Gal Nurma Khan (Part 1) Epic of King Gesar

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 in streams like silk.

In that long ago time,
The plants grew dry from the roots,
Springs grow dry at their source,
The warm yellow sun was shrouded in darkness,
The nourishing gentle rain stopped falling.
Illness and disease spread among the people,
Plague and anthrax decimated the animals.
The people of the north started dying off,
The people of the south started disappearing.
Every day a thousand people were lost,
Every night a thousand animals passed away…

When this had happened,
The ruler of that land,
Ganga Bured Khan,
Became very surprised,
He was most astounded, and asked:
“Is this something willed by Father Heaven?
Is this something sent by Mother Earth?”
He thought with the full powers of his mind,
He spoke many words to himself.
Taking on the mind of a wolf,
Taking on a heart of stone,
He struck his golden drum,
Calling the people from the north,
He hit his silver drum,
Gathering the people from the south.
The blind came walking with someone to guide them,
The lame were brought in on stretchers.
Ganga Bured Khan,
Who had a nine-sided house with nine bright doors,
With ninety nine windows,
That was as white as the stars,
Opened his massive pearly door in a beautiful way,
He crossed his great granite threshold in a pure way,
Going down the silver steps that could be
run over by a mare with a foal,
Going down the silver walkway that could be
galloped on by a mare with a colt,
Walking without stumbling
He came to greet his people.
This having happened,
The people and animals said to him:
“Is this something willed by Father Heaven?
Is this something sent by Mother Earth?
From an ugly looking land,
From a poor and meager country,
Dried up, withered and full of grief,
From a place of three marshy rivers,
From a place of slippery slopes,
From a land of evil spirits and demons,
From a scorching hot land,
From a dark sunless land,
Came a being with a hundred thousand eyes on his back,
Countless tens of thousand of eyes on his chest,
With a huge round eye on his crown,
With a single fang in his mouth,
With the ability to change himself into two thousand forms,
With the ability to shift himself into a thousand and three shapes,
Burning like fire,
Blazing like flame,
Gal Nurman Khan began to yell and cry!
Setting the surface of the earth on fire!
Covering the lovely lands with poisonous fog,
People and animals are suffering from illness and disease.
This having happened what are we going to do?
How can we respond to this terrible enemy?”
When they looked up they were crying,
When they looked down there were crestfallen…
When they were talking about these things,
No prince or minister has any advice to give…
After this had happened,
A man who could walk under a person’s arm,
Short enough to walk between someone’s legs,
A dwarf only six spans high,
With a beard six spans long,
With a head of white hair,
With a hat of fluffy mink fur,
A brownish old man,
Came and stood before the princes and ministers,
He began to speak very meaningful words:
“O my people, my princes and ministers,
Listen to the words that I have to say!
This thing that has happened,
This thing we are talking about,
Is not from Father Heaven,
It is not from Mother Earth,
It comes from the forty four tenger of the east,
Who are enemies to the living things
Put here on earth by Esege Malaan Tenger,
By the destiny of Han Hormasta Tenger,
And by the fifty five tenger of the west!
Born from the neck of Atai Ulaan Tenger,
A poisonous and hateful being goes about!
This Gal Nurman Khan
Who has gone on the warpath,
Who has come to burn up the face of the earth,
Who wants to consume humans and animals,
He is born to kill young and old alike!
He who came down to restore order for the three Tugshen khans,
He who brought back their fortunes and happiness,
He who was sent on a mission from the fifty five tenger,
He who was sent by the destiny of the five wise gods,
He who came to suppress and kill evil enemies,
He who came to restore life and happiness,
The red middle son of Han Hormasta Tenger,
Bukhe Beligte Baatar,
Was incarnated as the hero Abai Geser!
Geser who lives by the eternal yellow lake,
Whose herds graze by the river Muren,
Who has a lofty mountain at the source of the Hatan River,
Who has three beautiful queens,
Three princes as uncles,
Thirty three warriors,
Three hundred leaders of his army,
And three thousand soldiers,
Such as man has come down to earth!”
Thus the old man explained his thoughts.
The princes, ministers, and peoples,
Thinking of the words of the brown old man,
Approved of them and said:
“Mountains are tall,
Rivers are long,
Whose able son,
Whose worthy hero,
Shall be sent
To meet Abai Geser?”

