The Sharaigol War The Ninth Branch

 

The hero Abai Geser,
Having killed his hateful enemy,
Returned to his home,
Bringing his wife Urmai Goohon,
Who was as beautiful as the red sun.

He who lived in a white valley,
Who rode a mighty buckskin horse,
Who had a head of whitish grey hair,
Whose path was in the white clouds,
Who carried a white bow of rule,
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Beat on his golden drum,
Summoning his subjects from the north,
He struck his silver drum,
Calling his subjects from the south.
Two princely brothers,
Two beautiful wives,
With golden lights burning on their ten fingers,
With silver lights glowing on their twenty fingers,
They greeted him who traveled where he intended,
Who had traveled with fortune and destiny,
Who was followed by destiny and luck,
Who returned with success,
The hero Abai Geser,
And his wife Urmai Goohon,
His thirty three warriors,
His three hundred leaders of the army,
And his three thousand soldiers,
They met by the Muren River,
By the shores of the eternal lake,
By the Hatan River,
By the black lake,
They greeted and embraced him!
They brought out liquor and wine
In quantities like a lake,
They served meat and fat
In quantities like a hill.
The party lasted for eight days,
On the ninth day there was great discussion,
On the tenth day people sobered up
And returned to their homes.
After this had happened
Abai Geser came back to his home,
To live happily with his three beautiful wives.
One day after his return Abai Geser said:
“I am tired of doing nothing with my hands,
I am tired of my saddle straps being empty.”
He prepared Beligen the bay horse,
The steed mighty in body,
With wisdom in his bones,
He went hunting and tracking
In the thirteen ranges of the Altai Mountains,
He relaxed and enjoyed himself
In the twenty three ranges of the Huhii taiga.
He was away hunting for three years.

While this was happening
There were three sons of Atai Ulaan Tenger,
Who had been thrown down from the heavens,
Who had been cast down from the skies,
Who had settled in the most distant east,
Who lived by a yellow lake,
Who lived at the source of the yellow river,
Who ruled the valley of the yellow river,
Who were called the three Sharaidai khans.

The white oldest brother of the three Sharaidai khans
Was called Sagaan Gerel Khan,
His subjects watched his herds of white horses.
The middle brother of the three Sharaidai khans
Was called Shara Gerel Khan,
His subjects watched his herds of yellow horses.
The youngest brother of the three Sharaidai khans
Was called Hara Gerel Khan,
His subjects watched his herds of brown mares.

The white oldest brother of the three Sharaidai khans,
Sagaan Gerel Khan,
Was looking for a wife for his son Erhe Taija,
He decided to send a bird to look at the women in the world,
He summoned a spotted magpie
That was the incarnation of a demon, saying:
“Whose daughter is most good,
Whose maiden is most lovely,
Who has warm cheeks,
Who has a sparkling mouth?
Go watch and observe,
Come and advise me who is best,”
He sent the bird to fly three times around the world,
He sent the magpie to fly four times around the earth.

The demon in the form of the spotted magpie
Flew three times around the world,
Flew four times around the earth,
He could not find a maiden
As beautiful as the sun and moon,
He did not find a girl
As seductive as the stars of the night sky.
After this had happened
He flew to the Muren River,
To the shores of the eternal lake,
To the Hatan River,
To the shores of the black lake.
When he came to Abai Geser’s country,
When he was flying around his houses,
He saw Abai Geser’s wife Urmai Goohon,
Who was as beautiful as the rising sun,
Who was as beautiful as the waxing moon,
A seductive and beautiful woman,
Whose right cheek outshone the western sky,
Whose left cheek outshone the eastern sky,
Green plants grew where her feet had stepped,
Lambs were baaing where she had walked.
She was as beautiful as the dawn,
She was as lovely as the world in the daytime!…

The spy sent by the three Sharaidai khans,
The demon in the form of a spotted magpie,
When he had seen Geser’s wife Urmai Goohon
His reason and thoughts became confused.
When he was doing this Geser’s uncle
Who lived in a white valley,
Who rode a great buckskin horse,
Who had a head of whitish grey hair,
Who had a white bow of rule,
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Saw what was happening,
He understood what it meant.
After he had seen this
He said to Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors:
“There is a spotted magpie flying around your homes,
A demon which pecks at and feeds on carrion,
Who has sent it here,
Who is causing trouble?
He soars and flaps his wings,
He flies up pointing his beak toward the sky,
This is a tale-bearer from far away,
This is a spy flying around our lands,
This is a demon that will bring calamity.
This is an evil spirit from the land and waters.
You famous warriors,
You skillful archers,
You are wrong if you are naive,
You do injury if you forget your purpose,
Shoot an arrow at the spotted magpie,
Shoot him and break his neck.”
When Sargal Noyon had said this
Geser’s thirty three warriors replied:
“You are always worrying and doubting,
You are always stirring up trouble,
What is following us from the north is not hateful,
What is watching us from the south is harmless,
Let the spotted magpie leave on its own.”
Ignoring Sargal Noyon’s advice
They made a big mistake.

