MARKO KRALJEVIĆ AND DJEMO THE MOUNTAINEER
Kraljević Marko Celebrated his Slava,
He kept his Slava that fell on St George's day.
And many invited guests were there—
Two hundred priests, three hundred monks,
Twelve Serbian bishops,
Four patriarchs well stricken in years,
And others without number.
For all there was meat and drink and to spare,
Natheless an aged monk lift up his voice and said:
"Give thee thanks, Kraljević Marko!10
There had nothing lacked in thy white manor,
An thou hadst fish from Ochrida[1]!"
Sore grieved was Kraljević Marko,
He called his servant Bogosav,
And gave him glass and wine-beaker:
"Pour thou the wine, Bogosav, my servant,
Give the glass in due order round the table,
See that thou pass not over any."
With that he gat him down from the white tower,
And made ready his war-horse Sharatz.20
After him hasted his aged mother.
And spake (soft) words unto him:
"Ah, my son, Kraljević Marko,
Take not any weapon with thee,
Else—so used to blood art thou—
Thou wilt surely shed blood on thy festal day."
Lo, in a strait betwixt two was Marko!
Ill were it, him seemed, to go unarmed,
And yet more evil to give not heed to his mother.
So he took with him no weapon,30
But mounted the war-tried Sharatz,
And steered him adown the grassland,
- ↑ The lake of Ochrida is celebrated for its fish.
