The Death of Manas At night, secretly Kanykey Gathered the loyal warriors, Far along the mountain paths She led them to the gorge in the morning. At the cliffs on the stone wall She made them break through a passage And there, for eternal rest, She built a grotto for Manas. When Kanykey returned: — Is everything ready? — asked Manas. — Now call my relatives here, My friends and warriors, I want to see them one last time… And people came from all sides To pay their last respects. When all the
Manas's Testament Embracing Kanike by the shoulders, He said to his beloved: — Be brave, my faithful, It seems my time has come. Take care of yourself for our son! When you bury me, Run to Bukhara, to your father — Let our Semetey grow there! Here, in his homeland, He will not see bright days. And the brothers Abike, Kobesh Will not let you live here, And if you resist, They will find a reason and kill. And they will turn our son Into a mankurta right away, Forcing him to herd cattle.
Return from the Great Campaign. Part - 2 When they passed the Great Wall of China, They settled down for a rest, Suddenly someone in the distance saw, That behind them a horse was coming, The rider lay, embracing the horse, The helmet and armor shone in the sun — And everyone recognized: it was The horse of Almanbet — Sarala. — My Almanbet! You are alive, dear! Has God truly forgiven me, If you have returned alive? — Manas cried out with joy And, despite the wounds and pain, Ran to meet his
Return from the Great Campaign. Part - 1 On one of the gloomy nights Kanykey woke up in tears, Taking the infant in her arms from the swaddling, Sobbing, she gave him her breast. And, recalling the terrible dream, She could not hold back her tears. By the river, a little gray bull Suddenly began to bellow like a child — Almanbet has probably perished. And the white falcon in flight Broke its mighty wings — It seems Chubak has fallen into trouble! The chinar tree, standing tall, Suddenly fell
The Death of the Heroes A rumor swept through China That Khan Manas was wounded. The spirit of the Kangai people rose. For Konurbai and Neskara Their long-awaited hour had come. Surrounding Beijinge in three circles, To ensure that not a single one Of the buruts left China alive, And to drive out the Muslims, They incited the townspeople to revolt. And behold, a hundred thousand troops Marched towards the city of Chet-Beijing, To capture and destroy the Kyrgyz forces. Raising Manas' red
Prayer of Manas Almighty God! My Creator! I am on my knees before you. You gave us the sun above, You illuminate the earthly world, Dimming the light at night, You leave us with darkness. Holy prophets, wise men You give us, Creator, yourself. You send us brainless, foolish fools To the earth. So that we live in wars and struggles, You send us enemies. Giving the heart flame and love, You create heroes yourself. Creator of heaven and earth, Only you can judge us! I led your sons into battle,
The Beginning of the Battle. Part - 2 Hearing the joyful news, Kanykey was not pleased: — Taking Beijing, the Chinese throne, He has doomed himself to death. Let him return quickly — Here a son has been born, Semetey! And if suddenly he perishes there His father, my beloved, Our only child Will become an orphan from swaddling clothes, — Kanykey wept bitterly. Shuutu rushed to Beijing, Brought news to Manas, That a son had been born to him, That they named him Semetey, And that Kanykey asked To
The Beginning of the Battle. Part - 1 From morning till night, the slaughter went on, And from night again until morning They fought, sparing no lives. A mountain of corpses rose high. And the blood from the fateful battle Flowed like a red river. And everywhere there were groans, curses, screams, You could not distinguish strangers from your own. Zholoya er-Chubak caught up, Pierced him through with a spear, But then the Chinese khan Ushan Drove a spear into Chubak's side. And the
The Beginning of the Battle Karagul rushed to the khan And informed Konurbai That the cunning Almanbet Had stolen the entire herd of Kyrgyz. — I will pierce the traitor and fugitive Through and through with my spear Or I will capture him alive! Binding him, I will bring him to the square, And publicly cut off his head! — Roared Konurbai in anger. In the narrow gorge on both sides Almanbet and Syrgak lay in wait, To set up an ambush there, To wipe out the troops from above, And to capture
