Page:The Ballads of Marko Kraljević.djvu/223

 "Brother-in-God, Kraljević Marko! Truly none may take Sharatz from thee, Nor mayst thou be slain, Marko, By means of might or by sharp sword, By war-spear or by battle-mace. Thou fearest no earthly knight, Yet shalt thou die, Marko, By the hand of God, that old slayer. But if thou wilt not believe me, When thou comest to the top of the mountain, Look about thee from the right hand to the left, And thou shalt see two slim fir trees That out-top all the trees of the forest, And crown the forest with their verdure, And between them is a well of water; Do thou ride Sharatz thither, Light down from him and tie him to a fir tree, Then bend thee down over the well of water, And thou shalt see thy face mirrored, And thou shalt know when thou must die." Marko hearkened unto the Vila, And when he was come to the top of the mountain, He looked about him from the right hand unto the left, And he was ware of two slender fir trees That out-topped all the trees of the forest, And crowned it with their verdure. Thither he steered Sharatz, And lighting down tied him to a fir tree. Then he stooped him down over the well of water, And considered his countenance in the water; And when he had considered his countenance, He wist well when he should die, And he shed tears and spake on this wise: "Deceitful world—thou wert a fair flower to me! Fair wert thou, but few the years of my sojourn. Three hundred brief years have I tarried; The hour now cometh that I must go forth of this world."