When this had happened,
The tale bearer that had come from far away,
The spy lingering over Abai Geser’s land,
The brown spotted magpie,
He flew toward the most distant east,
He headed for the land of the yellow river,
Even if his destination was far he flew on,
Even when the rivers were wide he crossed.
He went to the shore of the yellow lake,
The beginning of the yellow river,
The valley of the yellow river,
He landed at the gate
Of the home of the Sharaidai khans.
When this had happened,
The son of Sagaan Gerel Khan,
Erhe Taija who had sent the bird
To find him a wife from among the women of the world,
Set out a wether’s head to reward the spotted magpie
That was the incarnation of a demon.
Setting out the food for him
Erhe Taija greeted the bird,
He honored the spotted magpie.
The bird licked his beak
In anticipation of his meal,
He spoke of what he had seen:
“I flew around the world three times,
I went around the earth four times,
I could not find a maiden
As beautiful as the sun and moon,
I could not find a woman
As seductive as the stars of the night sky.
After this had happened
I went to the Muren River,
To the eternal lake,
To the Hatan River,
To the black lake.
When I had arrived in Abai Geser’s country,
I saw Abai Geser’s wife Urmai Goohon,
I have never seen a woman so lovely,
She was as beautiful as the waxing moon!
She is a maiden pure like a flower!
When I saw Geser’s wife Urmai Goohon
The sight made my reason confused,
The sight made my thoughts wander,
I stayed there and watched her.
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Said to Geser’s thirty three warriors
That a tale bearer had come from far away,
That a spy was lingering around their lands,
He told them to shoot me and break my neck,
I was very frightened and confused,
I wanted to preserve my life and soul,
My spirit and courage fell down.
Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors
Were naive and careless,
Ignoring the advice of Sargal Noyon,
Saying that he always worried and doubted,
Saying that he always stirred up trouble.
They said that birds fly over the land,
That fish will swim in the lake,
They did not give it any thought,
So I have returned without injury.”
The brown spotted magpie
Rambled on and on,
He who had looked for a wife,
Who wanted to start a family,
Who sent a tale bearer a long ways,
Who sent a spy to Geser’s lands,
Listened to ever word that was said
By the brown spotted magpie,
Erhe Taija went to the Sharaidai khans
Who had approved of what he was doing:
“We may say we intend, we intend,
But we are not ready to do this,
We may say we will fight, will fight,
But we are not ready for war.
We do not want to do
What the spotted magpie has advised,
We do not want to get involved
In what the brown magpie wants,”
The three khans having said
That they would decide on this later
Erhe Taija summoned a black raven
That liked to peck out eyes, saying:
“Fly three times around the world,
Go four times around the earth,
Find whose daughter is good,
Whose maiden is beautiful,
Whose cheeks are warm,
Who has a lovely mouth?
Go watch and observe,
Come and tell me what you have see!”
After this had happened
The black raven that liked to peck eyes
Flew over thirteen mountain ranges,
Flew over twenty three mountain ranges,
Coming to the Muren River,
To the shores of the eternal lake,
To the Hatan River,
To the shores of the black lake,
To the country of Abai Geser.
The raven pecked out eyes
To soothe his hunger.
Abai Geser’s uncle
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Said to his nephew’s thirty three warriors:
“A bird has come flying from a far away place,
Flapping his two wings,
Pecking out eyes,
Having a blunt beak,
A tale bearer comes from far away,
A spy is lingering about our lands.
Shoot the black raven below his wings,
Shoot and pierce his red heart.”
When Sargal Noyon said this
Geser’s thirty three warriors replied:
“Ha, ha, you are always complaining about something,
What thing is it that you are hating this time?
Birds will fly over the land,
Fish will swim in the lake.”
They gave his words no thought,
They missed an opportunity
To prevent trouble in the future.
The black raven sent by Erhe Taija,
Who was looking for a wife,
Who wanted to start a family,
Who sent a bird to spy in the south,
Who sent a bird to watch in the north,
The black bird who pecked eyes
Flew back to the most distant east,
To the shores of the yellow lake.
Even if his destination was far he flew on,
Even if the rivers were wide he crossed.
When he reached the lands of the Sharaidai khans,
When he landed at the gate of Sagaan Gerel’s house,
He was met by Sagaan Gerel’s son Erhe Taija,
Who greeted and honored him with an ox’s head.