This dwarf six spans high,
With a beard six spans long,
This wizened old man said:
“By the warmth of the gulamta,
By the broadness of the rivers,
Among the living things,
There is a boy who is worthy,
Among the herds,
There is a steed to show the way.
You must have tests to find him,
You must have a way to select him.
Selecting a thousand from ten thousand,
Selecting a hundred from a thousand,
Selecting ten from a hundred,
Selecting one from ten,
You will find the warrior fit for the task!
In the same way select his steed
From among the herds!”
Thus he commanded,
The people following the words of the old man,
Selecting from among the many,
Picked Zoodoi Mergen Baatar.
From among the many herds,
They selected a bob-tailed dappled horse.

The lord of that land,
Ganga Bured Khan,
Preparing Zoodoi Mergen Baatar quickly,
Preparing the bob-tailed dappled horse well,
Preparing the horse for the long journey,
Gathering up food for the long road,
He prepared a hundred and twenty carts
Loaded with food and supplies.
Twelve men were to be his companions,
Thus the khan said:
“Let us call you Zoodoi Mergen Baatar
Of the hundred and twenty carts!”
Having been given this nickname,
Having gotten this reputation,
Zoodoi Mergen Baatar,
Who had been chosen by the people,
Had his mouth anointed with spider oil,
So he would not hunger for ten years,
His nose was anointed with worm oil,
So he would not hunger for twenty years.
Followed by his hundred and twenty carts,
Zoodoi Mergen Baatar rode off on his mission.

Zoodoi Mergen Baatar,
Pulling the right rein of the dappled bob-tail horse,
Galloping across thirteen hills,
Led the way.
Bending back twenty three hills,
He jumped ahead on the distant journey.
Coming to one muddy place in the road
The thrush was singing to the months of summer;
He opened up the breast of his fur-lined deel
As he trotted along on his journey.
Coming to a white snowy place in the road
The magpie was singing to the months of winter;
He pushed down his foxfur hat,
As he galloped along on his journey.
Turning the distance of three years’ travel
Into the journey of three months;
Turning the distance of three months’ travel
Into the journey of three days;
He went with all his might,
He sped toward his destination.

This having happened,
Zoodoi Mergen said to his companions:
“Having fed your animals on the best grass,
Having drank the clear water of the spring,
Go back to your homes,
Go back to your homeland!”
So he sent his party away
And he continued on alone.

So he traveled on by himself,
Even if the place was far he galloped on,
Even if the river was wide he crossed it.
Coming to the land of the eternal yellow lake,
He stopped at the place where the river Muren flowed.
He went on and ascended the sandy Manhan mountain.
Looking from the summit of the mountain
He could see the palace of Abai Geser,
Glittering white with the light of the stars,
Gleaming with the light of the moon.
Looking as if suspended from the heavens,
Looking as if supported by the earth,
Its lower parts shining with starlight,
Its upper part reflecting the constellations.

This having happened,
Zoodoi Mergen Baatar,
Who had been selected by the people,
Taking off the saddle from his bob-tailed dappled horse,
Dusting off his saddle blanket,
Kindled a great bonfire,
Bowing his lovely round head in worship,
Bending his handsome legs in prayer…

Geser got up in the middle of the night,
Looking three times around the earth,
Looking four times around the world,
He saw at the source of the Hatan river,
On the summit of the sandy mountain,
A great red bonfire was burning.
In the glow of the great fire
A single man was bowing again and again,
He was seen praying and worshipping.
When Geser had seen this,
He called the eldest white son of Buuluur Sagaan Tenger,
Buidan Ulaan Baatar,
Who was mindlessly snoring,
Who being roused from his sleep,
Came running to Abai Geser.

