Epic "Manas". The Great Campaign. The Wounding of Manas and the Return of the Kyrgyz to Talas. Part 1

The Great Campaign. The Wounding of Manas and the Return of the Kyrgyz to Talas.

Manas imposed a heavy tribute on Beidzhin. Meanwhile, Konurbai fled to the farthest Beidzhin to Karakhan and told him about the defeat that Manas inflicted on them.

- This spawn, the villain Manas, will not leave us alive, - he concluded his story and wept.

Then Karakhan stood up and said:

- You are right; among the forty gates of Beidzhin, you have not seen one gate that bears the inscription: "No one in the world can defeat the Chinese of Beidzhin. Only the hero Manas will take Beidzhin and rule there for six months." Therefore, for now, we must do everything that Manas asks, we must fulfill all his commands.

Having said this, Karakhan summoned all the blacksmiths from the farthest Beidzhin. He commanded them to forge a sword from sharp steel, temper it in the poisonous bile of the ajidara, and present it to Konurbai.

At this time, Bakai and Koshoy placed Shuutu on a camel and sent him as a messenger to Talas to inform the people about the successful conclusion of the campaign and that Manas had taken the khan's throne in Beidzhin.

Shuutu arrived in Talas and reported:

- The renowned Chinese of Beidzhin
We have brought down to our feet,
We have destroyed their homes.
In Beidzhin, where even the foot of a prophet did not tread,
We entered first and opened the way there.
In Beidzhin, which no one has touched,
We entered and laid our hands upon it.
And beyond what we laid our hands upon,
We captured a huge bounty.
We obtained gold loaded on elephants,
We obtained a thousand black-eyed beauties.
In Beidzhin, where even Iskander did not enter,
In Beidzhin, which even the waters of the flood did not reach,
We destroyed all the houses.
We filled the sky and the earth with thunder.
Long searching and finally finding the Chinese,
We destroyed, annihilated, and tore them to shreds.
We made the son of Manas the khan of Beidzhin.
Placing a golden crown upon him,
We seated him on a golden throne.

Thus he proclaimed upon arriving in Talas. Hearing his words, Kanykey trembled as if in fever and sorrowfully exclaimed:

- You said he rules Beidzhin, which means he is in trouble! It would have been better if you said he is suffering! You say he has ascended to the golden throne: that means he has risen to his doom!

And she, grieving that Manas remained in Beidzhin, began to lament:

- There is no child left from him, all his relatives are hostile to us; it would have been better if he had not stayed in Beidzhin! What if misfortune befalls him? What will happen to his native land and his people?

That night, Kanykey had a dream that a terrible fire broke out in Talas, all the hills collapsed, all the lakes and rivers dried up, and all the chinars and other trees withered.

In the morning, Kanykey woke up in tears and handed Shuutu a letter the size of a palm. She gave him six steeds led by Baibuurul and, asking Jakyp to bless the traveler, said:

- In Beidzhin, where even the saints did not enter,
He will die if he remains carelessly.
My noble, my lion, my son,
When will he return to his homeland?
In Beidzhin, which even the waters of the flood did not reach.
If he stays too long, he will perish.
My eagle, my sultan, my tiger.
When will he see his unfortunate one?
Thus lamenting, she sent Shuutu back.

Aruuke, the wife of Almambet, asked to convey to her husband that she would soon give birth and sent him her scarf as a pledge.

Many days and nights Shuutu rode and finally reached Beidzhin. Meanwhile, Konurbai learned through magic about Kanykey's letter to Manas and, fearing that he might think of returning to Talas upon receiving it, decided to intercept and destroy this letter. For this purpose, he sent a woman - an ayara. With cunning intent, she went to meet Shuutu, and Konurbai himself went out with her. Seeing them, Shuutu was frightened and fled on his Taiyburul.

