Semetey. Childhood and Youth of Semetey. The Flight of Kanikey to Bukhara. Part - 1

Childhood and Youth of Semetey. The Escape of Kanakei to Bukhara

Brother of Kyobesh, Abyke, and Adzhibai
Went to Afghanistan and Hindustan, at that time
To bring reason to this land
To settle the endless quarrel of the khans

Evil was plotted against Kanakei by Jakyp
He called the children to him and said:
- Six thousand dzhambas, a thousand beaver skins
Ormonbek, son of Tekechi, has bribed Bakai!

For this, Bakai is preparing
To give Kanakei to Ormonbek as a wife
You sit carelessly and drink arak
The widow will end up in the hands of strangers!

- This cannot be allowed, you dog children!
Turn your gaze, finally, to your fate!
Take Kanakei as your wife quickly
Take all the wives of Manas for yourselves!

Kyobesh agreed with his father
Sent Tazbaymata to Kanakei
With a feigned cry, he approached the yurt
The widow is cunning, everything became clear to her

At that time, the wives of Er-Manas
According to custom, were all crying for him
In that very yurt, where the khan passed away
Neither day nor night did the weeping cease

The first wife of Manas – Akylai
Met guests right at the door
Kyrgynchal conveyed to her the words of Kyobesh
About his desire to marry her

Akylai was delighted, gave her consent
Kyrgynchal came to Kanakei
He also conveyed the words of Kyobesh
But, proud, the widow's voice shouted:

- Manas made you all people
Gathered from various corners of the world
Not even forty days have passed since death
You expect me to marry? Do you wait for an answer?

She threatened, snatched a knife
The choro fled from the yurt, not finishing the matter
While they were mounting their horses
Kanakei managed to wound both of them

The warriors returned to Kyobesh covered in blood:
- The widow screamed that she would not marry you!
It seems Jakyp-khan was right then
Kanakei promised to marry Ormonbek

In rage, Kyobesh called forty choros:
- Let my call awaken you all!
If Semetey remains alive
Nothing good will come for us!

We must kill him quickly
While he still lies in the cradle
Since the widow does not want to marry me
We will take away the wealth they had!

- Then we will divide everything among ourselves
Kanakei will become our slave!
They agreed, and Kyobesh
Led his men to seize the widow
Kanakei scolded Akylai:
- You were the first wife of Manas
I was the younger wife
We have lived to see disgraceful hours!

Not even forty days have passed
The tear has not dried on my cheek
And you, bitch, are preparing to marry
Get out and don’t let me see you!

Sensing a bad plot
Chiyyrdy told Kanakei everything
She suggested hiding Semetey
And told her about the alarm:

- The enemies – the ignorant will not stop
I fear they will destroy the orphan
They will completely shatter our hopes
They will throw us from light into darkness!

Chiyyrdy did not want to hide the child
But after persuasion, she agreed
Gently taking Semetey in her arms
She quietly slipped away with him

To hide the child
Kanakei called her servant
A woman named Karakun
And explained everything to her:

- We gave birth on the same day
Give me the child, secretly between us
I will place him next to Semetey
And nurse him, let them be twins!

But Karakun did not agree to that
Then Kanakei killed her
Buried her under the hearth of the yurt
Laid the baby there, where Semetey was

Everything happened deep in the night
Before dawn, Kyobesh rushed into the aiyl
Bursting into Kanakei and the golden throne
He shouted in rage and anger:
- Don’t want to marry, bitch?
Do you want to run away with Ormonbek?
With a blow of the aybalt, he knocked her to the ground
He began to tear the cradle of the child apart!

He cut the cradle into six pieces
Thinking that Semetey was in the cradle
He wanted to chop off the widow's head
But Shuutu managed to stop the barbarian:

- It is inappropriate for a khan to fight with a woman!
Kyobesh, in anger, took all the wealth
Destroying the palace, he ordered to flood with water
The place where he himself stood

Kanakei lay unconscious for a day
When she opened her eyes, she saw what was happening
She cried out loudly, rivers of tears flowed
With a plea, she turned to the spirit of Manas

The wise duvana appeared before her eyes
He spoke to her in a quiet voice:
- Find Chiyyrdy and Semetey
Hide together with them as soon as possible!

The duvana said this and disappeared
Kanakei opened her eyes
The strength of her former days returned to her
She decided to go in search

Soon she met both Chiyyrdy and Semetey
They cried bitterly, through pain and wounds
All together they set off on a long journey
To Bukhara, to father and grandfather Temir-khan

Taking turns, they carried the baby
In the desert, without water, the long road lay ahead
Bare feet were cut by sharp stones
Semetey did not eat and only groaned

Not a drop of milk in Kanakei's breast
- Is it really that the orphan will die of hunger?
Hiding Chiyyrdy and her son in a secluded place
The mother went to search for food
She wandered long through the lowlands and mountains
Found nothing edible, and in alarm
She stumbled upon a lost calf
Caught it and drove it along the road

Suddenly, she hears someone chasing from behind
It was the hired father Karymbai
He was searching for the lost animal
Kanakei begged him: - “Give me the calf!”

But the stingy old man did not agree
He took the calf away and beat her
Turned around and rode away on his way
Not yielding and not giving up his own

She went back to Chiyyrdy and Semetey
Crying bitterly, out of grief, Kanakei
Fell weakly on the road and fell asleep
In her dream, suddenly, a strange voice spoke to her:

- Kanakei, wake up! A lamb has come to you!
She opened her eyes, and indeed, before her
Stood the animal, like a child
Kanakei took it with her

They slaughtered it, ate
The long road brings cold
Soon, after the difficult journey
They again felt hunger

- My child! I am eighty years old!
Chiyyrdy, tired, said to Kanakei
- Don’t drive me away before death
Let me be! I will go to Manas soon!

Kanakei persuaded the old woman to go further
They set off again, suffering pains
Barely, Chiyyrdy moved her legs
Kanakei took her on her shoulders, holding her son in her arms

Thus, they walked for seven days and seven nights
Finally, they reached the Syr Darya river
There was no crossing anywhere
They found a refuge on the shore
Semetey had not eaten for seven days
Death began to circle over his head
Chiyyrdy, the mother, comforted Kanakei:
- God gives everything to man to live!

Poetic retelling of the epic "Manas"