[93]
"Goluban, my faithful servant,
A moment agone I dreamed a marvellous dream,
A strange dream in a strange hour!
A saw where a cloud of mist arose[1]
From the white castle of Kostura,
And it rolled together around Prilep.
In that mist was Mina of Kostura,
He plundered my white manor,70
Everything he plundered and burnt with fire.
Mine old mother he trampled under horses' feet,
He took captive my faithful wife,
He took my horses from the stables,
And my gold from the treasure-chamber."
To him Goluban his servant made answer:
"Fear not, Kraljević Marko!
A good knight hath dreamed a good dream.
Dreams are but lies, God is truth."
And when they were come to Constantinople,80
The Sultan moved his mighty host
And they put forth across the dark sea,
To the dread country of the Arabs.
And they took cities by the sea,
Four and fifty cities.
But when they came to Kara-Okan[2],
There they tarried three years of days.
By Okan they tarried, nor might they take it.
And Marko cut down the Arab knights,
And brought their heads before the Sultan,90
And the Sultan gave gold therefor to Marko.
Now this was very grievous in the sight of the Turks,
And they spake to the illustrious Sultan, saying:
"Lord and master. Sultan Bajazet,
Marko is no such knight of prowess,
But he cutteth off the heads of the slain
And bringeth them before thee for recompense."
