Semetey. The Battle of Semetey with Abyke and Kyobesh

Kanikei, seeing and hearing everything that was happening, was immensely frightened and, crying loudly, began to speak to Semetey:

- My dear orphan, as long as Abyke and Kyobesh are alive, Talas will not be our homeland, and the Kyrgyz will not be our people: they are not joking enemies. Therefore, look, prepare well for battle.

Semetey ignored these words and, not considering Abyke and Kyobesh as anything, calmly undressed and lay down to sleep.

Meanwhile, Abyke and Kyobesh, gathering a huge army, under which the earth was bending, ordered the forty choro to drive this army from behind, and themselves, with a battle cry in honor of Kyobesh, set out on the campaign. Deciding to destroy Semetey, they marched forward, not stopping day or night.

At that time, Kanikei, unable to endure, saddled the argymak, tied her hair on her head, put on Semetey's old hat and an impenetrable chainmail, armed herself, and, deciding to secretly guard the peacefully sleeping Semetey, began to prepare for a meeting with the enemies.

No one dared to wake the sleeping Semetey. Kanikei, fearing that the enemies might kill him during his sleep, saddled Taybuurol and prepared clothes and weapons for Semetey.

Abyke had gathered six thousand of the most accurate merghens. The son of Muzburchak led four thousand select warriors, in addition, Kazakh and Kipchak regiments accompanied him. This huge army, whose thundering made the earth tremble, approached, advancing on Semetey's white camp, to the sounds of trumpets and drums.

Among the forty choro, who were driving Abyke's troops from behind, disagreements began. Some said among themselves:

- Are we really going to honor the spirit of the deceased? Are we really going to urinate on salt and betray our oath? With what eyes will we look at Semetey? How will we fight with one who is like Manas? Wouldn't it be better for us to run away from here?

Others among them were ready to kill anyone who would think of fleeing. Nevertheless, one among them - the witty Shuutu, son of Alaman, managed to escape back.

At that time, Kanikei engaged in battle with the warriors advancing with a battle cry in honor of Kyobesh, not allowing them near Semetey's camp. In her hands was the gun of Alambet Sybarang, from whose shots seven men fell dead.

Semetey, despite the advance of the numerous army, continued to sleep carefreely, and no one could wake him, although bullets were falling like hail, breaking the wooden parts of the yurt and flying further.

Finally, from the noise of the battle and the shots, he woke up. Hastily performing ablution, he frowned like a storm cloud, anger appeared on his face, he began to move restlessly like a tiger and turned to the spirit of Manas. A thirst for blood awoke in him, and blue flames began to fly from his mouth. In a strong excitement, he rushed out into the yard. There, Kanikei told him about the arrival of the enemies.

Putting on impenetrable clothing and arming himself with battle weapons, Semetey mounted Taybuurol, extended his hands to Kanikei and Chiyyrdy, received their blessing, and, striking his horse with a whip, boldly rode out to meet the advancing enemies. Approaching Abyke and Kyobesh, he jumped off Taybuurol, took off his belt, and hanging it around his neck, said:
- My dear uncles, I give you my head, my horse, and my mother, whom one of you may take as a wife. Know that I am not your enemy, do not treat me as an enemy who has come from China. Do not call me the insulting and rude name of an orphan.

But these words went unanswered. The numerous army with a battle cry in honor of Kyobesh continued to advance, shooting.

Seeing this, Semetey understood that they did not want peace, and said to them:

- This is your sin, you will answer for it. How long have I, wishing for peace, begged you not to wage war, but you did not listen; now blame yourselves!

And again jumping onto Taybuurol, he took his syrnayza and, with a cry in honor of Manas, rushed into battle. At the fearsome sight of Semetey, the cowardly fell from their horses in fear. And among the people, they began to say:

- If it weren't for the foolish stubbornness of Abyke and Kyobesh, Semetey should be proclaimed khan: he is braver than even Manas himself.

As Semetey approached, all the Kyrgyz, wherever they were, dismounted from their horses, took off their belts, laid them on their necks, and said to him:

- If you want to take - here are our heads, if you want to shed our blood - here it is. Is there any guilt on us? Fearing to anger Abyke and Kyobesh and the forty choro, we came here, - and all the people unanimously began to plead with Semetey to be merciful.

The plea of the numerous crowds of the Kyrgyz people touched Semetey, tears flowed from his eyes, and he said:
- If what you say is true, then those who think this way step aside, and those who think otherwise - to the other side.

Then the whole people rushed to flee to the right, while only the Kipchaks and the Kazakhs who had come from afar remained on the left side.

Only they did not cease fighting, showing their loyalty to Abyke and Kyobesh, to whom they swore to die but not betray.

