Italian contains many addi tional f in the details that are certainly drawn rom poems, quite manner ’ “ ” of Pitscottie s n and f m Chro icle, as this Italian version dates ro the ’ ﬁf e M u rad s the of § teenth century, it is cl ar that death at hands Milo 1 - k n e h had become a well now ballad them verysoon indeed after t e event . But e e f the are in and the arliest dir ct re erences to poems German, occur in the writings of Kurip eSié who travelled from Vienna to 2 Constantinople in 1 53 1 . — Stephan Gerlach relates In his diary ( 1 57 3 7 8) that near Pirot the ru ins of a castle were pointed out to him as being once the abode of ' “ : Die e Cob oli e den Milos Obilic Christen sag n, das Milosch , welch r ”

tﬁ rkische n e n W e a . Kays r Murat erstochen, da sei e ohnung g habt h be “ With reference to dancing and the singing of folk - songs he says : Nach dem Essen haben die Ju ngfe rn in einem Reyhen ge tantzt und Chor 2 e e und e e . weise g sungen, j zwei zwei mit inand r W the k the k esm e du o ith regard to Mar o ballads, Oldest nown (a p g g

1 e — Kn ll s G e a w Tbe He roic A . 1 1 6 o e ene ra l! Histori o Ch d ick, g , pp 3 3 3 , f

i . u e d . n VI I . t/ze T rk s . 20 0 e G o 2 , p ( bb , . p 3 7 2 Cur u Das serbi sclze Volkstzed . 1 Ran e Histor o Ser vi a ci , , p 5 ; k , y f ,

. K ri s i m n t on il a f n u e é e O as e o o o o . p 53 footnote . p i s b ic h r p pular s g 2 ’ ’ f V i a ter l i lzte e fr m Pro . . a c s i a zur esc c a r ur in . 1 o G e , p 5 , J g M lz s sla zriscben Volks oesze I . Historisclze Zeu nisse . Z a e 1 8 6 . 8 E. p g g r b, 7 , p 3

I 2— 2 [ 1 80 ]

“ stiha) occurs in the Ribanje of Petar He k torovié but the earliest date that can be assigned to the poems in their decasyllabic form 2 the is seventeenth century . VUK ’ — Vu k StefanOVIc Karadi ic ( 1 7 87 1 864) was born at Trsi C of well ’ ’ - f n n f k . f oksimovic a d to do peasant ol His ather s ame was Ste an J , f the son the n of Stefanovié ollowing Serb custom, the bore sur ame ’

f son . Ste an s His parents had already lost several children so, as a ” of i on the the rezime of measure precaut on, they bestowed boy p Vu k b e the of and , a name supposed to potent against charms witches 2 ’ V k s an the Evil Eye . u childhood was spent with his p easant parents d f f f k he was thus amiliar rom the first with the life of the country ol . f for e e It was a primitive li e, conditions had remain d unchang d since k O f the f e n the fi e . The k e Tur ish conquest te th c ntury Tur , inde d , had the of w k f an d in a played part ic ed airy, Serbia all cultur l progress had been arrested as completely as in the palace of the Sleeping Beauty . ’ of Vuk s the e Neither parents could read , but boy contrived to l arn and f e hi m the n of TronoSa in the somehow, his ath r sent to mo astery he be f e x e ri hope that might able to urther his studies there, but the p not the k e in the ment was a success, mon s were entirely absorb d culti V k n of fi and u . vation their elds , retur ed home to tend cattle W i he m a in k for hi f un h le thus employed, de msel by dissolving g

in and and . powder water, began to write down local songs proverbs This was the modest beginning Of the great collections of folk - song

. In 1 80 of the with which his name is associated 4, the year Serbian Vuk k on e of rising under Karageorge, too service with the pa The k TrSié and leaders . Tur s advanced, was burned to the ground, k ’ k Vu s chief was illed . k e f For some years thereafter Vu led a wandering life . W hear o him Karlovatz in and ﬁ at gymnasium, at various places Serbia, nally at B the of elgrade where, as result a serious illness, he became permanently “ ” “ k no lame . Upheld by crutches, he writes, I could thin and e t not for e war horses, y had it been th se same crutches I h the k k of been slain by Tur s , li e so many my contemporaries e f and s et n on to my crutch s I had, per orce, to stay at home, there I dow ” n e In 1 8 a d . 1 paper what my ears had heard what my ey s had seen 3, the Vuk ﬂe d and when Karageorge made his escape over Danube, also in the k of settled Vienna . At this time remar able body Serbian songs and ballads which we nowpossess had n ot ye t been committed to writing

1 T n e n he poe m describes a q uarrel be twee M ar ko an d An drij a . It b g i s m i ta s irom k m dru ala In a re or f o m S a ato t Dva s a a dug o vre e g ov . p t r p l “ the Venetian Sen ate in 1 54 7 it is stated that a blind soldier san g a s ong M ar o Kral i f n about k jev é an d eve rybody joined in or everybody k ew it .

