Princess Maria was her name—­
  Brave daughter nobly sired;
She caught her father’s trusty sword
  When bleeding he expired,
And bravely rallied warders all
  To meet the storming foe,
And hurled them from the rampart-wall
  Upon the crags below.

Prince Casimir—­her father—­built
  Murana high and wide;
It sat among the mountain cliffs—­
  The Magyars’ boast and pride. 
Bold Wesselenyi—­stalwart knight,
  Young, famed and wondrous fair,
With a thousand men besieged the height,
  And led the bravest there.

And long he tried the arts of war
  To take that castle-hold,
Till many a proud and plumed hussar
  Was lying stiff and cold;
And still the frowning castle stood
  A grim, unbroken wall,
Like some lone rock in stormy seas
  That braves the billows all.

Bold Wesselenyi’s cheeks grew thin;
  A solemn oath he sware
That if he failed the prize to win
  His bones should molder there. 
Two toilsome months had worn away,
  Two hundred men were slain,
His bold assaults were baffled still,
  And all his arts were vain.

But love is mightier than the sword,
  He clad him in disguise—­
In the dress of an inferior lord—­
  To win the noble prize. 
He bade his armed men to wait,
  To cease the battle-blare
And sought alone the castle-gate
  To hold a parley there.

Aloft a flag of truce he bore: 
  Her warders bade him pass;
Within he met the princess fair
  All clad in steel and brass. 
Her bright, black eyes and queenly art,
  Sweet lips and raven hair,
Smote bold young Wesselenyi’s heart
  While he held parley there.

Cunning he talked of great reward
  And royal favor, too,
If she would yield her father’s sword;
  She sternly answered “No.” 
But even while they parleyed there
  Maria’s lustrous eyes
Looked tenderly and lovingly
  On the chieftain in disguise.

“Go tell your gallant chief,” she said,
  “To keep his paltry pelf;
The knight who would my castle win,
  Must dare to come himself.” 
And forth she sternly bade him go,
  But followed with her eyes. 
I ween she knew the brave knight well
  Through all his fair disguise.

But when had dawned another morn,
  He bade his bugleman
To sound again the parley-horn
  Ere yet the fray began. 
And forth he sent a trusty knight
  To seek the castle-gate
And to the princess privately
  His message to relate;—­

That he it was who in disguise
  Her warders bade to pass,
And while he parleyed there her eyes
  Had pierced his plates of brass. 
His heart he offered and his hand,
  And pledged a signet-ring
If she would yield her brave command
  Unto his gracious king.

“Go tell your chief,” Maria cried—­
  “Audacious as he is—­
If he be worthy such a bride
  My castle and hand are his. 
But he should know that lady fair
  By faint heart ne’er was won;
So let your gallant chieftain, sir,
  Come undisguised alone.