The Ballads of Marko Kraljević/The Marriage of Stojan Popović
THE MARRIAGE OF STOJAN POPOVIĆ[1]
Stojan Popović wooed a maiden,
He wooed a maiden afar off,
In rich Latin Venice.
And she was daughter to Michael, King of Venice.
He put a ring on her finger and set a day for the wedding,
After he should have gone to his white manor,
And gathered the well-beseen wedding-guests.
And by the time he had given ring and apple,
He had spent three charges of gold;
In gifts also for mother-in-law and sister-in-law, 10
Stojan spended a thousand ducats.
And the King spake softly to Stojan:
"Son-in-law," quoth he, "Stojan Popović!
Gather thou wedding-guests as many as thou wilt,
And come for the damsel when good thee seemeth:
But hearken, Stojan Popović!
Bring not Serbs as thy wedding-guests,
For overmuch do the Serbs love drinking,
And of brawling also are they overfond,19
They would get drunken, they would raise strife and tumult,
And it is ill to stay tumult
In sculptured[2] Venice of the Latins.
Bring with thee, therefore, Greeks and Bulgars."
When the Lady Queen heard these words,
She cast a glance at Stojan,
At Stojan she cast a glance and a smile.
And now Stojan made him ready,
And went forth of the white palace.
And on the road a letter came to him,
From his mother-in-law, the damsel's mother: 30
"Son-in-law," saith she, "Stojan Popović!
Bring with thee nor Greeks nor Bulgars;
Ask none save Serbs only to be thy wedding-guests,
For the Latins were ever deceivers,
And of some treason thou mayst be well adread."
When this letter came to Stojan,
He fell on thinking,
And in this study drew nigh to his manor.
Right so his mother came forth to meet him,
And they halsed and kissed each the other, 40
And Stojan kissed his mother's hand.
Then Stojan's mother asked him:
"Say now, my son Stojan,
Art thou come to me in peace?
Hast thou won for me a daughter,
For me a daughter, for thyself a faithful wife?"
Stojan Popović made answer:
"In peace am I come, mother,
And I have won a daughter for thee,
For thee a daughter, for myself a faithful wife. 50
Three charges of gold have I spended,
Forby a thousand ducats,
For gifts for mother-in-law and sister-in-law:
And the King spake to me to this end,
That I should bring no Serbs as wedding-guests.
But only Greeks and Bulgars.
And on the way hither, mother,
A letter overtook me from the maid's mother,
Bidding me bring Serbs as wedding-guests.
Rede me now, mother, 60
Whether of these counsels were better to follow?"
Stojan's mother made answer:
"It were better, my son, to obey the maid's mother,
For the Latins were ever deceivers.
As kum take the King of Buda,
As stari svat Vuk Mandušić,
As vojvoda, Janko of Sibinj,
As čauš, the wingéd Reija,
As barjaktar, Miloš Obilić,
As dever, Kraljević Marko, 70
And others as good thee seemeth.
So shalt thou fear no treason."
Stojan hearkened to his mother's counsel;
He sent out letters everywhither,
For to gather the well-beseen wedding-guests.
And he gathered a thousand wedding-guests.
The kum was the King of Buda,
The stari svat was Vuk Mandušić,
The vojvoda was Janko of Sibinj,
The čauš was the wingéd Relja, 80
The barjaktar was Miloš Obilić,
And the dever was Marko Kraljević.
So they set out for Latin Venice,
And when they were come to Latin Venice,
The King gave them fair welcome,
The horses were led down to the stables,
And the knights were brought into the white castle.
When the morning of the fourth day dawned,
The gay-clad čauš cried aloud:
"Hazurala! Arise, ye wedding-guests! 90
The days are short and long are the stages,
The hour is come that we must depart hence."
Right on that the King of Venice came forth,
Bringing lordly presents.
To the kum he gave a shirt of gold,
To the stari svat a golden tray,
To the vojvoda a golden apple,
To the čauš he gave a spear,
To Miloš a rich-chased sabre,
To Kraljević he gave a heavy mace. 100
He gave him also the bride and the horse whereon she rode.
"Lo, Marko, horse and maid are in thy keeping,
Till ye be come to Stojan's manor,
And there thou shalt give over to him the fair damsel."
With that the wedding-guests arose,
And bravely did the King conduct them forth,
To all the wedding-guests he gave gifts in turn,
To one a kerchief, to another a shirt all rare embroidered.
So they departed thence in merry wise,
And gat them up into the mountain.110
And when they were come up into the mountain,
There sat a knight by the highway,
That was clad right marvellously,
All in silver and in fine gold.
His mighty plumes came down over him,
Yea, brothers, down to the green grass!
Black indeed was his moustache about his teeth,
And in size it was as large as a lamb of half a year.
Through his moustache a breastplate shone,
Like the bright sun through woodland trees. 120
His legs were yellow to the knee,
Yea, my brothers, with purest gold!
His mace was hard by him,
In his lap lay his battle-spear,
On his thigh was a rich-wrought sabre.
And ever as the knight drank the red wine,
The Vila of the mountain served him;
With her right hand she gave him to drink from a golden cup,
And with her left she gave him to eat.
Now when the wedding-guests should have passed by, 130
The knight leapt lightly to his feet,
And spake to the King of Buda:
"Ha, Sir King!" quoth he,
"Ha, Sir Kum! Throw down the golden shirt
That they gave thee yonder."
The King yielded it without a word.
The King passed on and Vuk drew nigh,
And of him the knight required the golden tray,
And Vuk gave it without a word.
Then came Janko of Sibinj, 140
Of him was required the golden apple,
And Janko gave it without a word.
Next came the wingéd Relja,
Forthwith the knight required his spear of him,
And Relja gave it without a word.
Then Miloš of Pocerje drew near,
But when the knight required of him his rich-wrought sabre,
Fain would Miloš have had ado with him,
But his fellows cried out upon him, saying:
"Give up thy sabre, seek not to do battle!" 150
And Miloš yielded up the rich-wrought sabre.
And behold Marko Kraljević cometh,
With the damsel on horseback with him.
Forth withal the knight lift up his voice:
"Ha, Sir Marko!" quoth he,
"Give me now the horse and the damsel.
That they gave to thee down yonder."
Kraljević Marko made answer:
"Brother-in-God, thou Latin giant,
The horse is not mine, and the maid is another's, 160
Yet soothly, brother, they gave me a present,
A gift for mine own self—a heavy mace—
The which I am well minded to give thee."
The giant would not answer him again,
But he sought to seize the horse
Whereon the damsel sat.
So Marko drew his heavy mace,
By quickness he deceived the eyes of the Latin,
Then he swung mightily with his mace,
And smote the Latin between his dark eyes,170
That both eyes sprang forth of his head.
Then went Marko Kraljević to him,
And cut off the giant's head;
He stripped from off him his fair gear,
And he took also the lordly presents,
And gave them back to the wedding-guests.
To the kum he gave the golden shirt,
To the stari svat the golden tray,
To the vojvoda the golden apple,
To the čauš he gave back the spear,180
To Miloš the rich-wrought sabre,
And to Marko remained the heavy mace.
So the guests continued on their way,
Marko went up the mountain singing,
The giant tarried in the throes of death[3].
- ↑ "Concerning this Stojan Popović, I have never heard anything more, nor do I know anything more than what is here given" (Vuk).
- ↑ Плетеноме вала да значи оно, што је по кућама спола у камену изрезано којешта. (Vuk's note.)
- ↑ Оста цине ногом копајући: this is the same expression as is used to describe the end of Philip the Magyar.