V n - B o Na rodne esnze ltr a sko s ske Z a re 1 1 8 . Dr an o t r . r k d ik, pj w p g b, 9 2 i u f n z f o d 6 . Prof. Po ov é slo uenska K i e vnost . an p , y g j , pp 57 5 2 T “V ” “ 8 no e he wo uk mean wo f. See p . 7 t . rd s l

[ 1 8 2 ]

of f He was medium height, says a contemporary, his ace, with its c k - k r and - se t high hee bones, loo ed curiously t iangular his small, deep , twinkling blue eyes were almost always down cast . He had bushy grey eyebrows and a huge moustache : he habitually wore high boots and k : f le the for a long blac coat his le t g was shorter than right, which reason he was unable to move about without a crutch : on his head he wore a large red fez which he very seldom removed . Respected and honoured by the literary and scientiﬁc world as no f se e the e Serbian had been be ore him, he lived long enough to complet r of f for f and the victo y the re orms which he had ought, to last he “ pursued his strenuous labours, in order, as he said, to snatch something ” more from death . Vuk and n in 1 86 died was buried in Vien a 4 , but thirty years later his remains were transferred to his native land and re - interred with 1 o B great pomp near the west door f the cathedral in elgrade .

MARKO KRALJEVI C

’ ' k n e (Vu s article i the Rj cni k . )

the f k f There is no Serb to whom name o Mar o Kralj evié is un amiliar . in for I propose to mention here certain incidents his career which, the

in in tales and . greater part, are not the heroic ballads, but occur legends k an man Mar o is reputed to have been much stronger than y living, 2 “ In l st l of zu k either then or now. the 7 bal ad the d boo ( The Turks ’ ’ k k and at Mar o s Mar o s mace, which he swung ﬂung with 2 one 66 k hand , is said to have weighed o as , As a boy I saw a painting of Marko in the hospice of the monastery

- at KruSedol in Syrmia . He was depicted carrying a full grown ox by the an the tail . He had slung animal over his shoulder d strode along “

th . n 66 k without bending beneath e burden I ballad No . ( Mar o ’ Kraljevic and Musa the story is told of how he took in “ ” of - f f ten and his hand a piece dry cornel wood rom a ra ter years old , “ how when he crushed it in his grasp it broke in two pieces and in ” n k a d of f of . not three, two drops water came orth out it Mar o could of go anywhere without ample provision wine, but as his strength was of k k great, so great was his power drin ing without getting drun . W S ha k ith regard to arac, some say t t a Vila made Mar o a present of him ; others assert that Marko bought him from certain ack - horse ‘ . he of ef Earac drivers They say had made trial many horses b ore , but

1 M r exander Y a n t t m n W n t Al ovitchitch w s prese a the exhu ati o . he he fﬁ n was o ene Vu k as a d f z on a oo n n o w re e e e e e o e who e t . c p d v l , h d, l ki g lik sl p 2 Ha o C ucs e ne Il ecme : Eu nra ra . Cs ecxa 2 . Be a e p p ii j Ii py ( lg r d , o in the at r Als l e edition of 1 9 1 3 . ’ 2 - T e k a 1 2 d n 8 6 l s h o 80 o . M ar o m a e a o we e 1 b . kil s k s c , cc r i g ly, igh d 1‘ ’ EHp HImja : a kind of hawker who used to carry his own or his m aster s o own o n a - r in l g oods from town t t pack horse o a ig ht cart . [ 1 83 ]

not one of . O ne he that them was able to carry him day saw a piebald ,

f a the k - e and leprous o l among pac horses belonging to some carri rs, it e h the k of n se med to him that t e animal had ma ings a ﬁ e stee d . Forth he e in n n he with s ized him by the tail order to swi g him rou d , as had n the he e e he f e do e with all other horses had hitherto t st d, but ail d to h move this horse from the place whe re he stood . Thereupon e bought S f e e of e and nk arac rom his own r, cur d him his l prosy, taught him to dri '

f h of k Kr evic are o . wine . O t e death Mar o alj various stories t ld Some

say he fell at the village of Rovina in a battle between Turks and Vlachs . a e sa b W hi hi f M irée ta He was sl in, th y y, y a allac an c e called who shot n th t in the him i e mouth with a golden arrow . O hers say that course of the S fe in e and battle arac was engul d a swamp n ar the Danube, that

both horse and rider perished there . In the Ne goti n district the story goes that the event took place in a m in the n ot far f the Cariéina n on orass neighbourhood, rom spri g (K igin The and the n of an brunn) . morass is still there, rui s old church, said to ’ k n are . have been built over Mar o s grave, still standing Accordi g to e e n e in the of n r e another l g nd , so ma y perish d battle Rovi a that ho s s and e in e e k n hors men began to swim blood , wh r upon Mar o, raisi g his “ ” e : 0 a l n ow? G od ok hands to heaven, cri d out God , what sh l I do to pity on him and miraculously transporte d Sarac and his master to a

cave where both continue to live to this day . Thrusti n g hi s sword into k k an f n B f d e a d he . the roc , Mar o lay down ll asleep still sleeps e ore h Sarac is a patch of moss at whi ch e nibble s from time to time . Little ’ ' k e f the k and w S e by little Mar o s sword emerg s rom roc , hen arac ats the and the f of the k all moss sword alls down at last out roc , then shall h Marko once more go forth into the world . Anothe r story is that e f k Be nn n ﬂed to the cave a ter seei ng a mus e t for the ﬁrst time . gi i g to 1 he hi e f th n W e he experiment with it shot ms l through e ha d . h reupon “ : e f of n o for n ow the e n said H nce orth valour is avail, m a est wretch ” k n may slay the bravest ight .