After the raven pecked out the ox’s two eyes
He spoke of what he saw as if driving horses and cattle:
“I flew three times around the world,
I flew four times around the earth,
I went to the Muren River,
To the shores of the eternal lake,
To the Hatan River,
To the shores of the black lake.
When I came to Abai Geser’s golden land,
I saw Abai Geser’s wife Urmai Goohon.
When I went three times around the world,
When I went four times around the earth,
I did not see a woman more beautiful than her,
I did not see a maiden more pure than her,
She is as beautiful as the waxing moon,
She is as pure as a perfect flower!”
Erhe Taija who had sent the black raven,
And the three Sharaidai khans,
Who sent a tale bearer to a distant place,
Who sent a spy to Abai Geser’s land,
Listened to every word the raven said.
In order to find whether this was the truth or a lie
They used their magic powers,
They summoned their sorcerous powers,
They began to make a giant black bird
With a body as big as the world…
Sagaan Gerel Khan made the head,
And covered it with silver,
Shara Gerel Khan made the chest,
And covered it with gold,
Hara Geser Khan made the belly,
And forged it out of iron,
Erhe Taija made the feathers,
Putting them in the wings and tail,
He then gave the bird life and breath.
This having been done
The black giant bird made by demonic sorcery,
That had a body as big as the world,
Had to be fed:
They honored him with ox meat,
The bird licked its lips,
They cut up a large stallion,
The bird gobbled it up,
They brought him the meat of a large camel,
The bird was finally satisfied.
After this had happened,
The lords of the valley of the yellow river,
The three Sharaidai khans,
Gave their instructions to the giant black bird:
“Fly around the world three times,
Go around the earth four times,
See whose daughter is good,
Whose daughter is beautiful,
Who has warm cheeks,
Who has a lovely mouth?
Find a woman as beautiful as the waxing moon,
Find a maiden as pure as a perfect flower.”
The giant black bird flew up into the sky,
His body was as big as the world,
When he soared in the heavens
His wings covered the sun and moon,
The animals and birds hid from him.
He flew around the world three times,
He flew around the earth four times,
When he had done this
He did not find a woman as beautiful as the waxing moon,
He did not find a maiden as pure as a perfect flower.
He came to the Muren River,
To the shores of the eternal lake,
To the Hatan River,
To the shores of the black lake.
He landed with his wings brushing the earth,
He landed and folded his wings.
He saw Abai Geser’s wife Urmai Goohon,
Who was as beautiful as the rising sun,
Who was as beautiful as the waxing moon,
A seductive and lovely woman,
Whose right cheek outshone the western sky,
Whose left cheek outshone the eastern sky,
Who looked to the people as lovely as the dawn,
Who looked as beautiful as the light of morning.
Geser’s uncle benevolent Sargal Noyon
Knew what was happening,
He understood what it meant,
He said to Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors:
“You famous warriors,
You skillful archers,
If you had killed the magpie when it came,
The raven would not have come,
If you had killed the raven when it came,
The giant bird would not have come!
This giant black bird,
With a body as big as the world,
Is a tale bearer come from far away,
It is a spy come to our land!
Shoot it in its silver head,
Shoot it in its golden chest,
Shoot off its two wings!..”
Thus Sargal Noyon commanded them,
Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors
Were frozen in fear and could not shoot,
They were terrified by the giant bird.
After this had happened
The giant black bird flapped its wings,
Turning back toward the distant east,
It soared away until it was just a speck
In the blue of the serene high heavens,
It flew away until it appeared as small as a nit.
When this had happened
Abai Geser’s wife Alma Mergen said:
“Ai, what a pity!
I had sworn an oath
That women should not carry
A bow and quiver.
It would have been impossible for my arrow to miss
This spy that flies over the merciful earth!”
She took out her bow and arrows
And quickly loosed an arrow at
The bird with a body as big as the world.
When Alma Mergen shot her arrow
It left her thumb with great power,
It left her fingers with a great noise,
As it flew it made the eight levels of the upper world tremble,