In reconnaissance They came to the valley of Teshik-Tash, Where fragrant flowers Bloom on the meadows, Fruit gardens are in bloom And tea bushes grow in the fields. Here Almanbet dismounted from his horse. He fell face down into the grass And, like a child, began to cry: — Forgive me, my land! Syrgak, this is my homeland! My mother gave birth to me here, And from the umbilical cord, The native land accepted my blood. Here along the riverbank I ran barefoot in my childhood. Over there, under
The Quarrel of Chubak and Almanbet The head of the warriors, Kyrgyl, At forty, he still sinned. A well-known adulterer, He did no good for the people, He was known as a gossip in the folk. And once he spread a rumor That at night Chubak Met secretly with Kanikei. Learning that Almanbet and Syrgak Had gone on reconnaissance to Beijin, He said to Chubak in front of the warriors: — Son of Khan Akbalta, Chubak! Didn’t know you were such a fool. Though you are a Noygut hero, You are lower than a
Appointment of Almanbet as Commander-in-Chief In the valley of the Sary-Tal river The warriors on the march Set up a large camp. They stuck their spears in the soft ground, Threw their swords into the bushes, And let the horses graze. Some, escaping the heat, Bathed naked in the river, Others slept under the tent. Having trampled the grass in a circle, They organized a game of ordo. Appointing a large baiga, They played toguz-korgol here. As if a thousand troops Had set off on a great campaign
The Great Campaign to China. Part - 2 As dawn broke in the skies, On the helmets of fierce warriors, On sharp peaks it played A reflected glimmer from the sun. Like a sign of war it fluttered The red banner with a green spear, So that the enemy could see and tremble. From the warriors marching to battle, The earth trembled beneath their feet. And ahead on Ak-Kul, With an impenetrable shield, With a merciless sword, Ach-albars, In all his glory Under the red flag stood Khan Manas. Like a fierce
The Great Campaign to China On the forty-first day in the morning On the argamak Ak-Kula Manas rode out to the square. And twenty warriors-choro Galloped to his left, And as many fierce fighters Galloped to his right — His loyal guard. The restless dobulbas Thundered like thunder across all Talas. With anger unhidden, Our enraged lion looked at the khans. — Bring everyone to me here! — He ordered his choro. The khans appeared at once. And now they stand before him, Shaking hands timidly and
The Arrival of the Envoys to Manas Six envoys rushed From six noble clans On a long journey to the Talas River, Where Khan Manas set his throne. And there they saw: Gates with a stone wall Shining under golden paint. A ravine filled with water, So that the enemy could not approach, And a powerful guard around. The envoys, not knowing what to do, Stood for a long time at the gates, Not knowing how or where to start: Knock on the door or shout, Until Zhoronchu-Kazakh Appeared before their eyes.
The Conspiracy of the Kyrgyz Khans Hey! In the mountains, where the sunny Alay — The blessed land of the Kyrgyz, On that spring day gathered Six khans from six clans: The esteemed, glorious Muzburchak, From Andijan Sanzybek, Son of Elaman er-Toshtyuk, From Sar-Arka the Kazakh Kokche, And from Kemina the old khan Urby, And from the eshteks Jamgyrchy. Arriving at this invited feast, The khans whispered among themselves: — Inviting to the koketeev ash, Manas took all power for himself, He mocked
The Conclusion of the Mourning for Koketey On the eighth day, Bakai gathered The comrades and told them, That good news had arrived: — The Tulpaar of Manas, Ak-Kula, Has outpaced all the horses on the way. Following Ak-Kula is the steed Of Jolo's Ach-Budan. And so many prize victories The enemies will not forgive the Kyrgyz. And they might ambush Ak-Kula, Firing shot from their guns. The Tulpaar of the Chinese, Ach-Budan, Looks like Ak-Kula, like a brother. I ask you, my brave Almanbet,