MARRIAGE

An immense mass of traditional Observan ces centre s rou nd the act of in k Be e the e marriage even a place li e lgrade, wh re cer mony is shorn of e be f in th many inter sting details still to ound e country districts . As in n the the Fra ce, it is rule that the parents should arrange marriage of their children and this is don e by means of a p rov odadi ija or inte r e e the f t mediary . Sometimes a regular d putation go s to house o he bride — f k bearing an apple the symbol of fe rtility . There is a deal o vague tal ef of the o e between the parties b ore the real business h ur is broach d, f o k f n a but o course everyb dy nows be ore ha d what is coming . At l st the on the e the e and e she k apple is laid tabl , girl is summon d , wh n ta es 1 One g athers that he did this in ten tion ally in order to ﬁ nd out what the f weapon was capable o . [ 1 84 ]

” she k — the n ocaq na it, as always does, the suitor produces ra ija p 8 — h O Ei I II a on . and t e . y j mentioned p 3 , line 334 bargain is sealed

f - an ff and be A ull dress Serbian wedding is imposing a air, it may well to state very brieﬂy the names and functions of the chief personages in the in cavalcade . They are catalogued the two ballads entitled “ S ” of of me de revo . 1 and in a The Marriage Djuro , p 59 , The Marri ge f 8 o 1 6 . Stojan p .

Kum : i st w tne on o or o fat e the C ef er on a e f om the i ss, sp s r g d h r ; hi p s g r T l i i relig ious poin t o f view. he re at onsh p be tween the k u m an d the d i n d one f t in din bri al pa r is co si ered o he m ost sacre d and b g . A ﬁ ctitious blood - relationship is established which pre cludes in ter 1 m n r t fa arriag e be twee the espe c ive milies in perpe tuity . Three ki nds o f k umstvo are co m m on ly re cog n ise d :

I t n k u m t n a ( ) Kr§ e o s v o spo sorship at b ptism . 2 K u m s t n ( ) vo vje Can o m arriag e .

iS - (3) Kumstvo S an o the hair cutting .

- f Dev er : the bride leader So metimes there are two de veri . ’

e are the e roo m m o t tr te f en . Cf. G k . Oa r Lat . Th y brid g s s us d ri ds jp ,

levir .

Sta ri ssv a t: he en o dd n - u t he u d itn O n the we d n t s i r we i g g es t z w ess . d i g he day he stan ds behin d the bride and it is he who a cts as M . C . at t d n f a wed i g e st . Can} : in the ballads the CauS appe ars to m ean a kind of m arshaller of the e n — al ad The or ome from the r i a nd i niﬁe w ddi g cav c e . w d c s Tu k sh s g s “ l ra a ra No a a it is a ie d to the icen e e te r ite lly he ld . w d ys ppl l s d j s whose duty it is to bandy witticism s with all an d sun dry and s o kee p th t m u e g ues s a sed . ’ ’ Vo fv oa a : ad r f r i n f r j the le e o the p ocess o ; very O ten the b idegroom s u ncle .

Ba r aleta r : h n - j t e sta dard be arer .

P svenac n ial iu i V k He s at ri u t m hom n um am a u . e p q uid , s ys ug g sts th f i the word m ay be a corruption o p rv jenac . ’ ma : P riku k the kum s attendant ; he sometimes acts as barj aktar also .

THE SLAVA O R KRSNO IM E

Every Serb family has a patron saint whose ikon hangs in a con ’ s icuous in the and e the m p place house each y ar, when saint s day co es “ ” the f k the round , amily holds a celebration nown as Slava or Krsno ”

I m e .

i ’ It is a social duty to call on one s friends on the day they hold their and f of in Slava, I have be ore me a sort Slava directory published B for of th k elgrade the convenience e inhabitants . This little boo is “ ” ’ entitled Hi reHa CBe q ap a and contains a list of saints days with s on f 2 f the date which they all . Under the name O each saint are 1 H n n - Cf. Sir e r M a Ea l La w a nd us om e r C t . . y i , y , pp 2 5 7 2 59 2 This lis t of Slava days and the families celebrating the m was compiled n 1 8 6 i 9 .

