MARKO KRALJEVIĆ RECOGNISES HIS
FATHER'S SWORD
(Variant)
The Sultan's Majesty came down to Kossovo,
With an hundred thousand warriors with him.
And camped by Sitnica river.
And a public crier[1] went through the host,
Offering for sale a damascened sabre.
The naked sword—three hundred ducats;
The sheath thereof—three hundred ducats;
Straps and swordbelt—three hundred ducats;
But none might he find
That would buy the sabre for gold.10
But by chance it fortuned,
That Marko met with the Turk, the merchant.
And Kraljević Marko said:
"O Turk, thou crier of merchandise!
Give me the damascened blade that I may see it."
The Turk gave it without a word,
Marko looked well at the damascened sabre,
And to the crier he said:
"I will give thee nine hundred,
Nine hundred ducats, all of yellow gold, 20
But hear me, thou crier!
Let us seek a secluded spot,
Let us withdraw us from here a little,
That so I may count out to thee all the yellow ducats.
It liketh me not here to ungird me,
And to do off my three belts of gold,
For here I owe much money to a Turk,
He would not suffer me to buy the sword."
The Turk had joy of these words,
So they went up by Sitnica river, 30
- ↑ телал = herald, messenger, one who cries articles for sale.
