A painting depicting Gesar by Nicholas Roerich.
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Epic of King Gesar
Concerning the fearless king Gesar (Geser), who ruled the legendary Kingdom of Ling
Gal Nurma Khan (Part 1)
The Fourth Branch
Gal Nurma Khan (Part 1)
In the heart of the golden earth,
A place of eternal peace,
In the center of the world,
A place of joy and prosperity,
Where a hundred thousand horses graze in the north
Where countless tens of thousands of cattle graze in the south,
Where people ate three satisfying meals a day,
Where people celebrated three festivals a year,
Was the kingdom of Ganga Bured Khan.
These fortunate people,
Who had never known the hostility of an evil enemy,
This bright land,
Which had never known the blast of a cold harsh wind,
Where the plants grew in the warmth of the sun,
Where clear water ran [...] Continue Reading…
The Third Branch – Arhan Hara Shutger
The Third Branch
Arhan Hara Shutger
Born from the head of the leader of the
Forty four tenger of the east, Atai Ulaan Tenger,
Having been cast down from the sky,
Coming from the serene heavens
Toward the broad earth,
It stood exactly halfway between heaven and earth.
As if hung by a cord from the heavens,
As if supported from the earth below.
Lacking the power to go up,
Having no desire to go down,
This magical creature,
This being of sorcerous power,
Became the monster Arhan Hara Shutger,
Shouting curses up to the heavens,
Yelling imprecations down at the earth,
Croaking like a black raven,
Soaring like a grey falcon,
Casting up dust toward the sky,
Covering [...] Continue Reading…
Geser Comes Down to Earth (Part 3)
The Second Branch
Geser Comes Down to Earth (Part 3)
After this had happened,
Nyuhata Nyurgai rode his mousy brown colt,
Strapping on his tiny bow and quiver
He rode about randomly,
Riding fast,
Riding mightily,
Going at a quick pace,
He galloped about his homeland.
When he came to one valley
He saw his brother Altan Shagai.
He was picking up a hammer
Weighing 1400 pounds,
Hoisting it up toward the sky.
Nyuhata Nyurgai came and stood by his side,
He asked Altan Shagai:
“What are you doing in such a far-away place?”
His brother replied:
“I did not come here to be far away.
I am practicing my strength
For the contest of Shaazgai Bayan Khan,
So I may [...] Continue Reading…
Geser Comes Down to Earth (Part 2)
The Second Branch
Geser Comes Down to Earth (Part 2)
When the yellow sun rose the next morning,
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Gave his son Altan Shagai a cup of tea to drink.
He seated his in front of him
On an unbroken four year old ox.
Thus he traveled off to test his son.
They came to a taiga with tens of thousands of trees,
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Asked his son a question to test him:
“What would you build with this fine wood?”
The boy Altan Shagai,
Being naive and innocent, said,
“This would be fine wood to build a temple!”
They went on further to a level open plain.
Benevolent Sargal [...] Continue Reading…
Geser Comes Down to Earth (Part 1)
The Second Branch
Geser Comes Down to Earth (Part 1)
The evil beings that developed from the body of Atai Ulaan
Spreading death and suffering upon the earth,
With noses as big as stove pipes,
Two lines of snot running from their nostrils,
With black kettles full of tarry food,
Eating disgusting black food,
Having soleless boots,
Topless hats,
Tailless horses,
Bodies that cast no shadow,
Nine hundred evil spirits,
Ninety black demons,
Went three times around the world,
Trotting around the earth three times,
Throwing the fortunes of the people of the
Three Tugshen khans into confusion,
Turning their destiny into disorder,
Wreaking destruction upon their land,
Plants dried up from their roots upward,
Waters dried up at their [...] Continue Reading…
Conclusion of the First Branch
Conclusion of the First Branch
The War among the Tenger
This having happened,
The red middle son of Atai Ulaan Tenger,
Shara Hasar Buhe,
His older brother having been dispatched so easily,
Thrown down to earth so disrespectfully,
Anger and hate boiled in his heart.
The black hairs on the crown of his head stood up,
The white teeth in his mouth gnashed together.
Many white gods were making a great noise,
Ten thousand white tenger were clamoring together.
Shara Hasar Buhe
Became as strong as a moose,
He became as dark as an eagle.
He grabbed the throat of Zasa Mergen Baatar.
They flew at each other like battling birds,
They tore at each other [...] Continue Reading…
Abai Geser: The First Branch
Abai Geser: The First Branch
The War among the Tenger
In the earliest of early times,
In the most ancient of periods,
In the first of first times,
In the time of the beginning;
When the highest bright heaven
Was swirling with fog,
When the earth below
Was covered with dirt and dust;
When the grass had not yet begun to grow,
When the broad long rivers had not begun to flow,
When the great Milk Sea was but a small puddle,
When the world mountain Humber Ula was a hillock,
When the sandalwood tree at the forest?s edge
Had not yet put out branches,
When the greyish deer was but a fawn;
When the giant [...] Continue Reading…