[ 1 86 ]

xr Circular cake of W heaten flour bearing the letters embossed ETA — 1 within the arms of a cross is bent slightly by the soel a r and the priest so as to break open the surface of the cake along the lines of in fe of re o the cros s when the priest pours a wdrops d wine . O n ne the f e occasion, when I was privileged to assist at private amily servic , se ctor f the the was perturbed to discover, just be ore priest arrived , h that there was white wine only in the house . T e priest entered and on “ ’ ” : re d learning how matters stood he said sternly Christ s blood was , and refused to proceed with the service until a bottle of re d wine had 2 ! th kola c k ma f for . e o been sent In addition to , another ca e, de boiled — the ko ioo— wheat, dusted over with white powdered sugar lf plays Th “ an essential part in the ceremony . e word is said to mean somethin g 2 ” k l the k f and be the il ed with ni e , is supposed by some to Christian n fi n th o uo substitute for actual sacrifice . Certainly it is sig i ca t that e k lji

— i - is used not only at the Slava but also at the feasts for the dead the ' da ca . on the E 2 0 Moreover days dedicated to Saint lias (July , v the e e wi out and to the Archangel Michael (No . Slava is cel brat d té the kol i no the n E n or e j , explanation bei g that neither St lias St Micha l has ever died and therefore the offering to the souls of the d ead sym i bolised by the kol i oo would here be inappropriate .

1 Sv Car a a a n e the he d of the house hold where the Sl v is be i g held . 2 ’ In Be ra e on St N o as D a 1 0 . lg d ich l y, 9 7 2 ’ Cf. Pe trovitch s a o n . 1 . cc u t, p 4 BIBLI O GRAPH Y

’ ’ e e d ALBE RTO FO RTIS . Saggio d Osservazioni sopra l isola di Ch rso

. e Osero (V nice, in 2 . e Viaggio Dalmazia . vols (V nice,

a i . Travels into D lmat a (London, Die n de r M o ack n B n rl e . Sitte ( er , B e e e in a n . e Abbat Alb rto Fortis R ise D lmatie ( rn, B en e . e Voyage Dalmati ( ern ,

R v nsko a . AND IJ A KACIC M I OSI é. Razgov or ugodni naroda slo i g (First k n n n ow editio published at Venice,

k . . . n n ch n k B n J F HE RDE R . Ei G e sang vo Milos Cobili u d Vu o ra ovich

M orlakisch . E e . e rster T il L ipzig , Ra s s M r ak c n o is h . do lau . Ei e l e Geschichte

D n orlakische e . ie scho e Dolme tscherin . Eine M Geschicht k o e e Z e e . V l sli d r, w iter T il Leipzig, ’ The s e thre e translati ons of H e rder s are to be fou nd in vol . xxv f h “ ” o t e Séimtliche We rke .

W . . K . la esan n e s an . . J v GOETHE . gg g v o de r edlen Frau en d As Aga Aus ’ “ ” ck k de m M orla ischen . (First publishe d in H e rde r s Vol sli eder — V . . n 1 1 1 f h . i ol I pp . 5 53 o t e Cotta editi on

U e n un te 8 . e d Al rthum . and 1 8 2 1 2 b r Ku st , vols v VI , 5, 7 (H re

ar an - Al are e essays d reviews dealing with the S e rbian folk song . l ’ f 1 n . f H to be ound i vol xx x o e mp el s e dition . ) ‘ V i ka U K STEFA NOVI C KARA D I C. Mala p rostonarodnja slavenose t bs ’ I ana V k S na es n r éa . a pj a i zd u om tefanovicem . (Vienna N rod

k esnarica . u tora . srbs a pj Cast Vienna,

k k v V k e f. Narodne srps e pjesme . S upio i na s ije t izdao u St ’

Ka . K k radi ic n i a o o su razliéne i enske esme . j g prva, u j j pj H rtel e : B k f . éi 1 (L ipzig reit op u , Nar k dne e . 11 o z 8 2 . z srps e pjesm , vol (Leip ig, I vol III (Leip ig,

v ol . W (Vienna, A n ewand very greatlyenlarged edition was pu blished in Vienna e th 1 8 - 86 f Be e betwe n e years 4 1 1 2 . This was ollowe d by the lgrad

h n 8 8 a . 1 1 i 1 nd in 1 8 6 . edition w ich was begun 7 completed 9 Vol , a n the k and e ee n cont i ing Mar o cycle many oth r epic ballads , has b r n epri ted s eve ral times . f h s a ka . Grammar o t e Serbian tongue . (Pi menica serbskog jezi

Vienna,

Jacob Grimm wrote a German translation of this Grammar . and B n He e an (Leipzig erli , contribut d also admirable “ ” “ ”

e hi e e in the e f . Vorred w ch is r print d Kl inere Schri ten, vol

- . 6 1 VIII pp . 9 29 . [ 1 88 ]

V r k R e énik— co - er U K STEFANOVI C KARADZIC. S ps i j Lexicon se rbi g

- 1 8 1 own the Be e manico latinum . (Vienna, My copy is lgrad - f f a i i 1 8 8 . o n ed t on, 9 It is a treasure house in ormation and indis

pensable aid to the student .