The Duel of Manas with Konurbai The son of Koketey Bokmurun The latter announced the tournament. — While the horses gallop From the distant alaman-baygi, Let the contest of er-sayish End the memorial feast. For the prize of two thousand horses Will be awarded to the one who wins. The loser must give up His horse as well! — He shouted at sunset. In the morning, all the people gathered. Here the sun rose to its zenith, But for the tournament of er-sayish No one stepped forward: In a tournament
The Struggle of Koshoy with Zholoy In the morning, the banner of Koketeya Trembled again in the valley. The son of Yraman, Yrchiy-uul, Summoned all the guests to the square. — Hurry to the balban-kuresh! And whoever wins the struggle, Will be glad of their fate: They will receive a thousand horses. So promised Bokmurun himself! — Shouted the boisterous Yrchiy-uul. Then a dispute arose among the guests: They discussed the strongmen, Who could in a strength contest Glorify the family honor. But
Shooting at the Golden Jamba The return of the galloping horses, Will take seven or eight days. And it was necessary to entertain The guests with games and spectacles. They hung on two pines With thin silk strings A jamba made of gold ingot. A diamond inserted in a circle Shines and tempts the eye. And if you break the silk strings With a bullet or an arrow — The golden ingot with the diamond Will be yours for accuracy! The guests shot hundreds of times, Squinting their keen eyes, But no one
Horse Race Early in the morning, at dawn, As the green flag of Koketey Fluttered in the rays of light, All the guests mounted their horses And rushed to the banks of Kegen, To watch and evaluate The horses heading to the start. On both sides of the river Forty, fifty rows Of riders crowded tightly, Leaving a strip in the center About a hundred large steps wide. A larger crowd gathered here Than black ants, As if it were not a race, But a grand and joyful feast. At the alaman-bayge races, For
The Arrival of Manas in Karkyra And exactly on the fourth day To the green shores of Kegen Came er-Manas with his Warrior entourage. And with cries of "Manas! Manas!" The Kyrgyz rushed to meet The valiant army of Manas. With an old man's stingy tear Khan Koshoy embraced Manas. — At last, the people have waited For their support and stronghold! Here are Konurbay and Neskara, The gluttonous fat man Zholoy Caused a ruckus yesterday. Having come to visit us at the feast, They
Invitation to the Memorial for Koketey Here in the vastness of Karkyra, Setting up yurts with a hearth, They let the cattle roam on the slopes of the mountains. In cauldrons, in bags — the kumys Poured out with milk. The son of Koketey, Bokmurun, Called the young Aidar, To saddle the stallion Maanikер, He ordered to prepare for the journey. — You inform the whole region, That in late autumn, when The cattle will gain weight, When the forage of the summer pastures Will burst the camel's
Mourning for Khan Koketey in the Karkyra Valley Rich and glorious Koketey, By the will of God and fate, Reached his last days. He coughed and groaned loudly, The wise elder sensed: His years were over, That in a day, or maybe two, He would leave this life forever. To give his last will, He called his brother Baymurza. — I feel my death has come. I have one heir — Carefree, young Bokmurun. He didn’t wipe his nose in childhood — And that’s how the people named him. He is only fifteen years old.
A tale of how Manas' relative Kozkaman wanted to poison him with poison Hey! The head of all khans, Esenkhan, Gave an order to the satraps: To go to Manas and kill him! To whoever accomplishes this, He promised publicly To reward them with a khanship. When the invader Alooke Drove the Kyrgyz from their homeland, The descendant of Orozdu — Usen Took the name Kozkaman for himself, And stayed hidden there. No Chinese knew That Kozkaman was Kyrgyz. And so Kozkaman decided With his elder son
The Marriage of Manas to Kanikei Hey! Manas, who had two wives, Lived in this world for thirty years. And he often began to grieve, That until now there were no children. And Karabork and Akylai Managed to get along with each other And share their husband at night, But they could not together Give Manas a son. Seeing how his friend was sorrowing, Almanbet said to Manas: — Although you have two wives, At thirty years old, you are still a bachelor. You did not court them at all, And did not go
