[79]
He seized paper and inkhorn,
And wrote a letter withal,
To Prilep the white town,
To Kraljević Marko his pobratim.
And thus saith Vuk to Marko:
"Hear me, my brother-in-God!
Thou hast an ill enemy at Karlovatz,30
To wit, Philip the Magyar.
He hath sworn, brother,
That he will smite off thy head,
And garnish a white tower therewith.
Therefore, brother-in-God, keep thee well
Against false treason on the part of 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,40
And made him ready in his white manor.
He girded on his rich-wrought sabre,
He cast his wolf-skin cloak about him,
He descended down to the stable,
And made ready stout Sharatz.
He covered him with a grey bear-skin,
And bridled him with a bit of steel;
He hanged his heavy mace on him,
With a sword on either side,
And flung himself on the back of Sharatz. 50
On his own back he slung his war-spear,
And straight through Kosovo plain he fared,
From Pazar by rugged Vlaha Stara,
And descended to the country round about Valjevo.
Straight athwart Mačva plain he fared
Until he came to Mitrovica town.
And there Marko ferried the Sava.
Straight athwart the Syrmian plain he fared,
And when he came to Karlovatz town.
He went down through the new market-place 60