S k Narodne Pri ovi e tke . B rps e p j ( elgrade,

obiéa i sr sko a . W ivot i j naroda p g ( ien, ’ of in JACOB G RIMM . Translations nineteen Serbian songs Forster s “ ” “

Si n erfahrt. B in e g ( erlin, Reprinted the Klein re ” - 6 . f . . Schri ten, IV pp 4 55 4 7 Translation of the epic poem Erbschaftsteilung in Kunst ” “ ” und Al terthum . 1 in e f n , IV ( Reprinted Klein re Schri te ,

1 0 . i . p . 4 f Die Aufbauung Scutaris . Grimm made two translations o this “

the ﬁ the m . poem, rst unmetrical, second etrical Kleinere ” — ” f n . . f Schri te , VII . pp 544 555 Particularly use ul is the Vorrede ’ ’ “ to Grimm s G erman version of Vuk s Grammar “ - in f . 6 1 2 . Reprinted Kleinere Schri ten, VIII pp . 9 9

n . TALVJ (Therese Albertine Luise von Jacob . Afterwards Mrs Robinso ) 8 an 2nd k i . s c 2 . l 1 2 d Vol sl eder ler Serben vol (Hal e, 5 N . and z ew edition unchanged (Halle Leip ig, edition

and . 2 . e revised enlarged vols (L ipzig, Historical View of the Languages and Literature of the Slavic W a n : k of Talv . N tio s with a s etch their popular poetry, by j ith “ n f B f E D . D . . . o a pre ace by dward Robi son, , LL D , author iblical ” Y k in e e tc . New : . Researches Pal stine, ( or George P Putnam, 1 8 50 )

W Y . . E . E N S e z UGE E EL S rbische Hoch eitslieder (Pest, — N k P s 8 . . 8 6 dn e m 1 2 W . 1 2 . aro e e e estminster Review, vol VI Srps j , 3 4 and e Vuk n Popular Servian Songs, collected publish d by Stepha o K r ch i . 8 o . a atz . v vich (Leipzig, 3 Vols )

N B W R N . e r . JOH O I G S rvian Popular Poet y (London, : e k n e WILHELM GE RHARD . Wila Serbisch Vol slieder u d Held n k méi rche n . 2 . z of vols (Leip ig, A second edition this wor “ in 1 8 the of W was published at Leipzig 77 , under title ilhelm

Gerhards G esange de r Serben . — N K . Kr v ts JOHAN NEPOMU VOGL Marko alje i Serbische Heldensage.

(Vienna,

R S s a s h W . 2 . FR . ﬁ d l vi c e z SIEG IED KAPPE anderungen vols (Leip ig , “ Th s t k f — k der e I . o vol contains a s etch our hero Mar o, ' ”

n . KOnigssohn . Eine Gestalt aus de n serbischen Heldengeséinge D e G es n i a e de r . 2 . z g Serben vols (Leip ig,

W S RANKL . e . e LUD IG AUGU T F Gusle, Serbische Nationalli der (Vi nna, 1 8 52 ) RA K — f . N B . 6 . f o of . LEOPOLD V History Servia, pp 47 5 A brie statement ﬁ of k e the signi cance the national poetry . Mar o receiv s special

i . E B attent on ( nglish edition, ohn,

[ 1 9 9 ]

S sk a B STANO E N C. Istori a r o . J STA OJ EVI j p g Naroda ( elgrade, k i a . 2 6 . Z R C. NaSa narodna e Dr T . MA ETI p 3 pp ( agreb ,

Th E . W . R. e MILLE Ottoman mpire (Cambridge, lk - n N . U . O and MAXIMILIA A M GGE Serbian F so gs, Fairy Tales Pro

verbs . (London,

of . B W . . R Y . : H . V TEMPE LE History Serbia (London ell,

W R . . . N L F . A I G Serbia (Home University Library,

C de r e . 1 1 I RE EK. i C . J Gesch chte Serb n (Gotha, 9 k n U RCI N . i de r Dr MILAN Das serbische Vol slied deutschen Literatur .

(Leipzig, ka Kn vn ost C. u oslovens i e . f. i Pro PAVLE POPOVI J g j (Cambridge, T f the h NEVI LL FO RBES . he position o Slavonic Languages at t e present

day . (Clarendon Press, In D a Serbian Grammar . ( collaboration with r gutin — 2 2 2 . (Clarendon Press, pp . 4

W Th A e . 1 0 . NR K. e H MU O CHAD IC Heroic g (Cambridge, pp 3 — T f 1 0 1 1 he B o . E. 1 4 ; pp . 3 3 3 9 ( attle Kossovo) ; pp 44

B K K n k - k Z 1 1 R N N . arod e . Dr A O VOD I N pjesme hrvats o srps e ( agreb , 9 h f N ROOT HAM of t e . HELE . Kossovo, Heroic Songs Serbs (Ox ord B k lac well ,

66- 86 f the Quarterly Review, vol . XXXV . pp . . Translations rom Servian Minstrelsy : to whi ch are added some Specimens of An glo- Norman “ The e : O f Romances . 4to . (London, article b gins this volume a very small edition only has been printed for private The n in the ff circulation . specime s given Review are su iciently k n e are good to ma e o e wish there had been more of them . Th y ’ evidently based on Talvj s German Version and although it is n O n ot k e f the . so stated , Loc hart hims l was probably translator “ ” 2 8 of B f page his Servian Popular Poetry, owring, re erring to “ ” “ : ef the Translations, comments acidly The tast ul author has n o the doubt greatly embellished original .

k The Mar o cycle, as a whole, has never been translated into E the f k n s of of nglish, but ollowing boo s contain renderi g twelve the ’ ballads as given in the second volume of Vuk s collection “ ” B r . Servian Popular Poetry, by John ow ing (London, ’

1 . n The Moorish Ki g s Daughter .