The Tale of How Almanbet Came to Manas The khan Manas gathered the heroes And said: — I look at you And see boredom and despair. Intrigues, gossip, fuss — There’s no escaping them anywhere. The native land beneath our feet — There’s no reason for us to go to battle. There’s no need for military campaigns — Our steeds are growing fat. Now all that’s left for us Is to grow fat, grow old, and die. What a bore! Damn it! Maybe we should all go hunting? Like in battle, To amuse our hands there,
The Tale of How Almanbet Came to the Kazakh Khan Kokche Hey! Having fled from China, Almanbet Wandered the world for many days, And arrived on the vast steppes In the blessed Sar-Arka, Where the Kazakh hero Aydarkan Ruled for many years with his son. Seeing the traveler in the distance, Kokche's son came out to meet him. — Who are you? Where are you headed? What fate has brought you to us? And according to the steppe tradition, Taste some food, and then You will get to know me! — My
Tale of Almanbet Hey! At that time, China was ruled by The sons of Khan-Kakanchyna: Esen, Kary, Alooke And the youngest brother Aziz. One day the brothers gathered, They came to Esen's palace: They finally decided To marry off the younger Aziz. He was already over twenty-five, But still could not Find a bride for himself. And Esen-khan himself commanded To gather beautiful maidens From fifteen to twenty — To choose the highest beauty. From the Huanghe to the Irtysh, And from the Amur to
A Tale of How Manas, Offended by His Father, Left the Khan's Throne and Took Up Farming In Talas, the valiant Manas Established his khan's throne, Created a strong state. Brave warriors came from all sides To serve him, To protect the people and the land. And he gave each one a horse, Clothes, a shield, a spear, and a sword. He taught the art of battle, Organized races and wrestling, Generously distributing prizes. All around was peace and quiet. Grass grew, livestock thrived, On the
The Defeat of Afghan Khan Shooruk by the Kyrgyz Hey! In the south, where Alay lies, And nearby is Afghanistan (Where the Pashtuns live), The ruler of the maiymunduk tribe, The self-satisfied Khan Shooruk, Decided to subdue the Kyrgyz, To drive away all their livestock and herds, To push them far into the mountains. Shooruk had a family, children: Three sons, two daughters. And the eldest daughter Akylai Was gentle, slender in form And distinguished from others By her intelligence and bright
A Tale of How Khan Alooke, Upon Seeing Manas, Fled from Fergana In the hands of the Chinese was then Our blessed Turkestan. The people were ruled in Fergana By the Chinese Khan Alooke. Cruel and merciless was This Khan to the Turkic peoples. And whoever did not flatter him, Was slaughtered like a sheep. To poverty he brought the people With a burdensome tax. One hundred thousand ingots of gold And as many sable skins Were collected only in Margilan. And all the pretty maidens He took into his
The Return of the Kyrgyz from Altai to their Homeland Under the banners of their clans Finally leaving Altai, The Kyrgyz set out on a long journey — To the promised homeland. Everyone has one desire: To return quickly to Ala-Too, Where for ages The blood has fallen from the Kyrgyz umbilical cord. The turbulent streams of Ili With household goods and livestock Struggled through both swimming and wading. Bypassing the steep pass, They entered the valley of Uch-Aral, Along the rivers Konuz and
Tale of the liberation of Turkestan from Chinese invaders Into valleys, mountains, and meadows Under the skies of the native land Through three roads across the steppe, Like three raging rivers, The Kyrgyz came from Altai. The military horn blared, The surnay shrieked piercingly. Like thunder, like a heavenly voice, The battle drum thundered. Under the red banner ahead With his retinue, Manas, Behind him, raising their banner, Kazakh Kokche, Noygut Chubak — By their mother, Kalmak, The head of
The Love of Manas and Kyz-Saykal In Uch-Turfane lived Karacha — A glorious elder from Kalmykia. The old man was very proud Of his beautiful daughter Saykal. But what no one knew in the whole region Was that the girl was she, Hiding her hair under a helmet, She, like a true warrior, Wielded a sword, spear, and shield. When Tekes killed himself And Teiysh was chosen as khan, Saykal in battle armor Came to her father and said: — For my honor and homeland I will stand at the cost of my life! Here
