# The Ballads of Marko Kraljević/The Marriage of Djuro of Smederevo

THE MARRIAGE OF DJURO OF SMEDEREVO
When Pjuro of Smederevo married him, He wooed a king's daughter afar off,
In the fair city of Dubrovnik,
Whereof Michael was king,
And his daughter's name was Jerina.
Djuro wooed her, the King gave her to him.
In his wooing of the fair damsel,
Djuro spent three charges of gold;
In gifts also for the mother and sister of his bride,
He spent a thousand golden ducats. 10 When he began to talk of the wedding-day, Then the King answered Djuro, saying:
"Hearken to me, Djuro of Smederevo, When thou art come to thy castle of Smederevo,
And goest about to gather thy wedding-guests, See that thou ask not Serbs as wedding-guests, For overmuch do the Serbs love drinking, And of brawling also are they overfond.
They would get drunken, they would raise strife and tumult, And if thou mightst not stay the strife, 20 Small hope were thine to lead forth my daughter!
Therefore do thou summon Greeks and Bulgars, Gather of them as many as ye will, And come for the damsel when it pleaseth thee."
When Djuro of Smederevo heard it, He made him ready to go forth of the white palace, And took his journey toward Smederevo:
But on his way thither a letter overtook him,
From Jerina the fair damsel: "Hearken to me, Djuro of Smederevo, 30 When thou art come to white Smederevo,
And goest about to gather thy wedding-guests,
Heed not the words of my father, Summon neither Greeks nor yet Bulgars,
Or never wilt thou go forth alive
Out of our city of Dubrovnik,
Nor never mayst thou lead home thy bride! So do thou ask Serbs to be thy wedding-guests,
As kum take Novak Debelić,
As prikumak, Gruja Novaković, 40 As stari svat, Janko of Sibinj,
As dever, Marko Kraljević,
As čauš, the wingéd Relja,
As vojvoda, Miloš Obilić,
As barjaktar, Milan Toplica,
As privenac, Ivan Kosančić.
As for the others, ask whom ye will; Gather together, Djuro, a thousand guests, And come as soon as it liketh thee."
When Djuro had scanned the letter, 50 He had little pleasure of it,
And came in a study to Smederevo.
While he was yet afar off, His mother spied him, And came out for to meet him;
They embraced and kissed each the other, And Djuro kissed his mother's hand.
Then each took other by the hand,
And so they entered into the white manor, And sate them down at the well-spread sofra. 60 And Djuro's mother asked him:
"Son of mine, Djuro, Djuro of Smederevo!
Art thou come to me in peace?
Hast thou won for me a daughter-in-law.?
For me a daughter, for thee a faithful wife?"
Answered to her Djuro Smederevac:
"God be praised, mine aged mother! I have journeyed in peace hither;
A daughter have I won for thee,
For thee a daughter, for myself a faithful wife, 70 In the fair city of Dubrovnik,
Whereof Michael is king.
I have won the King's daughter, the damsel Jerina.
And in wooing the damsel Jerina,
I have spent three charges of gold.
In gifts also for her mother and sister,
I have spent a thousand ducats;
And when I spake of the wedding-day.
Then said the King to me— That when I went about to gather the wedding-guests, 80 I should ask no Serbs as wedding-guests.
'Overmuch,' quoth he, 'do the Serbs love drinking, And of brawling also are they overfond.
They will get drunken, they will raise strife and tumult,
Thou wilt not avail to stay the strife, How thinkest thou then to lead forth my daughter?
Therefore do thou summon Greeks and Bulgars,
Gather of them as many as ye will.
And come for the damsel when it pleaseth thee.'—
I departed thence, mother, 90 And on the road a letter reached me
From Jerina, my bride, saying—
'Hearken to me, Djuro of Smederevo,
When thou art come to white Smederevo,
And goest about to gather thy wedding-guests, Heed not the words of my father, Summon neither Greeks nor yet Bulgars,
Or never wilt thou go forth alive
Out of our city of Dubrovnik,
Nor never mayst thou lead home thy bride!100 But do thou ask Serbs to be thy wedding-guests:
As kum take Novak Debelić,
As prikumak, Gruja Novaković,
As stari svat, Janko of Sibinj,
As dever, Marko Kraljević,
As čauš, the wingéd Relja,
As vojvoda, Miloš Obilić,
As barjaktar, Milan Toplica,
As privenac, Ivan Kosančić, As for the others, ask whom ye will, 110 Gather together, Djuro, a thousand guests, And come hither as soon as it liketh thee.'—
Counsel me now, mother, Whether should I obey the King, my father-in-law,
Or the maid, Jerina, his lovely daughter?"
His mother answered him, saying:
"Dear son, Djuro of Smederevo,
The Latins were ever deceivers, And fain, my son, would they deceive thee.
Hearken not to the King thy father-in-law,120 But obey the word of thy bride Jerina.
Do thou ask Serbs to be thy wedding-guests, And if haply thou art in straits, They will be with thee in thy need."
When Djuro of Smederevo heard it,
He sate him down and on his knee he wrote letters, And sent them forth everywhither.
Then he rested him certain days, And behold there came Starina Novak,
And his son Grujica with him; 130 Thereafter but a little time, Behold Janko of Sibinj,
With an hundred wedding-guests with him;
And Janko entered into the white manor;
Then across the fields appeared Marko,
And after Marko, Relja of Pazar,
And after Relja, Miloš the vojvoda.
After Miloš, Milan Toplica,
And after Milan, Ivan Kosančić.
So the Serb knights assembled together,140 With a thousand well-beseen guests with them.
Fair welcome indeed they had of Djuro,
And he spake them words of counsel, saying:
"Ye thousand guests, my brothers!