2 . k and th k Mar o e Tur s .

of K . 3 . Death ralevich Marko . (All in unrhymed decasyllables ) ” and the h atovic . : Servia Servians, by Chedo Mij (London Pitman , 1 9 0 8 )

-I O orosh and k Kral ev ch Mar o y i . N k an Veela The Royal Prince Mar o d the . Kral evich k an M s K s u y Mar o d oos a es ejiya .

k - p i the n n . . All i . How Mar o abol shed weddi g tax ( prose ) [ 1 9 1 ]

- a and n of the W . . Hero t les Lege ds Serbians, by M Petrovitch : (London Harrap,

H The Marriage of King Voukashin .

N Prince Marko tells whose the Empire shall be .

m Prince Marko and a Moorish Chieftain .

- P k e . - Prince Mar o abolish s the wedding tax T U Prince Marko and Bogdan the Bully . O k an Vo tcha Prince Mar o d General u . l ’ k - \ Prince Mar o s wedding procession . o o Prince IVI arko and the Moorish Princess .

0 rk and Ve ela . \ Prince Ma o the

1 0 . Prince Marko and the Turkish hu ntsmen . 1 1 Prince Marko and Moussa Kessedjiya .

Th . 1 2 . n e Death of Prince Marko . (All i prose ) and : of Y b Serbian Songs Poems Chords the ugoslav Harp, y

. W . W . : and n J iles (London George Allen Unwi , n m n of Mostly short lyrical pieces . Contai s a etrical renderi g “ ” Marko and the Falcon . “ ” B R - W W . Serbian allads , by . Seton atson, has metrical translation “ ” ’ “ of Marko and the Vila (not Vuk s version) . Serbian ” Ballads is a pamphl et of sixteen pages published by the 1 1 6 Kossovo Day Committee, 9 . INDEX

k M . 1 1 8 . Adrianople, xxiv, 4 Chadwic , H , XXVIII , 3, 79 1 2 1 2 1 Albanian, 4 , 9 Christian lords, 35, - 8 n 8 6 ff. 6 1 Alil Aga, xxxiii , , 94 Constanti ople, xxiii , , 9

And eli a 80 - 1 2 j j , Cornel wood, 7 ’ n k if f and Andrea (A drija, Mar o s brother) , Crane (sign ying a swi t f grace ul horse) , 33

2 0 - e 1 2 8 1 Angel , Cross legg d, , 34 A ol o or Ta les o Terror xi u rilié 1 2 1 2 p gyf f , ii C p , Vizier, 4 , 5 6 2 6 Curéin 1 Apple, 47 . . 7 , Dr Milan, ix, 79 2 8 1 1 f. 2 Arab mare, 5, 54 , , 3

1 E. 0 Arabs, 9 , 94 Damascened sabre, 3 , 74 l 1 Archange , 7 5 Danube, 5 , 53 1 2 of Arnaut, 9 Daughter Moorish King, the 8 e of Athos ( Holy Mountain) , 9 , D ath Dushan, xxxi 8 Demetrius, St, 7 5, 4 a and 8 8 0 Atoli Anatolia, 3 Dervish,

6 E. 1 1 1 2 1 a f. Attempts to arrange b llads, xviii Dever, 33, 3 , 9 , 8 f. e 1 Austrian translators, xviii D vil , 55, 8 8 1 0 8 1 1 0 Avignon, xxiii Divan, , , 49 , 5 A ak f 0 f Di darié 1 0 z o 1 f. z , Dungeon , xxxiv, 7 , 3 xxx Djemo the Mountaineer, i , Ba a t E ze 1 1 . j , XXII, xxvi , 9 33 B 6 66 1 2 6 ord evic Tihomir R. arbers, 5 , , Dj j , , xxiv B 1 0 1 of 1 asil, 5, 55 Djuro Smederevo, 59

B 8 2 of n 6 E. astard , 4 3, Doge Ve ice, 3 Be Kostadin x i Do éilo 1 g , xx j , I O B 1 xix elgrade, 5 Dozon, Auguste, xv, B s 1 1 1 8 ishop , 33, 53 Dragon, 3 , 7 B 1 e lind bards, 77 Dr ams, 5, 9 3 Bo osav 1 k 1 g , 33 Dubrovni (Ragusa) , 59 B 1 2 and Laonicas k ojana, , , 9 Ducas (Gree his B 8 1 2 torians 1 osnia, 3 , 5 ) , 79 B 0 0 6 88 owring, Sir John, xvi Ducat, 3 , 5 , 5, 7 3, 74, , B 2 regovo, 4 B v k 1 6 russa, xx ii Duc s, 4 B 1 1 6 Durmitor 1 uda, 9 , 9 , B 6 1 6 xxvni ulgaria, , 4 Dushan, Tsar Stepan, XXIII , ,

I O E.