The hero Abai Geser said to Buidan Ulaan:
At the source of the Hatan River,
On the summit of the sandy Manhan mountain,
Who worships beside the great red fire?
If he is a bad and useless man,
Shoot him in the head
And bring him back on your horse!
If he is a good man,
And does not break down from fear,
Greet him warmly and invite him to come to me!”
With these words he sent Buidan Ulaan to the mountain,
The white eldest son of Buuluur Sagaan Tenger,
Buidan Ulaan Baatar,
Quickly preparing himself,
Wisely preparing his horse,
Girding on his silvery armor,
Putting on a helmet white as the stars,
Stepping into the stirrups
Of his fat yellow horse that was as brave as an eagle,
He swung into his fine silver saddle.

Climbing up to the source of the Hatan River,
Traveling swiftly and quickly,
Coming to the peak of the sandy Manhan mountain,
He trotted with the steps of a moose.
Soaring like an eagle,
Swooping down like a falcon,
He came to meet Zoodoi Mergen.

When he came to the summit of the mountain,
Zoodoi Mergen lay prostrate in worship:
“When the song of the arrowhead is whistling,
I follow the sound of the arrow.”
He was terribly afraid,
He was very terrified,
In his fear he forgot himself,
Bowing down and worshipping.
When Buidan Ulaan Baatar saw this
He was very surprised,
He was most astonished:
“I have not seen people that go below one’s foot,
I have not seen humans beneath one’s soles.
Who is your father,
Who is your mother?”
With his sleeve lined with sable he slapped his face,
With his sleeve lines with mink he hit his face.
Reviving Zoodoi Mergen Baatar to his true self,
His amin having returned he stood up and spoke.

Zoodoi Mergen Baatar who had been chosen
By the people of Ganga Bured Khan’s realm,
Recovering his courage and wits,
Spoke to the tall Buidan Ulaan Baatar:
“I am Zoodoi Mergen Baatar,
Who was selected from the subjects
Of Ganga Bured Khan.
Our people who had such good fortune,
Who never knew an evil or hateful enemy,
Who lived in a bright land
Never blasted by a harsh cold wind,
Where the plants grew in the warmth of the sun,
Where the streams ran clear like skeins of silk,
Suddenly the plants dried up from the roots,
The waters dried up at their source,
The bright yellow sun was obscured by darkness,
Illness and disease spread across the land,
The animals were decimated by plague and anthrax,
From the very beginning of the east,
From an ugly looking land,
From a poor and meager country,
Dried up, withered and full of grief,
From a place of three marshy rivers,
From a place of slippery slopes,
From a land of evil spirits and demons,
From a scorching hot land,
From a sunless land,
There came a monster with ten thousand eyes on his back,
With countless tens of thousands of eyes on his chest,
With a huge round eye on his crown,
With a single fang in his mouth,
With the ability to change himself into two thousand forms,
With the ability to shift himself into a thousand and three shapes,
Burning like fire,
Blazing like flame,
Gal Nurman Khan began yelling and crying.
Burning the surface of the earth,
Killing and consuming the people in the north,
He gathered up their horses and cattle,
Swallowing and eating the people in the south,
He stole their herds of horses and cattle.
I have come to speak with Abai Geser,
I am worshipping and begging
That he save us from this hateful evil enemy!”
Thus were the words of Zoodoi Mergen Baatar.

When he had heard this,
Buidan Ulaan Baatar said:
“For many years this hand has not fought an enemy,
For many days I have not defeated an enemy,
You come speaking fine and suitable words!”
He escorted Zoodoi Mergen Baatar
Back to Abai Geser’s home.
Zoodoi Mergen Baatar,
Who had been chosen by his people,
Entered into Abai Geser’s gate,
Tying the red reins of his steed
At the fine silver hitching post.