As it thundered over the earth it made its seven layers shake,
Abai Geser’s wife Alma Mergen said:
“I can feel it on my palms,
I can hear it in my ears,
Go and see what happened.”
She sent two strong warriors to have a look,
Abai Geser’s two mighty warriors quickly mounted their horses,
They rode following the path of the arrow shot.
One of the massive wings of the black bird
With a body as big as the world
Was shot off and lay in a field,
Abai Geser’s two strong warriors
Brought seventy wagons,
Hitched up seventy horses,
In order to bring back the one huge wing
Of the giant black bird.
After they had looked at it,
After they had talked about it,
Abai Geser’s uncle
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Blamed the thirty three warriors:
“In the most distant east,
There live the rulers of the valley of the yellow river,
The three Sharaidai khans.
These three khans have sworn a curse and oath,
They have opened the gate of jealousy and hatred,
They have opened the door of wrath and revenge.
This giant black bird
With a body as big as the world,
Is a tale bearer sent from far away,
It is a spy sent to our land,
What I had said was the truth.
It is a shame that my nephew Abai Geser is not here,
It is a pity that his wife Alma Mergen did not kill it,
It is amazing that thirty three warriors were naive and careless,
It is an insult that Sargal Noyon was thought to be senile and foolish!”
While he blamed them and spoke regretfully
The giant black bird with a body as big as the world
Was flying like ten thousand birds on the edge of the sky,
He was soaring on the lower edge of the heavens.
This having happened,
Sagaan Gerel Khan’s son Erhe Taija
Who was looking for a wife,
Who wanted to start a family,
Was giving up hope that he could call back the giant black bird,
He killed eight fat white sheep but the bird did not return,
He then started thinking stupid thoughts in his pinched chest,
He impaled one of his subjects on a stake and the bird returned,
The giant black bird with a body as big as the world,
Came and landed, his wings brushing the surface of the earth,
He stabbed his tubelike bill into the impaled man’s chest,
Sucking up and drinking up his red blood.
The three rulers of the valley of the yellow river,
The three Sharaidai khans,
Who had sent a spy into foreign lands,
Who had sent a spy into distant lands,
Let the giant black bird with a body as big as the world
Drink his fill of red human blood,
Then listened to the words he had to say,
The huge bird groomed his feathers as he spoke:
“I flew around the world three times,
I flew around the world four times,
I could not find a woman as beautiful as the waxing moon,
I could not find a woman as seductive as the stars of the night sky,
When this had happened
I went to the Muren River,
To the shores of the eternal lake,
To the Hatan River,
To the shores of the black lake.
When I came down to the earth,
In Abai Geser’s land of the larks,
I saw Abai Geser’s wife Urmai Goohon,
I have never seen a woman so beautiful,
I have never seen a maiden so pure,
Her right cheek outshines the western sky,
Her left cheek outshines the eastern sky,
Wherever her feet have trod green plants are growing,
Wherever she has walked young lambs are baaing.
When I watched her with my keen eyesight,
When I listened to her with my keen hearing,
Abai Geser’s uncle Sargal Noyon saw me,
He said to Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors:
“You did not kill the spotted magpie when it came,
So the black raven came afterwards,
You did not kill the black raven when it came,
So this giant black bird has come.
Shoot it in its silver head!
Shoot it in its golden breast!
Shoot off its two great wings!”
When Sargal Noyon shouted at them
I was afraid and wanted to save my life,
So I flew high up into the heavens
So that I appeared no larger than a nit,
When this happened one brave and skillful archer
Shot off one of my enormous wings.”
After he had recounted what had happened
The giant black bird said he was tired from the journey,
He wanted to rest for three years in the land of eternal cold,
On the shores of the eternally icy Arctic Ocean,
He wanted to rest and sleep for three years,
Having said this he winged his way up into the sky,
Disappearing in the Milky Way of the serene high heavens,
Going to the very edge of the world,
He flew to a very distant country…