88 1 E f. agle, 59 , , 4 5

[ 1 94 ]

1 1 6 1 1 1 6 1 2 1 a Kum, , 47 , 3, 9 , , Murad , Sult n, xxiv Ku ri eSié 1 I p , 79 79 Musa (Moussa) the n e 2 xxxui E 1 2 . Lati bre d, 9 , xxxiv, 4

1 6 2 1 6 - A a 0 f Latins, , 9 Mustapha g , 7 .

iv ff. u a xx f. Lazar, , 59 M til tion, 44 La z ar der Seréenca r , xix Lazarica Na ti ona l Son s o Servi a , xix g f , xx 6 1 6 e k of 8 0 Leeches, 9 , 5 N c lace gold coins,

k the of 2 E. e del k o 1 Le a, sister , xxix, 9 N j , Protopope, 3 n 1 8 Niéelun enlied Light ing, 4 g , ix, xix Nis’ (Nish) , xxiv 0 8 N emadi a Magyars, xxiii , 5 , 7 j j , 57 1 8 Nodie r Maine, Sir Henry, 4 , Charles , xv

0 f. k 2 1 2 1 2 8 Marica, xxii , xxiv, 7 Nova the Smith, 7 , 7 , k Kral evié Mar o j , xviii , xix, xx, Novi Pazar, 34 — N / i ff. x 8 8 u a xx i xviii E. 1 2 1 ti l Son s o ti e Serf ions xxi , , , 3 p g f , XVII k ’ h Mar o s unting, translated by O bilié M iloS M ilosh O bilitch Grimm, xv , ( ) , 8 — 8 i 1 1 X x 2 1 E. Marriage, 3 4 , xiii , xxvi, x vii , xxix, ,

- 1 2 E. 1 E. 2 1 60 1 0 Marriage tax, 39 5 , 3 , 4 , 49 , , 7 , M a a I plain, 7 9 79 O chrida 1 1 Meredith, Owen, XX, xxvi , XXVII , XXXII, 33, 3 5 e e M rim e, Prosper, xv, xviii Orahovac, 3 5 k Metohia, 3 5 Or han, xxiii of k Xi Michael, King Dubrovni , Ossian, x, 1 59 of 1 6 8 Para un 1 0 8 King Venice, g , M i atovich xxi 1 j , Chedo, Patriarchs , 33 ’ M ikloSic Ovibazar 2 , xii Pazar (N ) , 5, 79 ’ M ilitza e Reli ues , xxvi P rcy s g , x § B h t e x 2 E. Milo Obilic (Kobilic) , xi , xiii , Perilous ogdan, , xx iv, 5 he E. t i 2 1 2 E. xxvi , xxvii , xx x, , 5 , Philip Magyar, xxx, xxxiii , 60 0 8 E. E 1 2 1 1 . 3 , 4 , 49 , , 7 , xxxiv, 7 I 79 Philippopoli, xxiv M ilu tin Pirlitor 1 , xxvi , ’ M ilutinovié 1 , xviii, xix Pirot, 7 9 of 1 1 8 Mina Kostura, xxxi , 9 Ploughing, 5 M iroC 2 1 Pobratim 2 1 mountain, , P cer e f 1 o o E. Mitrovica, 3 , 34 , 79 j , Milos , 49 ’ M m o k o s es o u r o Eil u 1 ff. P e i la i es serbes xix (Mar o s ncle) , p p , xv,

- f. 0 1 1 0 1 E. 1 1 1 2 ff. Moors , 9 , , 4 , , Poll tax, 9 7 1 Po ovié xxxvui 39 p , Pavle, M orlacks Xi i 1 6 8 , Stojan, M orla ues Les xv 2 g , , Porec, 4 M rn aVEeviéi 1 6 1 1 6 1 2 j , 3 Precious stones, 7, , 3 [ 1 9 5 ] f e 1 2 2 0 . Pril p , XXII , XXXII , 5, 5, 9 , 5 , Sava, 79 f 0 0 8 1 8 n 1 1 0 6 2 . 1 2 1 1 1 1 , , , 4 , 34, 4 , Scorpio s, 1 Wa 55 Scott, Sir lter, xiii . Senovac e 1 2 f. Prizr n, I O , 3, 9 , 3 5 e an a a f S rbi b ll ds, early re erences a a to 1 R gus , ix, XII , 79 a 1 0 e 1 1 1 6 8 Ramad n, xxxiii , 5 S rbs, 47 , 59 , an o 1 0 8 Serbski Pe sm e R s m, , xx a§k 2 Serv i a n P o ul a r P oetr xvi R a, 3 . 34 p y , Ravanitsa e en 8 1 1 1 1 2 1 , xxvii S v , 3 , 5 , 7 ,

