# The Ballads of Marko Kraljević/Marko Kraljević and the Daughter of the Moorish King

MARKO KRALJEVIĆ AND THE DAUGHTER OF THE MOORISH KING
Marko's mother asked a question:
"Ah, my son, Kraljević Marko,
Wherefore dost thou build so many pious buildings?
Hast thou sinned greatly against God?
Or doth gold come to thee without labour?"
Marko of Prilep answered her:
"I'faith, old mother mine, Once that I was in the land of the Moors,
I arose early and went to the cistern
For to water my Sharatz. 10 And when I was come to the cistern,
Lo, twelve Moors were there.
And before my turn, mother,
I would have watered my Sharatz.
But the twelve Moors would not so, And there was strife betwixt us.
I took my heavy mace,
And smote a black Moor,
I smote down one, and there smote me eleven;
I smote down two, and there smote me ten; 20 I smote down three, and there smote me nine;
I smote down four, and there smote me eight;
I smote down five, and there smote me seven;
I smote down six, and there smote me six;
And these six put me to the worse!
They bound my hands behind my back
And took me to the Moorish King.
The King cast me into the depths of a dungeon, Where for seven years I languished. I knew not when summer came, 30
Nor knew I when came winter, Save by one token, mother.
In winter the damsels as they played at snowballs,
Would throw to me a snowball, By that I knew that winter was come.
In summer they would throw me a spray of basil, By that I knew that it was summer.
When the eighth year began,
It was not the prison that tormented me, But a Moorish maiden, 40 Dear daughter of the Moorish King.
Morning and evening she would come, And call to me through the dungeon window:
'Pine not away, unhappy Marko, in thy dungeon! But give me thy solemn oath
That thou wilt take me to wife, And I shall deliver thee out of prison, And thy good Sharatz out of his stable.
I shall take of yellow ducats, My poor Marko, as many as thou pleasest.' 50 When I considered of my evil plight,
I took off my cap and laid it on my knee,
And swore to the cap on my knee, saying:
'I take solemn oath I will not leave thee,
I take solemn oath I will not deceive thee.
The sun himself breaketh faith,
And warmeth not the earth in winter as in summer,
But never will I break mine oath!' The Moorish maiden pondered this, Thinking it was to her I swore. 60 On a night when darkness was come, She opened the door of my dungeon, She led me forth of the dungeon, mother, She brought me the fiery Sharatz,
And for herself a better still than Sharatz,
And on both were saddle-bags full of ducats.
She brought me my rich-wrought sabre.
We mounted our horses, And departed thence through the land of the Moors.
On a morning, as day dawned, 70 I sate me down to rest, And the Moorish maiden took me,
Encircling me with her black arms, And when I looked on her, mother, On her black face and white teeth,
A loathing gat hold on me;
I drew the rich-wrought sabre, And smote her on the silken girdle, That the sabre cut clean through her.
I mounted my Sharatz, 80 And the head of the Moorish girl spake and said: 'Brother-in-God, Kraljević Marko!
Leave me not! Leave me not!'
Therein, mother, I sinned against God,
Gaining much gold thereby, And for this cause I let build many pious buildings."