This having been done
He stripped off the saddle from his horse,
Spread out the saddle blanket on the ground
And was bowing and worshipping.
Buidan Ulaan Baatar went inside
To tell Abai Geser what had happened
Geser and his thirty three warriors,
Putting on their clothes,
Greeted and embraced Zoodoi Mergen Baatar.
Stretching out their long arms,
Speaking fine words,
Grasping the right arm they said strong words,
Grasping the left arm they said true words.
Bringing a golden table they served delicious food,
Bringing a silver table they served beautiful food.
Welcoming him as a guest
They served liquor and wine,
Taking him in a white ger
They killed and served a white sheep,
Taking him in a black ger
They killed and served a black sheep.

This having happened,
Geser opened his great book of fate with his thumb,
Reading it by the light of the moon;
He opened it with his fingers,
Reading it by the light of the sun…

Geser’s thirty three warriors,
All gathering together said:
“In the light of the day and night,
In the fortune of a year,
This opportunity coming into our hands,
This thing being opened up to us,
We have found a good cause,
We have found a way to distinguish ourselves!”
Thus building up the courage of Zoodoi Mergen
They brought him in to meet Abai Geser.

Zoodoi Mergen Baatar,
Who had been chosen by his people,
Coming to speak with Abai Geser,
Asking for a favor,
Expressing the wishes of his people,
Worshipping and praying,
Abai Geser said to him:
The people and animals living in your land
Are people and animals protected by my father’s destiny.”
Thus he promised to save them.

When Zoodoi Mergen Baatar
Was happy and rejoicing,
Geser continued to speak:
“According to the destiny dictated by my father,
The time to save you from Gal Nurman Khan is determined.
This time has not come,
I must do battle with him after nine years,
Before that time I am powerless to fight him,
If I go into battle with Gal Nurman Khan before then
My strength will not be enough to defeat him,
He has the ability to change himself into two thousand forms,
He has the ability to shift himself into a thousand and three shapes,
In his two hands he has the power of eight Nasarangi tenger,
In his feet he has the power of eight dragons,
In his chest he has the power of eight liquors.
He has sixty six warriors,
Six hundred leaders of his army,
Six thousand soldiers.
With these odds I cannot win,
Before the appointed time I cannot defeat him.
Compared to the mighty strength of Gal Nurman Khan
Before his power as a man
I am just a boy,
I will be mangled!
Before the power of his dappled grey,
My steed does not reach his tether,
In competing with him
My bay horse Beligen
Is like a colt,
It would be a bloodbath!
Until nine years have passed
Nothing can be done,
Before the proper time
I lack the power to fight him,
I lack the strength to battle him,
A connection cannot be made,
Rain is not allowed to fall,
Go back to the water you drink,
Go back to the land where you were born!”
Thus Abai Geser spoke to Zoodoi Mergen.

Abai Geser’s wife Alma Mergen,
Bringing out a gold table she served delicious food,
Bringing a silver table she honored him with beautiful food.
Pouring out liquor and wine
She entertained him as a guest.
Making him get drunk
She restored his confidence.
Zoodoi Mergen Baatar,
Who had been chosen by his people,
Being honored as a guest
At the home of Abai Geser,
Honored Geser as a khan,
Wished good health to his wife,
Saying that he wanted to go home,
Saying he wanted to go to his homeland,
Went outside to prepare to leave.

Geser’s thirty three warriors,
Gathering around him
Said to Zoodoi Mergen Baatar:
“Is our hero Abai Geser
Going to rescue your people?”
They asked him most urgently,
Zoodoi Mergen Baatar said to them:
“He says that the people and animals
Who live in my land
Are included in his father’s destiny.
The time to intervene
According to his father’s will
The time to do battle,
Has not yet come.
Before nine years have passed
He says he lacks the strength
To defeat our enemy.
So Abai Geser has sent me away.”
When they had heard these words,
Geser’s thirty three warriors’
Hearts began pounding in their chests,
Their mighty strong bodies
Were trembling and shaking,
They said: “If the people of his father’s will
Are being murdered and suppressed,
Abai Geser is obligated to rescue them!”
They brought him back inside,
Once more he left without success.

