The Epic of "Manas". The Tale of How Manas, Upset with His Father, Left the Khan's Throne

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 slopes, they grazed themselves,
Went to the river to drink,
And there were no special troubles with them.
Now there was only one concern:
To drink, to eat, and to stroll,
And at night, looking at the sky,
To count all the stars again.
And as the people say:
“By day, beshbarmak, ayran, kumys,
And at night, a warm girl” —
This is how the Kyrgyz lived now!
Such a life did not sit well with Jakyp —
He was used to fighting for life.
— What did I save for, what did I suffer for?
Why did I wait for an heir?
And my son did not appreciate my labor.
Kumys, amusements, and arak,
Hunting, races, beshbarmak!
And what I saved and raised,
Manas let it all go to waste!
I did not think, old fool that I am,
That things would turn out this way,
That my son, even if he is a khan,
Would squander it all like a fool! —
The old miser was enraged,
The father of the glorious hero.
— When the father grumbled in front of everyone,
No one contradicted him.
I guess I am needed by no one!
When there was hunger and poverty,
I was needed by all, like water!
But once they were full,
I became worthless to them!
I will wander the earth,
I will go around my possessions —
And there I will find refuge.
I will forget battles and war
And live a peaceful life, —
Decided the offended Manas.
And at night, so that no one would know,
He left his throne and Talas.
He crossed the Zhaik and Besh-Buka,
And in that land, where Andijan is,
There, where fields, gardens, and meadows lie,
He met an old man with gray hair.
— They call me Bobo-dyikan,
In your language — father of farmers.
I recognized you, Khan Manas!
You saved your people from death,
Brought freedom and peace.
Now, son, come with me.
Do you remember what Aloo-ke said,
That in the world, the one who survives
Is the one who takes or kills?
But there is another path to wealth
And that is the labor of a farmer!
And the sons of God
Can have riches without war,—
Said the old man to Manas.
And suddenly, two oxen with a single plow
Appeared at that very moment.
And the noble Manas began to plow,
In the tilled earth,
He started to throw handfuls of seeds.
The Almighty God Koke-Tengir
Watered the field with tears.
From the very bristles of the earth
Green shoots began to sprout,
And the ears began to sway.
— By your labor, you have proven, Manas,
That one can live without war.
Take the entire harvest for yourself!
And do not forget my command! —
Said Bobo and vanished from sight.

In the valleys of rivers, on the slopes of mountains,
Among the Kalmyks and Mongols
Lived the khan of the Onguts, Kabacha.
And on those vast plains grazed
His countless herds.
And the horse Chubak
Does not let you catch him in a gallop,
But if you try to chase him,
It is useless to run away.
And if Chubak is ahead,
Consider the enemy defeated.
And if Chubak is behind,
Then the rear is strong and reliable.
Chubak was a support and a true friend
To Manas since his youth.
And next to him was the daring Syrgak,
The youngest in the company.
Neither sleep nor rest in battles
Is known to the valiant Syrgak.
He is brave and quick on his feet,
And if he takes up a spear,
No one will escape death.
Broad-shouldered and stocky,
He fights, unafraid of death.
With a kind smile on his lips,
Syrgak rode up to Manas.
And beside him was the hero Bakay,
With a clear and great mind,
Rich and sharp-tongued,
He can convince anyone,
Calm any crowd,
Foresee in advance
What will happen the next day.
Like a sharp eye, in the dark of night
He led the company.
When he goes ahead,
Expect luck and victory.
And if Bakay is behind,
The defense is strong, just know that!
In peaceful life and in battle,
With his wise counsel and mind,
He was a strong shield for Manas.
And Bakay can scold his younger brother for his deeds —
He would not dare to argue.
When the company and the old man Kyrgyl approached Manas,
In anger, er-Bakay asked:
— Tell us, my nephew,
How do you assess your deed?
Leaving the camp and your throne,
Like a woman abandoning her home,
You secretly fled from Talas!
Praise and honor to you, my brother,
That by your labor you have acquired
A brave and good horse.
But you are not a farmer! You are a warrior!
Defender of the holy homeland!
And this duty, Manas,
Is appointed to you by God and fate!
You swore to the land that
You would protect your kin
With a steel sword and shield,
And not with a hoe and sickle!
In your offense against your old father
You decided to betray your oath —
Such a thing does not suit you!
Good will come, then go away,
New will come in its place!
But if the lands, where good
Increased and grew over the years,
Go to other hands again,
The invaders will not bring us
Good and livestock in their hands!
No one will give us land,
Remember this, brother Manas!
And forty warriors-choro
Silently looked at him.
Manas, with a bowed head,
Said not a word in response.
Well, then, waving his hand,
He involuntarily bared his teeth,
His embarrassed face
Illuminated by a kind smile.
And then, like a mighty hurricane,
Laughter spread across the mountains.
From the laughter, the forty choro
Almost deafened the livestock around.
Old Kyrgyl, laughing to tears,
Almost tore his belly,
He immediately, untied the pot,
Poured kumys for the heroes.
And each, approaching the leader,
Hugged him tightly,
And he, deeply touched,
Embraced and kissed them,
With a huge paw, like a bear,
He shyly wiped his tears.

The Epic of "Manas". A tale of how the Afghan Khan Shoruk was defeated by the Kyrgyz