Sary-khan - on one side, the son of Bakai Baytaylik - on the other side, and Semetey - in the middle, began to simultaneously advance on the troops that remained loyal to Abyke and Kyobesh. Their attack was so swift that the numerous army began to flee like sheep attacked by a wolf. - "My only brother is dead, one heart with me." - cries were heard among the fleeing, accompanied by loud sobs. Many had their heads broken and eyes knocked out. Bloodied, they fled without looking back, shouting: "We are doomed!" The bodies of the slain lay in heaps. Even more than people, horses lay with saddles turned to the side and broken legs.

Sary-khan, chasing and killing the warriors in the front ranks, broke through to the forty choro and engaged them in battle.

In the times of Manas, they had fought many times and knew military affairs well. Therefore, even now, surrounding Sary-khan from all sides, they inflicted sixty wounds on him. Deciding to take him alive as a prisoner, with the intention of later killing him, they hurried to carry out their plan.

At that moment, Kanikei arrived on her argymak, knocking down five or six warriors with her spear strikes. Thus, she knocked all forty choro off their horses, seating them on their haunches like dogs.

The numerous army led by Abyke and Kyobesh fled in disarray. Semetey rushed to chase them, determined to capture his uncles alive at all costs. He still thought that he would marry his mother to Abyke and thus end the feud with his relatives. Catching up with them, he shot from his akkelte over Kyobesh's head, not wanting to kill him, but only intending to scare him. But the bullet hit Kyobesh directly and killed him instantly.

When Semetey saw that Kyobesh was killed, despair engulfed him, and bitterly crying, he began to lament:

- Oh, I, the tailless and maneless kulan! I have become like a snake, having no legs to walk. I have no brothers, I have no relatives, I have grown up in this world all alone! I should have gone in close alliance with Abyke and Kyobesh, handing over the battle banner to Bakai-khan, to go to China to avenge the lion Manas, but now - oh woe! - my brown eyes are clouded! - thus he spoke, weeping, leaning on his axe.

At that moment, Abyke approached him, leading his sixty merghens. Seeing him, Semetey dismounted from Taybuurol, took off his akkyse, placed it around his neck as a sign of submission, and began to pour out his sorrow:

- Let my horse Taybuurol be a gift to you! Do not do me harm, oh aba, listen to me! I want to bring you my mother Kanikei as a gift. From my horses of your choice, I will give you any. If I rise in stature - be my support, if I fall - be my support. Abyke! Do not send your warriors against me, do not bring me grief. Do not bring misfortune upon the head of the poor orphan. I considered you and Kyobesh my support, I plead with you tearfully, aba, be truly like a relative to me. Do not anger me and do not let my soul ignite.

Saying this, Semetey, humbling himself, begged Abyke to make peace with him. But his words fell on deaf ears with Abyke.

- Catch this pup and beat him! - in rage he ordered his warriors, and sixty merghens showered Semetey with bullets like hail.

Then Semetey, enraged himself, jumped on Taybuurol, knocked off their saddles with his syrnayza, and killed them all.

- In the end, Semetey will not leave even me alive, - thought Abyke, - I better run towards Andijan and maybe I will remain alive. It seems God has punished me. I should have agreed when he himself begged me to make peace!

Saying this, Abyke took to flight. But Semetey caught up with him and lightly pricked him with a spear through his clothing from behind. He did not abandon the thought of taking him alive as a prisoner, raising him to khan and marrying Kanikei to him. But Semetey's spear, slipping, passed through Abyke's back and pierced his throat. Thus he perished too.

After this, Kanikei and Chiyyrdy caught up with Dzakypp, crushed his head and gouged out both of his eyes. Kanikei caught Akylai and said to her:

- We were both wives of Manas, but not even thirty days after his death, you married Kyobesh and caused me a lot of harm. You helped my tormentors, you made me a vagabond fleeing to Bukhara, - having said this, she began to drag her by the hair and eventually killed her.

At this time, Sary-khan and Baytaylik, advancing forward, mercilessly beat the enemies. Bakai, seeing this massacre, said: - "What is the people guilty of, why kill them? After all, they will be needed by Semetey." And he began to persuade everyone to stop the slaughter. Sary-khan and Baytaylik wanted to kill the remaining survivors of the forty choro, but Bakai ordered them to wait for Semetey's command.

When Semetey arrived, the forty choro stood up from their places and, laying their belts on their necks, said:

- We have committed foolishness, we have caused you much harm. If you want to execute us - here are our heads, if you want to shed our blood - here is our blood! - and they stretched their necks forward:

When Semetey heard these words spoken by the forty choro, his heart bled, and he said to them:

- All of you are the inheritance left to me by my father. Let us give the banners into the hands of Bakai and Sary-khan, and they will lead us along the road known to them to China, to avenge the death of my father Manas.

From that time on, the forty choro began to serve Semetey. Their life became as it was during Manas; they entertained themselves, played dice, and hunted with falcons and dogs. They began to live in peace and contentment.

Their food was meat, their drink - kumys, and amusements replaced their work.

Semetey. The Move of Semetey from Bukhara to Talas. Part - 2