The Ballads of Marko Kraljević/Marko Kraljević Abolishes the Marriage-Tax
MARKO KRALJEVIĆ ABOLISHES THE
MARRIAGE-TAX
Kraljević Marko rode forth early,
Early he rode athwart the plain of Kossovo.
And when he was come to Servana river,
There met him a damsel of Kossovo.
And Marko gave her fair greeting:
"God aid thee, thou damsel of Kossovo!"
The damsel bowed her to the ground:
"Fair fall thee—stranger knight!"
Then Marko spake to her and said:
"Dear sister, damsel of Kossovo,10
Right fair thou art—mayst thou wax younger!
Full seemly thou art of body and stature,
Rosy thy countenance, and high thy bearing.
But thy hair, sister, beseemeth thee not.
Wherefore art thou grown so grey?
By whom hast thou lost thy gladness?
Or by thine own fault or by thy mother's,
Or by the mean of thine aged father?"
The damsel of Kossovo wept tears,
And to Kraljević Marko she said: 20
"Dear brother, thou stranger knight,
Not by mine own fault am I unhappy,
Not by mine own fault nor because of my mother,
Nor yet because of mine aged father.
Natheless, miserable that I am, I have lost all gladness.
Lo, nine years of days are passed,
Since there came a Moor from beyond the sea,
And leased Kossovo from the Sultan,
And he inflicteth outrage upon Kossovo
That the folk give him meat and drink out of measure. 30
In this too he doeth violence—
For every woman that would wed must pay him thirty ducats,
And every man four and thirty.
Whosoever hath the money and will pay the full tale thereof,
Such an one may take to him a wife,
Such a damsel may dare to be wedded.
But as for me, my brothers are poor men,
No gold had they to give to the Moor,
Wherefore was I left forlorn,
Nor might not wed me. 40
And for that have I lost all gladness,
Yet not therefor would I make such dole and sorrow,
That he suffereth us not to be married.
Nor to wed with the knights our lovers,
But lo, another grief and a greater!
A greater shame the Moor hath put upon us.
For each night he will have a young wife, and a maiden also,
And the Moor embraceth the maiden,
And his servants take the young wife.
And all Kossovo must send him in appointed turn,50
Their young wives and their maidens also,
And behold, wretched that I am, mine own turn is come,
And this night I must thither to the Moor,
That he may lie with me this night.
And I think and ponder many thoughts,
Dear God, what shall I do and how?
Unhappy that I am, shall I leap into the river,
Or shall I hang myself?
For, brother, I had liever lose my head,
Than embrace my country's foe!" 60
But Kraljević Marko spake and said:
"Dear sister, damsel of Kossovo!
Speak not foolishly, leap not into the river,
Deal not death unto thyself.
I pray thee, sister, lay not this sin upon thy soul!
But say me where is the Moor's manor,
Where is the manor of the black Moor?
I have words to speak with him."
Quoth the damsel:
"Dear brother, thou stranger knight, 70
Wherefore dost thou ask of the Moor's manor?
Wherefore askest thou? May it be utterly laid waste!
Haply thou hast found a maiden,
And goest now thither bearing the tax-money.
Haply thou art the only son of thy mother,
And wit thou well, brother, thou goest yonder to thy death,
And how then will thy mother nourish her?"
Marko put his hand in his pocket,
He took out thirty gold ducats
And gave them to the damsel of Kossovo: 80
"Behold, sister, thirty ducats for thee.
And now get thee to thy white manor,
There continue until good fortune greet thee[1].
Tell me only where the Moor's manor lieth,
I would fain pay thy marriage-tax.
And wherefore should the Moor slay me,
Since that I have gold and to spare?
I could pay for all Kossovo plain!
Is it then hard for me to pay thy tax?"
Quoth the damsel: 90
"No manor hath the Moor but niggard tents.
Look down over Kossovo,
Where yonder silken banner waves.
There is the tent of the black Moor.
Round about it is a green pleasance,
And all the pleasance is garnished with heads!
Lo, not a week of days agone
The accursed Moor did slay
Seventy and seven heroes.
Unhappy bridegrooms of Kossovo! 100
Forty servants hath the Moor,
That stand round him to watch over him."
And when Marko heard these words,
He urged Sharatz and went down to Kossovo.
He spurred good Sharatz to fury,
That living fire flashed from his hoofs,
And a blue flame went from his nostrils.
In wrath rode Marko athwart Kossovo,
Tears ran down the hero's face,
And wrathful through his tears he spake:110
"Ah me! Thou Kossovo plain,
What ills are come upon thee now,
Since the days of our illustrious prince[2],
That Moors should sit in judgment over thee!
But this shame I may not suffer,
Nor endure the heaviness thereof,
That the Moors do us this great despite,
And lie with our brides and young maidens!
This day, my brethren, I shall revenge you,
I shall revenge you, or I will perish!" 120
Right so Marko went towards the tents,
And the Moorish guard perceived him,
And said to the black Moor:
"Lord and master, Moor from beyond the sea!