This poor disappointed man,
Leaving for the third time,
The thirty three warriors
Went in together, saying:
“Our hero Abai Geser,
You warrior with magic powers,
Will you not go to help
What Zoodoi Mergen has told you about?
Will you not restore the fortunes
Of the people and living things?
It is time to pick up spear and sword!
It is time to hang on bow and quiver!”
Thus they begged and bothered him.
Geser sent out his warriors,
They were grumbling and complaining,
Zoodoi Mergen Baatar,
Who was waiting outside,
Was sent back to his home.

This having happened,
Buidan Ulaan Baatar,
Went to the benevolent khan,
Who lived in a white valley,
Who rode a buckskin horse as big as an elephant,
Who had a head of whitish grey hair,
Whose path was in the white clouds,
Who had a white bow of rule,
Geser’s uncle Sargal Noyon Khan,
Making quick preparations,
Making wise preparations,
He went to him and spoke unhappily:
“Our hero Abai Geser,
Even if he dies and is tied
Onto the saddle straps of Gal Nurman Khan,
Even if when he goes into battle,
He cannot reach to his enemy’s stirrups,
Even if he is struck down
And is trampled under his foe’s boots,
Even if he falls in battle
And is not able to defeat this trash,
We are ready to die
Fighting an evil enemy,
We are ready to die
Rescuing the people and animals,
We are ready to die
Trying to kill this hateful trash,
We are ready to die
Saving the people according to our destiny,
We are ready to die
Defending the people according to fate,
If we are not allowed to do this,
We will go back to the upper world!
Go to Abai Geser and tell him!”

Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Making quick preparations,
Making wise preparations,
His horse’s hoofbeats
Making waves splash on the eternal lake,
The trotting of his steed
Making the earth tremble,
Riding to the house of Abai Geser,
Dismounting at his gate,
Tying his horse at the silver hitching post.

This having happened,
The uncle of Abai Geser,
Who lived in a white valley,
Who rode a buckskin horse as big as an elephant,
Who had a head of whitish grey hair,
Whose path was in the white clouds,
Who carried a manly white bow,
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan,
With golden light burning on his fingers,
With silver light glowing on his fingers,
Coming to greet his nephew,
Reached out and doing zolgoh,
Geser brought him into a white ger
And honored him by killing a white sheep,
Bringing him into a black ger
He honored him by killing a black sheep.
Talking until foam forms on liquor,
The talked until plants grow on a flat stone.

Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Reminded his nephew of all that happened before,
He sat and explained things;
Making him remember things from the earliest times,
He spoke in a friendly way:
“You have come on a mission
From the western fifty five tenger,
You have been sent by the destiny
Of the five wise gods,
You have been sent down to earth
To kill and suppress the evil enemies,
You were sent down
To bring life and happiness to humans and animals.
You came to restore the fortunes
Of the land of the three Tugshen khans,
You came to restore the destiny and history
Of the people;
This monster that is incarnated
From the neck of Atai Ulaan Tenger,
This Gal Nurman Khan,
Cannot be fought after nine years,
The people and living things
Will all be destroyed and exterminated before then.
Gal Nurman Khan is swallowing the people from the feet up,
He is gobbling the animals from the head down,
My nephew Abai Geser
Will you not go to fix this,
Will you not rescue
The people and living things?”
When Sargal Noyon Khan spoke these words
Abai Geser was greatly moved,
His blood became hot.

Abai Geser then changed his mind,
And prepared to fight Gal Nurman Khan.
His thirty three warriors,
His three hundred leaders of the army,
His three thousand soldiers,
Were greatly rejoicing
And forgot what happened before;
Being greatly excited
They thought of what was at hand.

