# The Ballads of Marko Kraljević/Marko Drinks Wine in Ramadan

MARKO DRINKS WINE IN RAMADAN
Sultan Suleiman let cry an order
That none should drink wine in Ramadan,
That none should wear green apparel,
That none should bear a sword, That none should dance with women in the kolo,
But Marko danced with women in the kolo,
Marko girded on his well-forged sabre,
Marko garbed himself in green apparel,
Marko drank red wine in Ramadan.
And he forced the hodjas and the hadjis,10 That they also drank the wine-cup with him.
And there went Turks to seek judgment of the Sultan:
"Sultan Suleiman," said they, "our father and our mother! Hast thou not let cry an order
That none should drink wine in Ramadan,
That none should wear green apparel,
That none should bear a sword, That none should dance with women in the kolo! Yet Marko danceth in the women's kolo,
Marko girdeth on his well-forged sabre, 20 Marko garbeth him in green apparel,
Marko drinketh wine in Ramadan!
Did he drink alone it were no great matter, But he compelleth the hodjas and the hadjis, That they also drink wine with him."
And when the Sultan understood these words, He sent two on a message to Marko:
"Go forth," quoth he, "ye two messengers, Say to Kraljević Marko,
That the Sultan biddeth him to the Divan."
The two messengers went forth,
And when they were come to Kraljević Marko,
Behold, Marko sat in his tent drinking,
And before him was a tankard of twelve okas.
Unto him the two messengers spake, saying:
"Hearken unto us, Kraljević Marko!
The Sultan biddeth thee to the Divan,
In the Divan must thou appear before him."
Therewithal Marko waxed passing wroth, He seized the tankard with the wine therein, 40 And smote the Sultan's messengers, That their heads brast and the tankard also, And blood and wine were mingled together!
To the Sultan's Divan went Marko,
And sate him down by the right knee of the Sultan.
His cap of sable he pulled down over his eyes, His mace he kept fondling ever, And his sabre he laid across his knees.
And Sultan Suleiman spake to him:
"My son, Kraljević Marko! 50 I did let cry an order,
That none should drink wine in Ramadan,
That none should wear green apparel, That none should bear a sword, That none should dance with women in the kolo.
Yet there are that say ill of thee, Marko,
And bear false witness against thee, That thou dancest with women in the kolo, That thou bearest thy sabre, That thou goest garbed in green apparel, 60 That thou drinkest wine in Ramadan,
And further thou constrainest hodjas and hadjis, That they should drink wine with thee!
And wherefore now hast thou pulled thy kalpak over thine eyes?
Wherefore dost thou toy with thy mace?
Wherefore is thy sabre laid across thy knees?"
Quoth Kraljević Marko:
"Father, Sultan Suleiman,
If I drink wine in Ramadan,
If indeed I drink, my faith alloweth it; 70 If I put constraint on the hodjas and the hadjis
It is that for very shame
I may not drink while they do naught but look.
Let them not come to me to the inn.
And if I wear green apparel,
I am young and it liketh me well.
If I bear my rich-wrought sabre, With mine own gold I bought it,
And if I dance with women in the kolo, It is that I have no wife of mine own, 80 And thou too. Sultan, wert once unwed.
If I have pulled my kalpak over mine eyes, The forehead sweats when the Sultan frets,
And I toy with my mace,
And lay my sabre in my lap, Because I fear that strife may come of this;
And if strife should come, Woe to him that is nearest Marko!"
The Sultan looked about him on every side
If haply there should be any nearer to Marko; 90 But near Marko there was none other, But the Sultan Suleiman was nearest of all.
The Sultan gave back a little, Marko followed after, Until he drave him to the wall.
Then the Sultan put his hand in his pocket
And drew forth an hundred ducats, And gave them to Kraljević Marko. "Go, Marko," quoth he, "drink wine to thy heart's content."
* ↑ Kolo, lit. a wheel. Serb national dance.
* ↑ 12 okas = 6 gallons.