When they had seen what had happened
The three Sharaidai khans spoke important words,
They made an important decision,
When they spoke it was as if they drove cattle and horses:
“This giant black bird with a body as big as the world
Is a monster out of a persistent nightmare,
It is a demon with twisted thoughts.
It will eat up all of our herds,
It will gobble up all of our households,”
Saying this Sagaan Gerel Khan
Gave his son Erhe Taija
A white rope made out of braided silk,
He took his right hand an commanded him:
“Sneak up to the shore of the sea of eternal ice,
Snare the black bird with a body as big as the world
With this white braided silk rope a thousand ells long,
Wind this rope around him as he is sleeping,
Tie him up well while he is lying down there,
Roll him into the water and sink him to the bottom
Of the cold ocean of eternal ice.”
Erhe Taija, the son of Sagaan Gerel Khan,
Followed the trail of the giant black bird,
His journey brought him to the eternally cold land,
On the border of the land of eternal cold
On the shore of the sea of eternal ice,
He found where the giant black bird lay sleeping.
He snared it with the white silk rope a thousand ells long,
Winding it around the bird while he was sleeping,
Knotting it up well while the giant bird lay there,
He rolled the giant black bird into the sea,
Sinking him to the bottom of the sea of eternal ice…

After this had happened,
The three Sharaidai khans made a decision
To go and steal Abai Geser’s wife Urmai Goohon.
They summoned many soldiers from their northern lands,
They mustered ten thousand soldiers from their southern lands,
Having done this,
They appointed malevolent Han Biruuza Noyon as their general,
They made bloodthirsty Buhe Sagaan Mangilai leader of the army,
They made quick preparations,
They made wise preparations,
They rode off to the Muren River,
They galloped toward the Hatan River,
The soldiers in front trod down green grass,
The soldiers in the middle walked on withered grass and earth,
The soldiers in the rear marched over bare gravel.
They looked like the trees of the forest,
They were as numerous as reeds,
The multitude of soldiers was like the black wind of spring,
The ten thousand soldiers were like a blizzard in winter.

When this had happened,
Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors
Knew what was happening,
They understood what it meant,
This great army from the distant east,
From the shores of the yellow lake,
From the beginning of the yellow river,
The army of the Sharaidai khans
Was like a swarm of maggots and ants,
Was like the trees of the forest,
Was like a thick stand of reeds,
Was like the waters of a flood,
Was like the winds on a mountain,
Saying that a frightful thing had come
The three hundred leaders of the army
And the three thousand soldiers
Quickly assembled together,
They made wise preparations.
This having happened,
Abai Geser’s two princely uncles
Rode out to meet their enemy.
They went out quickly
To do battle with their foe.
They went up to the slopes
Of the sandy Manhan mountain,
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan said:
“When we look at our whips
We are obligated to strike with them,”
And he brandished his whip,
“When we look at our bows
We have the power to bend them,”
And he pulled out his bow,
Pulling and testing the string.

When he had done this
Benevolent Sargal Noyon spoke further:
“My boys, my boys, my brave heroes,
Know this and promise to yourselves!
When we look at our whips
And intend to strike with them,
Let us strike harder than before,
When we look at our bows
And intend to bend them and shoot,
Let us shoot with greater skill than before.”
When he had spoken these words
Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors
Did not heed the advice of Sargal Noyon:
“Years are long,
Days and nights are many,
We will go into battle one by one,
Each of us earning a name for ourselves!
We will make noise when our hard steel swords are cutting,
We will hear the sound of our blades hitting white bone.”
They boasted, confident of their own strength,
They wanted to fight according to their old habits,
They trusted the abilities they has used before,
They sneered at the new ways of fighting
That Sargal Noyon had advised.

