The Tale of Manas. The Great Campaign. Departure for the Campaign. Part - 1

The Great Campaign. The Start of the Campaign.

At the appointed time set by Manas, after forty days, an army began to gather from all sides: from Altyshaar came Jamgyrchy with a seven-hundred-thousand strong army, from Khotan - Tyoshtyuk with a hundred-thousand strong army, from Kemina - Urby with a two-hundred-thousand strong army, from Sarnarka - Kökche with a million-strong army, from Samarkand - Synchibek with a nine-hundred-thousand strong army, from Bukhara - Muzburchak with a two-hundred-thousand strong army. All the khans dismounted and, bowing low, expressed their complete submission to Manas. Only Tyoshtyuk, son of Eleman, greeted Manas while sitting on his horse. The forty choro divided among themselves the six khans and their brothers to honor them, and only for ten choro there were not enough guests.

In the morning, Manas ordered to erect his throne in the steppe. Warriors lined up on both sides of him. Kankor called the six khans and said to them:

- You could have peacefully roamed the vast jailoo! But no! You have initiated an unworthy quarrel. Now I can take revenge on you for this and turn you into road dust. You have come to me, gathering a huge army, with such a countless number of people. I have long yearned for the battlefield, for the roar and noise of battle.

Khans! May the roads be open to you.
I gave you peace - you have violated it.
For a long time, you have not reconciled,
You have not left your discord.
And now, what do you have in mind?
What thoughts trouble you?
If I unleash my wrath upon you,
You will perish immediately, khans!
My name is Manas,
My glory has risen above the world.
There is no enemy I cannot overcome.
I have drunk much blood, but I am not satiated.
I have driven out the Afghans from the ravines.
Is there anyone who has proven too strong for me?
Has anyone defeated me?
I have triumphed over the Khivans in battle,
I have made the Afghans my servants,
Will the Chinese remain untouched,
Who imagine themselves invincible?
I have already defeated many kin in the ravine, Kalchi,
How many of them have met their doom!
When the enemy tried to impose their hand upon us,
They exhausted themselves from the strain,
They grew weary sending arrows against us.
I have subdued many Mongols and Kapgaes.
Since you have arrived in such numbers,
I have decided to move against Chinmachin and Kakan
To dispel my sorrow.
O you, armed khans,
Shall I share my innermost secret with you?
Khans, you must know,
In which direction we will march.
In all directions, where the hooves of our horses have reached,
Where we have marched against the enemy,
Everywhere the enemy has been defeated.
Where the traces of our horses remain,
No resisting enemy remains.
I often recall and ponder,
Where are the enemies we have not touched?
In Manguv, Sayan and Kakan
The domain of Bakburchun remains untouched:
There the hoof of Akkula has not yet reached,
There the bullet of akkelte has not yet flown,
There the arrow of death has not yet arrived,
There people have not yet donned the garments of death.
Only there remains an unbroken enemy.
China remains unavenged.
Let us raise the battle cry!
At the black mountains of Kaspana,
At the gates of multi-roofed Beijina,
In the area of Chontabylyg,
Tying his black steed there,
He arms himself as soon as he learns of the enemy's movement:
He is the younger brother of sixty Jaisans,
He is the younger son of Alloke-khan,
He is the offspring of the wicked Kaldai,
He is the hero of China, Konurbai.
He mounts his Algara,
Puts on golden armor, takes a gray-blue spear in his hands,
Unfurls his colorful banners.
Here I am thinking of going against Khan Konur,
Here I am thinking of launching a kazat.
You have come with a formidable army,
What do you think, should we initiate a kazat?
Listen, my people, to my word!
We must march against populous China, -
What do you think about this?
We will seize rich spoils in China,
And enrich our cripples, orphans, and widows, -
What do you think about this?
Armed, we will move there and bring back gold, -
What do you think about this?
All our single gallants
Will choose Chinese women as their wives, -
What do you think about this?
After hearing Manas's words, all the khans placed their hands on their heads in agreement, and their approving exclamations were heard:

- Wherever you go, we will follow, lead us!

The approving roar dispelled the last remnants of anger in Manas, and he suggested they choose a commander from among themselves.

Each of the khans was afraid that he would be chosen, and remained silent. Then Manas said again:

When he mounts his battle horse, he, who brings luck,
Cannot be counted among the enemies he has defeated.
He goes out to campaign alone,
His bed is bayan-dos,
If an entire army passes over him,
He does not wake, so powerful is he.
If he charges at enemy troops - his hand is merciless.
It leaves behind a sea of blood.
Everything he possesses is as valuable as jamby,
He is old, but his forehead is not wrinkled.
He is old, but his cheeks are not sagging.
He has erected a mighty edifice.
He has raised from a lion - Manas
A true ruler and lord,
He is his confidant in the heaviest sorrows,
He is his advisor in the most difficult matters,
He always finds a word of comfort,
He always finds a way in impenetrable darkness.

- What if we raise Abake Bakai as khan? - Manas concluded his speech. Everyone who listened agreed with him. And they proclaimed Bakai the commander of the army.

Then Manas asked again:

- Who has roamed the steppes for long nights,
Who has crossed in impenetrable darkness over the Irtysh and Orkhon,
Who has met people and beasts in those valleys,
Who has seen the birds there,
Who has been there in both heat and cold,
Who has struck the oars on the waters of those lakes,
Who has driven away the horses of Beijina,
Who has passed the Great Wall of China,
Which stretches for six months' journey in length? -

No one stepped forward to these words, except for Almambet, who stepped forward and said:

- I have seen all this, I have experienced all this, I have been there many times!

And then everyone chose him as the guide of the army.

The Tale of Manas. The Great Campaign. The Conspiracy of the Six Khans