Epic "Manas". The Great Campaign. The Wounding of Manas and the Return of the Kyrgyz to Talas. Part 2

The Great Campaign. The Wounding of Manas and the Return of the Kyrgyz to Talas. Part-2

Meanwhile, Konurbay was plotting something sinister. He was relentlessly thinking of a plan to kill Manas. He could not sleep at night, nor find peace during the day because of this thought.

Manas' palace was guarded by forty choro and Kyrgyl. They drove away anyone who approached him with words, if someone understood their language, or with the point of spears and the edge of swords, if someone did not know the language.

Konurbay could not come up with anything for a long time and was already despairing of finding a way to penetrate to Manas, but finally he devised a plan. He magically transformed a cunning balban into a duvana, placed him on a bald donkey, gave him a pilgrim's staff, and sent him to Manas' camp. The false duvana infiltrated the Chinese Shiykuchuu, who pretended to be a Muslim and, being a cook, prepared food for Manas. Shiykuchuu detailed everything concerning Manas' life in a secret letter to Konurbay, baked it into bread, and handed it to the duvana. The letter stated:

- Manas can never be defeated in battle. Every day he rises at dawn, steps barefoot out of the doors, cries the azan, and performs namaz. At this time, one can catch a convenient moment to attack him.

After reading the letter, Konurbay himself approached Manas' camp, but for several days could not penetrate it. One night, taking up arms and mounting Alghara, he quietly stepped along a secret path known only to him.

Before dawn, he reached the palace gates and saw that the old man Kyrgyl, who was guarding them, had just dozed off. He silently passed through the gates and saw that in the garden, under a sprawling chinar tree, Azhybay was sleeping standing up, having planted his spear in the ground, leaning against the horse Kartkurena.

Meanwhile, Manas came out and, unsuspecting, began to perform namaz. Konurbay suddenly crept up and struck Manas on the head with an ak balta, soaked in the poison of adzhidara.

The awakened Azhybay hurled a spear at Konurbay and broke two of his ribs, but Konurbay quickly jumped onto the winged Alghara, flew over the high fence of the palace, and joined his forty tor, who were waiting for him in the vicinity of the palace. Almambet, Chubak, and Syrgak chased after him, killed all forty tor, but did not catch Konurbay himself.

A great misfortune descended upon the Kyrgyz army.

Almambet treated the bleeding, unconscious Er-Manas with various medicines that he had brought with him when he fled from China. By applying the medicines, he managed to remove the poison that had spread throughout Manas' body.

A few days later, Manas began to recover.

But he had lost so much blood that he could not regain his former strength. Then Almambet decided to send Manas to Talas with a few companions.

Manas set out on the journey, but on the way he pondered:

- Why am I returning to Talas now? Will not a bad reputation spread about me throughout the world, that after being wounded I was frightened and went home?

And thinking this way, he turned back.

Meanwhile, after Manas' departure, Chubak was raised to khan in the Beidzhin palace, and everyone continued to live there as before.

And Konurbay arrived at Kara-khan and began to boast to all the Chinese that he had killed Manas.

Then an innumerable army of Chinese attacked the Kyrgyz, and the second great campaign began.

In the duel, Kalday came from Konurbay's side, and from Almambet-Baichoro's side, Baichoro began to unseat Kadday from his horse, but at that moment the balban Kzhyo-kulyuk attacked him, riding a mule that he was whipping with a whip. Seeing this, Syrgak rushed at Dyo-kulyuk from the side and knocked him off the mule, then charged at Kalday and, pulling him from his horse, killed him with a sword. A general battle began. Almambet began, as usual, to speak about the weather.

The sky quickly covered with clouds,
The peak of the earth was engulfed in darkness,
Hail began to fall on the foothills,
Torrential rains poured down the riverbanks,
The moon barely flickered,
The sun was eclipsed, twilight descended,
The summer day turned into winter.
The Chinese in their light clothing,
Frozen from the cold,
Almambet made them weep bitterly.
Almambet and Chubak, one after the other,
Next to them was Er-Syrgak
Together they entered the battle.
Into the thick of it, Almambet
Charged, slashing right and left.
To his side, Er-Syrgak
Knocked down enemies and threw them to the ground with powerful blows.
Against the opposing enemies
The proud eagle Chubak tore in rage.

The army of the Chinese was stained with red blood. How many times the heroes forced the Chinese army to retreat with a swift assault, how many times it seemed that the enemy was defeated, but Konurbay cherished the hope that if the battle lasted longer than six months, then the heroes of Manas, as predicted, would meet their end. Hoping for this, he repeatedly added reinforcements, again sent troops into battle, and again a terrible fight erupted.

