Page:The Ballads of Marko Kraljević.djvu/123

 Under the white stone bridge. And Kraljević Marko ungirded, And did off his three belts of gold; He spread out a green mantle, And emptied thereon his three belts of gold. The Turk fell to counting all the yellow ducats, What time Marko looked well at the Damascus blade. And lo, upon the blade three Christian words! The first was the name of Saint Demetrius, The second was the name of the holy archangel, The third was the name of King Vukašin. And when Kraljević Marko perceived it, He put question to the Turkish merchant: "O Turk, thou crier of merchandise. By the one only God, Whence hast thou this Damascus sabre? Came it to thee from thy father? Or did thy wife bring it in wedding portion? Or didst thou win it in battle?" The Turk made answer to Marko: "Body of me, thou unknown knight! I will tell thee soothly! The sabre came not to me from my father, Nor did my wife bring it in wedding portion. But hearken, unknown knight! On the battle-field did I win the sabre, When the Serbian Empire perished, And two emperors fell at Kossovo, Sultan Murad and Tsar Lazar, There won I the sabre. While it was yet early I hied me to Sitnica, That I might water my stout steed, And as it fortuned, I came on a green silken tent. Within the tent there lay a wounded knight. Grim of aspect he was—God strike him dead! His moustache fell down on his breast,