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Which he rideth once in the year
When he goeth to church at Tekija[1]
That I may ride worshipfully across Njemadija[2];
And give me the golden carriage280
With twelve black horses harnessed thereto,
Even as Vuča is wont to harness them,
When he goeth to the Kaiser of Vienna,
That it may carry the aged Toplica;
Give me the garments of Vuča
Which he weareth at Easter,
That I may clothe my Toplica."
Vuča's wife gave him all his request,
And to each a thousand ducats289
For the wine that they should drink on the way to Prilep.
Then they departed unto white Prilep,
And right fair welcome they had of Marko;
Forthwithal he set free Vuča,
And his son Velimir also,
And gave him a great fellowship
For to ride with him to his castle at Varadin
And the Vojvodas divided the gold,
They drank red wine and were merry,
They kissed each other on the cheek;
Then each kissed the white hand of Marko,300
And so they returned every each to his own manor.
- ↑ "Tekija is a little church between Varadin and Karlovac. I wrote down this poem as recited by Podrugović, but whether he knew about Tekija before or merely inserted the name here I do not know" (Vuk's footnote).
- ↑ Да поиграм преко Ԋемадије: "that I may prance across Njemadija." Njemadija: the location of this district has not been identified; the word may possibly signify "barren land."