Abai Geser said to his thirty three warriors:
“Three days from now,
When the red sun of the morning is rising,
We ride off to do battle.
Sew up what is torn,
Fix what is broken!”

This having happened,
The thirty three warriors,
The three hundred leaders of the army,
The three thousand soldiers
Being too busy to pick up a fallen hat,
For the duration of three days
Making quick preparations,
Made wise preparations for war.

When Geser had decided on the way they would go,
When the red sun of the morning had risen,
He prepared Beligen the bay horse,
This steed with a mighty body,
With wisdom in his bones,
Laying on a silk edged saddle blanket,
Laying on a saddle of chased silver,
Laying on a silver crupper on his flanks
That would never let the saddle slide forward on the journey,
Laying on silver breast straps
That would never let the saddle slide backward on his travels,
Adjusting a girth of ten straps,
Tightening a girth of twenty straps,
Tying his beautiful reins on the saddle horn,
Hanging a quirt with a lovely handle from the saddle horn,
Tying him at the silver hitching post
With eighty rings he said:
“Now that my horse is ready,
I go to prepare myself.”
Geser opened his massive pearly door in a beautiful way,
He stepped over his massive granite threshold in a pure way,
Having done this he said to his thirty three warriors:
“Strengthen my bow of seventy layers
Stretch it and put on the string!”
Having said this he gave them
His heroic bow with seventy laminations.

Geser’s thirty three warriors,
Trying to bend his heroic yellow bow,
None had the strength to string it;
Their muscles bulging
Their sinews snapping,
Thirty three warriors were unable to string it;
They brought it back to Abai Geser.

The hero Abai Geser,
Supporting it on his two knees,
Was able to bend the great bow,
Was able to string the mighty bow;
Letting it go it snapped into shape:
“When I pick you up in the summertime,
You are my very fine bow,
When I hold you in the wintertime,
You are my very good bow!”
Thus he praised his bow,
Giving it his blessing.
Having done this,
He pulled on his black pants
Sown from the hides of seventy deer,
Tugging them up on his legs,
He pulled on his black boots,
Made of sealskin,
Tugging them over his feet,
Pulling on his thick silk deel
That he always wore in battle,
Buttoning up its seventy brass buttons
With the strength of his thumb,
Dressing and turning around
In the light from his door,
Preparing himself and pulling on his clothes
In the light from the smokehole,
Dusting off his garments,
Winding his silver sash around his waist,
Girding on his silvery steel sword on his left side,
Hanging on his yellow steel knife on his left side,
Pulling on a black armored shirt
That would not be penetrated by seven days of rain,
That would not be penetrated by seventy arrows,
Hanging his silver decorated bowcase on his right side,
Hanging his gleaming chased silver quiver on his left side,
Putting his heroic yellow bow
Made of seventy layers of wild goat horn into its case,
Putting seventy five arrows into his quiver,
So that it would be like his shadow in summer,
Putting ninety five arrows into his quiver,
So that it would be his help in winter,
Putting silver armor over his shoulders like wings,
Putting forged steel armor over his breast,
He was glittering like the sun,
He was like a tree in full bloom.
He put on his fluffy mink hat,
That was as big as a haystack,
That was decorated with thick tassels.
Putting on armor on his back that was never defeated,
Putting armor on this chest that was never subdued,
Melting spider oil in his mouth
So that he would not be hungry for ten years,
Anointing his nose with worm oil
So that he would not be hungry for twenty years.