The campaign and victory over Tekes-khan Hey! Two months have passed since We held a gathering in Altai. The people prepared their sons For a distant battle campaign. Warriors from all clans Gathered at Manas. The wide valley was Filled with people, And under the hooves of horses The earth trembled. And spears, like a dense forest, Sparkled with blue steel. With a green shaft, a red banner Fluttered above their heads. Under it, once Khan Nogoy Led his troops into bloody battle. Kyrgyz,
The Meeting of Manas with Koshoy and Bakay The celebrations had just ended, Akbalta called Manas. — When we, leaving our homeland, Departed with the whole world to Altai, Several clans of Kyrgyz Were left there among the enemies. To those who could not escape then, A bitter fate was bestowed. One, remaining far away, Fights with Khan Alooke The ruler of the Katagan clan, The mighty elder Koshoy-khan. In the valley of the Big Kemin rivers Another clan remained, Which is ruled by Khan Urby. When
Election of Manas as Khan From the herd, where Aymanboz — A beautiful, strong stallion, Always a faithful leader, Having slaughtered nine mares, Dozens of fire pits dug, Setting up a hundred cauldrons, Filled with water, they lit the fire. Here, gathering from all sides, The Kyrgyz came together. And all who arrived in Altai Were counted by Akbalta himself. And it turned out that there were Almost a hundred thousand here. — From all corners of our native land We have come here to Altai, With
The Attack of Neskar The ruler of the Manchus became Twenty-year-old Neskar — Hot-headed, bold, young, Always satisfied with himself. He knew that the Burut tribes Had fled from their native land And now lived in Altai. In a short time, they had amassed Cattle, horses, and wealth in abundance. And, as the old prophet said, A fierce hero was born there, Growing stronger every day, As soon as he gathers strength, He will unleash a great devastation on everyone. — He is now thirteen years old.
The Victory of Manas over the Envoys of Esen Khan When the whole world was engulfed by a flood And the earth was flooded with water, In his ark, good Noah Saved the living world from death. But to Beijing in those years The floodwaters did not reach. There, on a patch of dry land, Nine hundred families remained — And from that time to this day The Chinese people have lived there. And now for many years From the sea to the Great Wall Khan Esen rules China. There lived in the palace an old
Childhood of Manas Hey! Time flowed day by day, And not by days, but by hours In Altai grew the Great Fool. Since the moment he saw the light, Eight years quickly flew by. Manas was a tall boy, He did not resemble his peers: Sometimes he carried stones weighing a pood, Then suddenly, in strength and wrestling, He would arrange a tournament for himself, Then dive into an icy pond, Running somewhere like a madman, Then suddenly he would fight with someone. Chiyrdy cannot understand Whether his
The Birth of the Hero Hey! Jakyp, my brother Chiyr Suddenly left for another world. His wife — the beautiful Shakan Remained a young widow. So Jakyp went then With a bow to Shakan's relatives. He promised her a good life, Persuaded her and took her as a wife, Arranged an unprecedented wedding. (The young widow, it seems, Was so beautiful in herself). And in memory of his brother, the rich Jakyp Gave his wife the name Chiyrdy. One night Chiyrdy Asked her husband: — Tell me, what are you
Tale of the Destruction of the Kyrgyz by Khan Alooke Hey! From ancient times the Kyrgyz people Were guarded by the Holy Kyzyl. The hero of the Kyrgyz, Karakhan, Created the royal lineage. From Karakhan — Oghuz Khan, From Oghuz Khan — Alanch, From Alanch was Baygurkhan, From Baygurkhan — Babyrkhan. From Babyrkhan — Khan Tebe, And the son of Tebe — Khan Kogey. His sons were Chiyr, Shygai, And the youngest was Nogoy. Usen, Orozdu, Bai, Jakyp — Sons of Khan Nogoy. Nogoy was a mighty khan. For his
“The Tale of Manas”— an original work by contemporary bilingual writer Mara Baidzhiev. Formally, it represents a poetic rendition of the first part of the trilogy of the Kyrgyz national epic “Manas,” “Semetey,” “Seitek.” The tale is based on the versions of outstanding folk storytellers-manaschi Sagynbai Orozbakov, Sayakbay Karalaev, Bagysh Sazanov, and Shaabay Azizov. FROM THE AUTHOR