When this had happened,
The white oldest son of Buuluur Sagaan Tenger,
Buidan Ulaan Baatar,
Who rode a joroo horse that
Flew between heaven and earth,
Pulled the right rein of his steed,
He lashed him on the right side with his quirt,
He charged into battle
With the enemies that sprang to meet him,
When he loosed one arrow
From his strong thick bow
A thousand soldiers were destroyed,
A thousand troops were suppressed,
The next greatest warrior after him,
The youngest son of Sagaan Zayaan Tenger,
Burgii Shuumar Baatar,
Who rode a skinny bay horse
That could fly above the sun,
Pulled the left rein of his steed,
He lashed his horse with his quirt,
Galloping out to meet the army
Of the three Sharaidai khans,
Shooting down one enemy after another,
A thousand soldiers were destroyed,
A thousand troops were suppressed.
Geser’s third greatest warrior,
The white oldest son of Oyodol Sagaan Tenger,
Erjen Shuumar Baatar,
Who rode a horse as blue as the blue of the rainbow,
Pulled the right rein of his steed,
He lashed the sides of his horse,
Rushing out to meet the soldiers
That swarmed like maggots and ants,
When he loosed one arrow
From his star-white bow,
A thousand soldiers were destroyed,
A thousand troops were suppressed.
Geser’s fourth greatest warrior,
The youngest son of Budargii Sagaan Tenger,
Baga Buulen Baatar,
Took measure of what he saw,
He counted up what he saw,
Controlling the right side of his mouth,
Watching the left side of his mouth,
Smashing what was evil,
Breaking what was dark,
A thousand soldiers were destroyed,
A thousand troops were suppressed.
Geser’s fifth greatest warrior,
Who had fame as a great fighter,
Who was renowned as a skillful archer,
Neejer Emshen Baatar,
Who protected them from the weapons that were brandished,
Who shielded them from the arrows that were shot,
Lifted his hard steel sword knowing its sharpness,
Hewing them down like trees,
Mowing them down like reeds,
A thousand soldiers were destroyed,
A thousand troops were suppressed.
Geser’s sixth greatest warrior,
Who carried a heroic yellow bow,
Who was only fifteen years old,
Erhe Manzan Baatar,
Spurred on his blood red horse,
He loosed an arrow from his heroic yellow bow,
He rode to meet the soldiers
Of the three Sharaidai khans,
A thousand soldiers were destroyed,
A thousand troops were suppressed.
All of Geser’s nine great warriors
Entered battle one by one,
Shooting their arrows one by one.
They shot and destroyed thousands and thousands of soldiers,
They pursued and defeated thousand and thousands of troops.
When nine mighty warriors
Entered into battle one by one,
Loosed their arrows one by one,
Their arrowheads biting into their enemies,
Thousand and thousands of soldiers were cut off,
Thousands and thousands of troops were slain.
When nine wrathful warriors
Charged into the battle one by one,
Making their arrows fly one by one,
Thousands and thousands of soldiers were killed,
Thousands and thousands of troops were conquered.
When this was happening
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Mounted his mighty buckskin horse,
Loosing an arrow from his golden bow
Two thousand soldiers were swept away like dust,
Two thousand troops were laid waste.

When this was happening
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon said:
“I will go out to battle,
I will try to fight,”
He jumped on the back of his handsome grey stallion,
He strapped on his bow that was black as an ant,
When benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan saw this
He thought angry and hateful thoughts about his brother,
He said to Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors:
“Do not trust my brother Hara Zutan,
He has brought much trouble to our family,
He has put many of our relatives in danger.”

Some of Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors
Said it was time to retreat,
Some of Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors
Said it was time to stop fighting,
When the warriors were arguing among themselves,
When they were exchanging angry words,
Malevolent Hara Zutan added his own opinion.
He rode standing up in his stirrups,
He rode and attacked the enemy,
The army that swarmed like maggots and ants,
He hewed them down like trees,
He blew them down like a mountain wind,
He entered battle like a frightful giant.
When Hara Zutan saw the strength of the enemy,
His dark spotted heart pounded in his chest,
His eight short ribs shrunk in on themselves,
His breath escaped him in fright,
He forgot himself in his terror.
In the darkness of the night,
He went to attack the enemy’s horses,
Going on the path of thieves,
He went to steal their horses,
He cut loose a hundred horses from their tethers,
He drove a hundred horses before him…

