She was lovely—nothing e’er was lovelier; She was tall and slender as the pine tree; White her cheeks, but tinged with rosy blushes, As if morning’s beam had shone upon them, Till that beam had reach’d its high meridian; And her eyes, they were two precious jewels; And her eyebrows, leeches from the ocean; And her eyelids, they were wings of swallows; Silken tufts the maiden’s flaxen ringlets; And her sweet mouth was a sugar casket; And her teeth were pearls array’d in order; White her bosom, like two snowy dovelets; And her voice was like the dovelet’s cooing; And her smiles were like the glowing sunshine; And the fame, the story of her beauty Spread through Bosnia and through Herzgovina. {28} Many a suitor on the maiden waited: Two were unremitting in their service; One, the old gray-headed Mustaph Aga— He of Uraine, from the Novi fortress; {29a} And the other, Suko of Ubdinia. {29b} Both together met the self-same evening, When they came to court the lovely maiden. Thousand golden coins the old man proffer’d, And, besides, a golden drinking vessel: Round the vessel twined a mighty serpent, From whose forehead shone so bright a diamond, That at midnight, just as well as noonday, By its light you might indulge your feastings. Suko offered but a dozen ducats; All the youth possessed, except his sabre— His good sabre, and his steed so trusty. Suko dwelt upon the country’s border, As the falcon dwells among the breezes. Then his brother thus address’d Ajkuna: “Lo! Ajkuna, my beloved sister! When my mother bore thee, she betrothed thee— She betrothed thee to another lover. Many a lover, maiden! now would woo thee; But the best of all those wooing lovers Are those twain to-day that seek thy presence. One the venerable Mustaph Aga; He that comes from Uraine out of Novi. Countless are the old Mustapha’s treasures: He will clothe thee all in silk and satin, Will with honey and with sugar feed thee. Suko of Ubdinia is the other: But this Suko nothing more possesses Than his trusty steed and his good sabre. Now, then, choose, Ajkuna; choose, my sister; Say to which of these I shall betrothe thee.” Thus his sister answer gave her brother: “Thine shall be the choice, my brother! only; Him alone I’ll wed whom thou wilt give me; But I’d rather choose a youthful lover, Howsoever small that youth’s possessions, Than be wedded to old age, though wealthy. Wealth—it is not gold—it is not silver; Wealth—is to possess what most we cherish.” Little did he listen to his sister, For he gave the maid to Mustaph Aga; To that old white-bearded man he gave her. He with speed to his own court departed, Brought the bridal guests, to lead the maiden To his dwelling; and among them Suko Lifted o’er the rest the bridal banner; And they hasten’d to the maiden’s dwelling.