A marvellous knight rideth down to Kossovo,
On a passing great piebald horse,
And he hath spurred him to fury,
That living fire flasheth from his hoofs,
And a blue flame goeth from his nostrils.
This knight is surely minded to make onfall on us." 130
But the black Moor made answer:
"My children—my forty henchmen,
There is no knight that dareth to make onfall on us,
It is like that he hath found a damsel,
And hasteth to us bearing the marriage-tax:
He is grieved that he must needs yield up the gold,
And for that cause is he wroth out of measure.
Go ye out now before our courtyard,
And receive the knight well and seemly,
And do humble obeisance before him. 140
Take from him his good steed,
His steed and his weapons likewise,
And suffer him then to enter into my tent.
I seek not his gold but I will have his head
That I may possess a horse that is worthy of me."
Then the Moor's henchmen went out
For to take Marko's trusty steed;
But when they saw Marko near at hand,
They durst not go to him.
So they fled into the Moor's tent 150
And hid them behind the Moor their master.
They covered their swords with their mantles,
Lest Marko might be ware of their weapons.
Alone entered Marko into the courtyard,
Before the tent he lighted down from Sharatz,
And to his trusty Sharatz thus he spake:
"Go thou, Sharo, to and fro within this courtyard,
For I will into the tent of the Moor,
But be thou ever by the door of the tent,
Lest I be put in jeopardy." 160
Therewithal Marko went into the tent,
And the Moor sat there drinking cool wine,
And a young bride and a maiden served him.
And Marko gave him fair greeting:
"God aid thee, noble lord!"
The Moor returned him yet fairer salutation:
"Long life to thee, fair stranger, and worshipful knight!
Come, Sir Knight, let us drink wine together,
Then shalt thou tell me wherefore thou art come."
But Kraljević Marko said: 170
"I have not time to drink with thee,
But I am come to thee of good intent,
Of better intent might no man be;
I have wooed a fair damsel,
The wedding-guests are on the road here beside,
And I am come bearing the tax-money,
That I may pay the money and lead home the damsel,
No man daring to stand in the way.
Tell me, how much is the marriage-tax?"
Then the Moor answered Marko fairly: 180
"Thou knowest it this long time already,
Whosoever taketh a husband payeth thirty ducats,
And whoso taketh a wife payeth four and thirty.
But meseemeth thou art a noble knight of prowess,
And it will do thee no hurt to give an hundred."
Marko felt with his hand in his pockets,
And threw down before the Moor three ducats:
"Trust me," quoth he, "no more gold have I,
But and if thou mayst endure
Till I am returned home with the fair damsel,190
Then will rich presents be given to me,
And unto thee shall I give them all.
To thee the presents, to me the maiden."
The Moor gnashed like an angry snake:
"From me, thou whore, thou gettest no credit,
Thou givest not the gold and wouldst mock me withal."
Right on that he seized his heavy mace
And smote Kraljević Marko,
Three times he smote him, yea, and four times!
Kraljević Marko laughed: 200
"O worshipful black Moor," quoth he,
"Art jesting or smitest thou in good earnest?"
The Moor gnashed like an angry snake:
"I jest not," he said, "but smite in earnest."
Quoth Marko:
"I weened that thou didst but jest, thou felon knight,
But since thou dost smite in good earnest,
Wit ye well that I also have a mace
Wherewith to smite thee three, yea, and four times.
For as oft as ye have smitten me, 210
So often shall I smite thee again.
Then shall we go forth of the tent,
For to fight together to the utterance."
Marko drew his battle-mace,
And smote the black Moor,
And how lightly so ever he smote him,
He strake off his head from his shoulders!
Kraljević Marko laughed:
"Dear God," quoth he, "thanks be to thee in all things!
As swiftly went this knight's head from him 220
As if head he had never borne."
Then he pulled out his sabre from his girdle,
And one after other he smote the Moorish servants.
The forty servants he cut in pieces,
But four only that he would save alive.
And he saved them that they should bear true witness,
That they should say the truth to all men,
How it was with Marko and the Moor.
Then he took down all the heads from the pleasance,
And gave them fair burial, 230
That the eagles and the ravens should not rend them.
Then the bare pleasance again he garnished,
He garnished it with the heads of the Moors:
And he took the Moor's treasure,
And called to him the four servants
Whom he had saved alive,
And he sent them athwart Kossovo,
North, and south, and east and west he sent them.
And the Moor's servants made proclamation throughout Kossovo:
"If there be any maid of age to wed, 240
Let her seek unto herself a lord.
Let her marry in the days of her youth.
And if any knight would take to him a wife,
Let him seek a sweetheart and let him marry.
Henceforth there is no marriage-tax,
For Marko hath paid for all."
And all the people, both great and small, cried:
"God keep Kraljević Marko,
Who hath delivered the land from evil,
Who hath utterly destroyed the oppressor: 250
God save him, both soul and body!"