a en 1 e n - e n 1 1 1 6 R v , 4 5 S ve ty s ve , 3 5, 39 , 4 , 3 Ra o la th E vi e 2 1 . e 2 j j , Vila, Simpl s, 4 Red o e 1 SiSman n B r s s, 55 (Shishma ) , ulgarian e of k n the k n 6 1 R lja Pazar ( now as i g, “ h e e . t e n a Sitnitza wing d R lja Possibly Sit ic ( ) , 74 f the n ka a 1 2 term may derive rom wi gs S d r, , , 9 aEe cted k a i 8 1 1 by Polish nights) , Sl va, xxx i , 4, 9 4, 33, 53, — 8 E. 2 1 8 6 2 E. 2 1 xxix, 5 , 3 , 4 , 4 3 4 Riban e e e k n n Sma rra j (contains arli st ow , xv e of k e e 1 v rsion Mar o ballad) , Sm der vo (Semendria) , 59 1 80 f 6 So ra, 3

n 2 6 2 80 1 1 1 - k 1 8 Ri gs , 3 , 47 , , , Sparrow haw , 4

n S - l s Robi Hood, xxxi PYg a s, 3 5 o 1 0 2 1 e de XV Ro d , , 77 Sta l , Madame , n a e f k a n o o 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 f. R sa d , Sist r Le a K peta , Stamboul, , 3, 5, 4 “

2 ﬂ. 1 1 9 , 49 Stari svat, 47 , 9 an n e x 1 2 Roum ia s, XXII Sul iman, x iii , 5 n n of 1 1 1 Rovi a (traditio al place Mar Sultana, 4 , I 5 ’ ’ k o s e n a 1 2 d ath) , xxii Sulta s tre sure, 4 Roxanda f of 8 (wi e Tsar Dushan) , Syria, 3

Syrmia, 79 n k 1 0 Rud i , 3 8 Talv Rumelia, 3 j, xvi , XVII, xviii, xxix e 1 Tara riv r, a en the 1 8 8 S cram t, holy, 3 Tartar arrow, 7, 9 ” Sa i o a Osserv a z i oni ” Xi 1 1 gg Tatar, 5 e 8 Tche rm en xxu St Dem trius , 7 5, 4 , ’ e 1 1 e k St G orge s Day, 33, 53 T ija, 57 S hn 6 t o I I 1 1 e e . W V J , , 7 T mperl y, H . . , xxii a on 1 Timok 2 S l ica, I O river, 4 Samodrei a 1 1 6 1 To litza , 3 , , 9 Toplica ( p ) Milan, 49 , Sar a 0 6 (Sh r) , mountain, 3 , 35 5 S Sharatz To litza arac ( ) , xxviii , xxxii , p , xxv

- 2 1 E. 2 0 f. 1 E. one 6 xxxvi , , 5, 3 , 5 , Tovar horse load, 5

E. 86 f. 1 O E. 1 1 1 2 8 e 1 1 7 9 , , 4 , 7 , , Triple h art, 3 ” 1 1 1 1 66 1 11 86 33, 4 3, 47. , 74 Tsarigrad, 1 96

k . 2 . Tur , 9 Vogl, J N xix Volkslieder a us Kra in , xviii ’ U l eS 1 Volksli eder aer Seréen g j , XXII , 3 , xvi ‘ ’ n k 1 I 1 2 E. Uros, xxiii , xxxi , , Vrd i , xxvii 1 Vuk B k Xi Urvina, 74 ran ovic, , XXVII s Vuk the ire rak 8 U tu éic 6 E. d e p , Pavle, 4 F , 7 ’ ’ Vu k Stefanovic Karadi ic , xiv, Vaistina 1 1 80- 1 8 2 , 53 xviii , VukaSin Vu kashin ff Valjevo, 79 ( ) , XXII , xxviii , 11 1 f. 1 2 6 Varadin, xxxiii, 49 , 5 . 7 . 7 s, 7 h 1 VuCa t e E. Vaso Igumen, 77 , General, 49 Vu Citern 1 Velimir, 53 , 3 5 Velimirovica 2 , 5 8 W e 6 E. 1 6 e V nice, 3 , erth r, xi Vi a i o i n D alma z i a We rthes gg , XII , xii W V sa a E. e ido v 1 E . E n , es ly, uge , XVII Vidovit 2 W n 2 , xxviii , 4 iddi , 4 Xi v Wila : Serbiscée Volkslieder und Vienna, , XVIII , 57 ’ E Heldenmarcéen I 2 1 . 2 Vila, XXXIII, XXX V, , 9 , , xviii W n a ide abuéilo i ged horse, J Vili ndar on W n e m an a ide e Mount Athos, i g d , R lja 1 8 W f 8 1 8 7 ol , 7 , 4 W nne 1 1 6 f. 1 2 1 2 Vizier, , 4, 5, y , Justine, xv 1 49 '

Vl 2 8 Z e ml i c e 6 E. ach, 9 , 3 j , St pan, 3 Z veCan 1 6 Vlaha Stara, 79 , 3

R N IN N N BY . B . M . A . P I TED E GLA D J PEACE , AT T HE CAMBRIDGE UNIVE RSITY P RESS