Page:The Ballads of Marko Kraljević.djvu/169

 And he hanged his great mace on the other Lest the saddle should slip this way or that. He took also his battle-spear, Then he sprang on the back of Sharatz, And hied him to Stamboul market-place. When he overtook the wedding-guests, Forthwith he stirred up a conflict, He drave through them that were behind to them that were before, And when he had urged Sharatz nigh to the damsel, He slew the kum and the dever. Word was brought to the black Arab: "Woe betide thee, black Arab! A knight hath fallen upon thy wedding-guests; His horse is not as other horses, But piebald like as a cattle-beast; Nor is the knight like as other knights, He weareth a cloak of wolf-skin, And on his head is a cap of wolf-skin; In his teeth is something black That is as large as a lamb of half a year. When he came he stirred up conflict, He drave through the guests from rear to front, And he hath slain kum and dever!" The Moor turned about his grey Arab mare, And cried to Kraljević Marko: "Woe betide thee, thou unknown knight! Which devil hath persuaded thee, That thou shouldst come among my wedding-guests, And slay the kum and the dever? Art thou a witless churl that knowest naught of me? Or art thou a knight of worship that hath lost his reason? Or is life become a weariness to thee? By the faith of my body, I shall gather up the reins of my mare, Seven times shall I leap over thee, Seven times over thee, and seven times back,