I go not mine own self to Dubrovnik,
But I send my pobratim, Marko;
See that ye do well obey Marko,
And my kum also, Starina Novak."
So the wedding-guests departed thence, And journeyed in peace to Dubrovnik. 150 And when they were come to Dubrovnik city,
Kraljević Marko spake and said:
"Ye thousand guests, my brothers! Now shall we go in at the gates, And we must pass, dear brothers, Gates seven and seventy, Before we may come at the white castle.
And before the castle they have laid tables, They have set wine and rakia thereon, And of fine meats every sort; 160 About the tables be serving-men and maids,
For to take your horses and your weapons, Ye will give them your horses, your weapons ye will not give, But ye will sit down armed at the tables, And drink the dark wine above your weapons;
When the King of Dubrovnik cometh, Be ye silent, for I will speak with him."
Therewithal they arrived before the castle,
The menservants took their horses, And the maidservants would take their shining weapons: 170 They gave up their horses, their weapons they did not give, But they sat down armed at the tables, And drank the dark wine across their weapons.
And behold the King of Dubrovnik cometh, Fair words he spake to them, saying:
"Fair Sir, most worshipful Novak, Never or now have I seen wedding-guests
That sat weaponed at their wine."
Novak held his peace, no word said he,
But Kraljević Marko spake and said: 180 "Fair sweet Sir, thou King of Dubrovnik!
This is the custom of the Serbs, For they use to drink their wine across their weapons,
And beside their weapons they seek sleep at night."
The king turned him about and went back into the castle.
There they spent the dark night, And when day dawned on the morrow,
A Latin stripling cried aloud from the wall:
"Hear ye, Novak Debelić!
Lo, yonder in the white tower be two Latins 190 That would fain joust with thee, And thou must needs go forth to them in the field, And then shall ye lead away the damsel Jerina."
When Starina Novak heard it, He looked at his son Grujica,
And Grujica looked not to the right nor to the left,
But leapt lightly to his feet, And went up into the white castle:
And when he was entered into the white castle, Behold, two young Latins met him, 200 Each with a sharp sword in his hand.
Right so they ran upon Grujica,
That he stooped down to the black earth, But with his untried sword he smote such buffets, That of the two Latins he made four.
And as he went down out of the castle, He was ware of the damsel Jerina.
"Tarry a little," quoth she, "youthful Grujica!"
And therewithal she threw him a golden apple.
"Take it," quoth she, "youthful Grujica, 210 That if ye should be in straits, Ye may know where Jerina abideth!"
Grujica went down to Starina Novak,
Bearing with him the heads of the Latins.
Scarce had Grujica sat him down at the table.
When from the wall the Latin stripling called:
"Hear ye, kum Starina Novak! Lo, down yonder under the white tower,
There be three valiant steeds,
To the saddles thereof are fixed three war-spears 220 Whose points are dressed upward to the sky;
If ye may leap over the three valiant steeds, Then shall ye lead away the damsel Jerina."
When Starina Novak heard it, He looked at Kraljević Marko,
Marko looked at Janko of Sibinj,
Janko looked at Bosnian Relja,
Relja leapt lightly to his feet, And hied him under the white tower, And lightly leaped over the three valiant steeds, 230 And the three war-spears that were dressed thereon.
Then he pulled out his good sabre, For around the steeds were twelve knights on horseback, And Relja slew them all twelve.
Then he took the three valiant steeds, And led them to Starina Novak.
Scarce was Relja seated at the table, When yet again the stripling shouted from the wail:
"Arise, thou kum, Starina Novak!
And shoot at the apple in the castle!" 240 Novak looked at Miloš the vojvoda,
Miloš leapt lightly to his feet, He took his bow with the golden bowstring, With an arrow he pierced the apple, And bore it to Starina Novak.
Therewith Marko Kraljević waxed wroth.
And spake unto Starina Novak, saying:
"If I but knew where Jerina abideth,
I should have no more parley with these Latins."
Thereat up spake the youthful Grujica: 250 "Follow me, Kraljević Marko," said he,
"For I have seen where Jerina abideth."
They went up into the slender tower,
And found the damsel Jerina,
And led her down out of the slender tower.
With that the Latin stripling cried from the wall:
"Hearken ye, Starina Novak,
There be now closed against you
Seven and seventy gates."
Upon that Marko Kraljević spake a word: 260 "Grujica," quoth he, "bring me my charger Sharatz,
For on him are the keys of the gates."
And when Marko was mounted on Sharatz,
He drew his heavy mace, And so did his anger rage, That each door as he smote it,
Brast altogether in sunder, Till he was come to the gate of the citadel,
A mighty gate it was, God's curse upon it! And when Marko smote it with his heavy mace, 270 The whole castle shook to its foundations, And stones fell down from the walls.
Upon that the King lift up his voice, In Dubrovnik castle where the adventure was—
"Marko," saith he, "smite no more!"
Then he hasted and ran and brought the keys, And opened the doors of the gate.
Marko stood by the doors of the gate, And counted his thousand wedding-guests, Till the tale was complete and they were gone forth every one. 280 Then said Marko to the King:
"Come hither, friend and king, Come hither that we may give thee gifts, And also that we may ask pardon
For any scathe that haply hath been done."
The King of Dubrovnik went to him, For he thought and expected,
That Marko should give presents to him.
But Marko swung his heavy mace,
And the King fell dead in the gateway. 290 And the wedding-guests departed thence, And came straight to Smederevo castle.
And when they were come to Smederevo castle,
Djuro gave them fair welcome, And kept them for fifteen days.
Then Djuro went with Jerina into his castle,
And the others departed each to his own dwelling.
* ↑ Jerina founded the fortress of Avala. Cf. Mijatovich.
* ↑ A favourite expression to denote vaguely any large number. See "The Sister of Leka Kapetan."