Almambet and Syrgak knocked Konur off his horse several times in battle, but each time he managed to escape. Konurbay also knocked Chubak, Kyochkyo, and Muzburchak off their horses more than once, but they were saved by Syrgak and Almambet. The battle dragged on for a long time. The fight was in the scorching desert, where there was not a blade of grass for the horses to nibble on, nor a drop of water to quench their thirst.

Almambet's army opened the carrying bags that Kanakei had loaded onto the swift-footed camels. They contained supplies of food for emergencies, both for people and for horses.

In the battle, Syrgak showed such boundless courage and bravery that Konurbay said of him:

- This hero surpassed Manas himself. If we do not capture him, our cause will fail.

And he tried several times to pierce him with a spear.

The Chinese marksman Akayar shot Bokmurun, and he, in turn, was killed by Almambet. Each time the Chinese army seemed to be exhausted, new reinforcements arrived, and again the Chinese launched an offensive against the weary Kyrgyz army.

Exhausted from days of battles, Almambet once said to Syrgak:

- In great Beidzhin, which even Hazret did not reach,
Which we wanted to conquer completely,
Shall we be destroyed?
Shall we bleed to death?
Having received countless wounds
From the vast army that we cannot defeat,
Have we brought misfortune upon ourselves?
Turning our faces to Beidzhin,
Separated from our eagles,
For this newly arrived army
Is just one of a thousand such armies.
Syrgak responded to Almambet's words:
- Do not block my path, Alma,
Do not hold back my army, Alma!
Against the Chinese attacking us,
I will swiftly charge with my spear.

From the hell that is terrible with its curse,
I will free my soul.
If death from the Chinese is destined for me,
Then I will perish fighting.
As long as my soul lives, no bigger than a fly,
I will chop down the Chinese of great Beidzhin
Both right and left.
Not having defeated the Chinese,
How can I see Talas?
Konurbay, son of Alooke,
Without sparing my strength, I will pursue.
Catching the moment, I will strike this Kalchu
On his crimson neck.
If he falls into my hands
I will sacrifice him.
Until I spill the blood of Konurbay,
How can I turn back?

The battle dragged on terribly. The forty choro of Manas decided to send their army, exhausted to the brink in fierce battles, back to Talas, while they continued to fight for a few more days in the scorching steppe of Itelbes. They donned the clothes prepared by Kanakei, which eased their suffering. In this battle, Almambet again spoke about the weather.

In the fight, the Chinese giants Tikenalp and Kyundzhandzhun were killed.

After some time, Almambet, Chubak, and Syrgak sent both the forty choro and the remaining three of them to Talas, and fought in turns. Chubak fought with the huge Chinese army for seven days, destroying many Chinese, but after receiving seventy wounds, he finally left the battle.

Then Almambet entered the fight. Alone, he fought for nine days and only left the battle when ninety-six wounds began to bleed.

Finally, Syrgak entered the fight; he fought for many days and received many wounds.

It seemed that the Chinese army was exterminated, but suddenly countless reinforcements arrived again. Seeing this, Almambet said to Chubak and Syrgak:

- If we stay any longer, then from Beidzhin
None of us will return alive.
Think about it, you two lions!
Muzburchak and Kyochkyo, brave men, are not with us,
To charge into battle with a fierce cry.
Not considering this a disgrace, my lions,
Let us turn our horses around!
If our aykel Manas were with us,
He would be our support.
Against the countless Chinese army
We could again enter into battle.

- No matter how many Chinese we destroy, we cannot wipe them out completely. Therefore, it is better for us to return quickly and see the face of Manas. If our strength allows, we will rush through the Jalgysatin gorge, which is located in the Jarkiya area near Janaryk, and we will fight, locking them in a narrow pass. If Konurbay ever falls into our hands, it will only be there, - he concluded.

As soon as the tight veil of night fell, the three of them set off on the way back.

And Konurbay, learning of this, ordered his troops:

- Let us chase the Kyrgyz all the way to Mecca.

Placing a thousand balbans at the head of the countless army, he set off in pursuit. Almambet, Chubak, and Syrgak repelled the advance parties of the Chinese, who sometimes caught up with them. Finally, the heroes managed to reunite with their army.

Manas, at that time again at the head of the army, arranged his camp and awaited the brave ones. Seeing them, he moved to meet them and said:

The red banner on my syrnayze,
My kyraan, my mountain eagle Almambet!
A gift that I received from China!
My only Chubak, my priceless,
Always kept in my memory!
My snow-white falcon, whom I miss,
My faithful Syrgak,
My constant companions in battles!
You three, my twins,
Whatever you wish, I will fulfill.
Morning stars on my forehead,
Are you alive, are you healthy?

In the morning, a new fierce battle began with the approaching Chinese army. In Manas' army, Kyochkyo and Muzburchak were wounded. Almambet wounded Konurbay, and he fled the battlefield. The forty choro, Alma, Chubak, and Syrgak again repelled the Chinese army and drove it back.

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