The Ballads of Marko Kraljević/Marko Kraljević and Beg Kostadin

by Unknown

MARKO KRALJEVIĆ AND BEG KOSTADIN

Two pobratims rode their way together,
Beg Kostadin and Kraljević Marko.
And Beg Kostadin said to Marko:
"Pobratim, Kraljević Marko,
An thou comest to me in autumn.
In autumn on Saint Demetrius' day.
On the day of my patron saint^[1]
Thou shalt see brave festival,
And have brave welcome and according;
And lordly meats in goodly array." 10
Quoth Kraljević Marko:
"Boast not thyself. Beg, of thy hospitality,
Once when I sought my brother Andrea,
It fortuned I was in thy house,
In autumn, on Saint Demetrius' day.
On the day of thy patron saint.
I saw thy hospitality,
And I saw three unworthy deeds."
Quoth the Beg Kostadin:
"Pobratim, Kraljević Marko; 20
Of which unworthy deeds dost thou speak?"
Answered to him Kraljević Marko:
"This was the first unworthy deed, brother:
There came to thee two poor lads,
They asked of thee white bread to eat
And red wine to drink;
But thou saidst to the two needy ones—
"Get ye gone, vile outcasts.
Sully not my wine before these signors.'—
Sore grieved was I, Beg, 30
I was sore grieved for the two needy ones.
I took them both,

I led them down to the market-place,
Of white bread I gave them to eat,
Of red wine I gave them to drink,
I let make for them garments of fine scarlet,
Of green silk and of fine scarlet.
And then I sent them to thy house.
As for me, Beg, I kept watch privily
How thou wouldest now receive them. 40
And thou tookest one of the needy ones,
Thou tookest him by the left hand,
The other thou tookest by the right hand,
Thou leddest them into thy house to the tables, saying:
"Eat and drink, young gentles,'—
And this. Beg, was the second unworthy deed:
There were present certain of ancient line
That had lost both goods and gear;
They were clothed in well-worn scarlet,
And to them thou gavest the lowest seats at the table. 50
And the upstart lords that were there,
That had but newly gotten goods and gear,
And wore new robes of scarlet,
Them didst thou set in the highest place;
Thou gavest them wine and rakia
And fine meats in goodly array.
The third unworthy deed. Beg, was this:
Thou hast both father and mother now living.
Yet not one nor other was at table,
For to drink the first glass of wine!" 60

1. Крсно нме: another name for the Slava. See Appendix, p. 184.