Taiyburul, that was beneath him,
Rushed forth like a vague silhouette,
Like a ghost racing through the air.
The black earth beneath his hooves
Turned inside out.
The peak of the earth swayed in the haze,
Four hooves of the horse thundered,
It was not visible where he was,
As if he did not even touch the ground.
Taiyburul flew like an arrow.
The earth beneath his hooves
Turned inside out like a hearth pit.
The sound of his black hooves
Turned stones into dust.
The earth flew from his hooves like fluff.
Sometimes appearing here, sometimes there,
He flashed but was not constantly visible to the eyes
And seemed like some cloud.
For a whole verst ahead
Distancing from the herd of Algara,
He galloped away, curling up like a ball.
His trot cannot be caught even by the wind.
Swift, it seems, is the pace of Taiyburul,
No creature can catch him.
Clearly, a special horse is Taiyburul!

But Konurbai still caught up with Shuutu, and when he swung his spear, Shuutu sharply turned his horse and rode into the waters of Karasuu. But at that moment Shuutu's bag opened, and Kanykey's letter was washed away by the water, floating away on the waves of the river.

At that time, Almambet, fearing that Konurbai might accidentally encounter Shuutu returning from Talas and capture him, saddled Saralu and rode out to meet them. Seeing that Konurbai was chasing Shuutu, he rushed towards them. Even from a distance, seeing Almambet, Konurbai was frightened, turned his horse, and fled back. He made Algara jump over a high mound and there escaped from the pursuit. Almambet approached Shuutu and greeted him:

- Are you well, salam aleikum,
Neat hero Shuutu!
Does the sweet-sounding cuckoo sing its songs on the willow?
Does the sweet-voiced nightingale scatter its trills?
The tamarisk Kenkol and the wide Talas,
Your native lands, are they prosperous?
Does your thriving people,
Where the Nogais, Argyns, and Kyrgyz mix,
Live happily and prosperously?

Thus Almambet began to inquire of Shuutu about the land, the people, Kanykey, and Aruuke. Shuutu reported that the people live well, that Kanykey and Aruuke are healthy, and that Aruuke has been waiting for the onset of labor since the day of her pregnancy. Almambet was very pleased with this news and wanted to immediately slaughter Saralu for a sacrifice, but Azhybai, sent by Manas, arrived leading Karata, the horse of Kalkaman, and instead of Saralu, they slaughtered him.

Shuutu conveyed to Manas Kanykey's request not to remain in Beidzhin but to return to Talas as soon as possible, but Manas replied with annoyance:

- Having embarked on such a distant campaign, having traveled such distances, can one leave Beidzhin without having been a khan there for at least three years? Can one leave Beidzhin just because his wife remained in Talas? If the appointed time comes, one can die even lying at home. To this, Shuutu did not dare to say anything more.

Manas commanded to summon the khans who were serving as governors in seven places - Koshoy, Tyoshtyuk, Muzburchak, Kyokche, Urbyu, Chubak, Bakai - and addressed them with the following speech:

- My advisors! I forcibly led many of you into the campaign, saying: whoever complains about the horse - I will slaughter the horse, whoever complains about himself - I will slay him. Now, whoever longs for his people and native land may return; I do not hold anyone back, return!

- In old age, can one tear oneself away from the native land? - thought Koshoy.

- I have wandered too much on the earth, my body has turned blue, I have no more than a spoonful of blood left, and I have become too weak to live in a foreign land, - thought Tyoshtyuk.

And both of them returned to Talas with rich spoils. The wise Bakai also rode back with his army to support Manas's wives in Talas. He took with him the last wife of Chubak, Birmskal, and the last wife of Almambet, Burulchu, along with countless slaves and rich spoils.

The remaining heroes stayed in Beidzhin, imposed a heavy tribute on the Chinese, and enjoyed life. Their food was oguzki and backfat, their drink - kumys and honey. Their pastime was games in ordo; while entertaining themselves, they rode on elegant pace horses.

Epic "Manas". The Great Campaign against China. Part - 2