This having been done
Geser’s wife Alma Mergen
Bringing a golden table with delicious food,
Bringing a silver table she honored him with beautiful food.
Pouring out liquor and wine
For Geser and his thirty three warriors
Until they were red faced and drunk,
She fed them until they were full.
They stood up to leave,
The got up to ride on their journey;
Opening the massive pearly door in a beautiful way,
They stepped over the granite threshold in a pure way.
Walking down the steps that a mare with her foal could run on
They did not stumble,
Going down the walkway that a mare with her colt could run on
They did not fall.
Loosening the red reins
Of Beligen the bay horse
From the silver hitching post,
Stepping into the massive silver stirrups
Geser swung into his chased silver saddle.
His thirty three warriors
Followed him three by three,
As they rode they left no trail,
The round hooves left no tracks,
Thus they sped on their way toward the east!

Geser traveled the distance of three days’ journey,
His horse’s hoofbeats on the khans’ straight road were like thunder;
Traveling this distance of four days’ journey,
The hoofbeats struck sparks on the people’s broad road,
Passing the border of the homeland that nourished him,
Geser entered a land that was cold for people.

This having happened
They came to a silvery hill
Where people had never come before,
They drank from a black spring,
From which no living thing had ever drank.

When this had happened
A stag and doe came running out before them…
Geser drew out his heroic yellow bow
And shot them both with a single arrow:
“If game comes out before thirty three warriors,
If we are unable to shoot them
We should turn around and go home.”
Thus Geser spoke as he shot his arrow.

Thirty three warriors gathered up the two deer,
They kindled a fire and roasted them.
Geser rested with his thirty three warriors;
They rode off in the following morning.

This having happened,
Geser’s uncle Sargal Noyon Khan,
Who lived in a white valley,
Who rode a buckskin horse as big as an elephant,
Who had a head of whitish grey hair,
Who had a path in the white clouds,
Who had a white manly bow,
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan said:
“I cannot hear the war cries of my nephew Abai Geser,
I do not hear the hoofbeats of Beligen the bay horse!”
Thus he quickly mounted his great buckskin horse,
Following that path of his nephew Abai Geser.
Pulling on the reins on the right side,
Lashing the right flank with his quirt,
He kicked up red dust to cover the earth,
He kicked up yellow dust rising to the heavens,
Going with all his might,
Going as fast as he could.

This having happened
Geser heard hoofbeats from the distance
Of three days’ travel.
Bringing his horse to a halt
He was greatly surprised,
He was greatly amazed.
He said to his thirty three warriors:
“I hear the hoofbeats of a great buckskin horse,
I hear the cries of my uncle Sargal Noyon Khan!
My warriors look back on the trail,
Can you see him coming?”
When he had asked this
All of the warriors looked back;
Red dust was spreading over the earth;
Yellow dust was rising to the heavens.
The great buckskin horse thundered as it came,
The cries of Sargal Noyon could be heard as he approached.

Abai Geser got down from his horse,
Waiting to greet his uncle Sargal Noyon.
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Catching up with them,
Coming up to Geser’s party,
He stopped next to Abai Geser,
He asked his nephew:
“Why did you leave me behind?”

Abai Geser said to his uncle:
“I left you to watch over the people and animals,
To guard the gulamta,
Coming here to meet me
You are neglecting our homeland.”
Thus he tried to persuade his uncle.
Sargal Noyon Khan was insistent,
Wanting to ride with him on the road to war.

Thus Abai Geser said to him:
“I cannot trust my uncle Hara Zutan,
Go back to your house,
Do dallaga for the benefit of the people.”
He then took off the white silk shirt
That he wore next to his body,
Giving it to Sargal Noyon he said:
“If I am defeated in battle
This will turn brown and be ruined;
If I defeat my enemy
This will be even cleaner than before.”
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Pulled the shirt onto his own body,
Then he said to his nephew:
“Go and defeat your enemy,
Return when you have caught the colt!
Go on the way you intend to go,
Return with health and good fortune!
When you go to fight your enemy
I will help you in one way.”
Having said these words
He turned around to go home.
Sargal Noyon Khan had given his blessing;
He had the power that if the thirty three warriors were killed
He could resurrect them on the following day.
By his magical power, if their bows had been broken
He could restore them so they could shoot arrows again.