Page:The Ballads of Marko Kraljević.djvu/224

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Then Marko pulled out his sabre,
From his girdle he pulled out his sabre, 70
He came nigh unto his horse Sharatz,
And with his sabre cut off the head of Sharatz,
That never he should fall into the hands of the Turks,
Nor never be for a slave to them,
Nor bear for them the copper water-pots.
And when Marko had slain Sharatz,
He buried his horse Sharatz,
He buried Sharatz better than he had buried Andrew his brother.
In four pieces he broke his sharp sabre.
Lest the Turks, finding it, 80
Should boast them to have gotten it of Marko,
And so cause Christians to revile him.
And after Marko had broken his sharp sabre,
He brake his war-spear in seven pieces,
And cast them into the fir branches.
Then Marko took his ribbed mace,
In his right hand he took it,
And cast it from Urvina mountain
Into the great grey sea;
And concerning the mace he spake, saying:90
"When my mace shall come up out of the sea,
Another Marko shall appear upon earth!"
And when he had destroyed his weapons,
He drew forth an inkhorn from his girdle,
From his pocket he took unwritten paper,
And therewithal he wrote a letter:
"Whoso Cometh up into Urvina mountain,
Unto the well between the fir trees,
And findeth there the knight Marko,
Let him wit well that Marko is dead, 100
And by Marko there be three purses of gold[1],
Yea, verily of gold, of yellow ducats;
One purse I give to him that findeth me,

  1. Lit. "three money-belts."