When Han Biruuza Noyon
Saw what Hara Zutan was doing
He was very disgusted, saying:
“He who sneaks about at night,
Who drives away herds of horses,
Does not know the customs of good men,
He who goes on the path of thieves
Is like a poisonous demon.
Follow this thief stealthily,
Capture him and bring him back,”
He said this to two of his warriors,
Buhe Sagaan Mangilai and Zurgaadai Mergen,
Whom he sent to chase and capture the thief.
When the two strong warriors
Caught up with Hara Zutan,
Chasing him until his gait was shortened,
Chasing him until his horse slowed down,
When they had caught up with him
He was covered with sweat and dust.
Having nothing else to do,
Having no ability to escape,
He slipped off his grey stallion,
And crawled into a woodchuck hole
Out in a white field.
The two warriors gathered plants
That burned with a noxious smoke,
They gathered up cow chips
That burned with an acrid smoke,
And lit a fire to smoke him out.
When they had done this,
The smoke made Hara Zutan’s eyes burn,
The odor made him cough and choke,
Forgetting his own name and dignity
He staggered out to his pursuers…
This having happened
The two warriors of the Sharaidai khans
Stood there ready for Hara Zutan,
Hauling him out by the white hairs on his crown,
They threw him sprawling on the grass and pine needles.
Thinking he was about to be killed,
Malevolent Hara Zutan cried out:
“Save me!
People save the blood of a horse that is slaughtered,
People listen to the words of a man about to die!”
The two enemy warriors rolled him over with their boots,
He lay there crying licking the grass and dust.
Buhe Sagaan Mangilai and Zurgaadai Mergen said:
“If you are going to speak, speak!
If you are going to talk, say something!
If you do not we will tear your tongue out of your mouth!”
Thus they shouted at him menacingly.
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon,
Wanting to save his own life,
Thought nothing of his relatives.
Thinking evil thoughts he said:
“Save my life, you warriors!
Save my skin, you heroes!
I can speak deceitful words
And help you defeat my nephew!…
When my nephew Abai Geser
Is gone from his golden palace,
His thirty three warriors do not have the courage to fight with swords,
They do not have the backbone to fight with bow and arrows.
When their arrows are finished they shoot from their thumbs,
When their bows are broken they shoot with the string alone.
If you want to kill Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors
You will have to resort to using deceit.
Give me a hundred horses exhausted from fighting,
Give me a hundred horses injured in battle,
When I leave you I will swear an oath,
I will deceive the thirty three warriors in three ways:
I will say that the army of the three Sharaidai khans has retreated,
That they were too worn out to take these tired horses,
When I show them the horses I can trick and deceive them.”
Hara Zutan thought little of the lives and happiness of the people,
Remembering his hatred and jealousy toward Abai Geser
He plotted how to have revenge on his thirty three warriors:
“I will say to my nephew Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors
That good times have returned,
That it is time to gather up the bows and quivers,
That peaceful times have returned,
That it is time to put away the bows and arrows,
I will make them take off their armor and helmets,
I will take their bows and arrows from them with my own hands,
I will store away their weapons and armor,
I will pour out liquor and wine and get them all drunk.
Their skills having become blunted,
Their abilities having become lost,
Be waiting and ready for this time,
Come back to Geser’s home,
This is within my power to do,
I will open up the gate to meet you,”
Being degraded by his evil thoughts
Hara Zutan bowed and scraped before them.
The two strong warriors of the Sharaidai khans
Picked up Hara Zutan Noyon by his ears,
Bringing him before their leader Han Biruuza,
They struck him to make Hara Zutan bow.
When malevolent Hara Zutan
Came before Han Biruuza Noyon,
He told what he had said to the two strong warriors,
He explained his dark and evil thoughts:
“I will deceive Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors in three ways!
I will make them weak with liquor and wine,
I will make them senseless with arza and horza,
Give me a hundred of your worst horses to drive back,
I will go back and say that I had stolen them from you,
I will say that the Sharaidai khans made a hasty retreat,
I will say that I killed a hundred soldiers riding the hundred horses.
I will say to my nephew’s thirty three soldiers that good times have returned,
I will serve meat and fat in portions as big as a hill,
I will pour out liquor and wine in portions like a lake.
Come to them after I have done this,
Defeat them when they are too drunk to fight.
When my benevolent older brother Sargal Noyon
Looks for proof in his yellow book of fate
It will say you have turned around and gone home,
It will say that you have put away your weapons.
If this happens,
If he has nothing to doubt or worry about,
He will go to bed with peace of mind…”
Hara Zutan lay bowing and scraping before him,
Han Biruuza Noyon of the three Sharaidai khans’ army
Listened to the words of malevolent Hara Zutan, saying:
“What you say is right,
What you suggest is possible to do.
Do according to what you promised,
Do according to what you said.”
He sent his two strong warriors away,
He gave Hara Zutan a hundred horses,
The horses most exhausted from fighting,
The horses most pitifully injured in battle,
A hundred of the worst horses,
A hundred animals like shadows of horses,
A hundred horses whose legs were shuffling,
A hundred horses whose noses were dragging on the ground,
Animals barely able to make the trip back to Geser’s home.
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon
Said to his nephew Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors:
“My great and famous warriors,
My renowned and skillful archers!
Good times have returned–
Gather up your bows and arrows!
Peaceful times have returned–
Put away your bows and quivers!
The lords of the valley of the yellow river,
The three Sharaidai khans,
Have lost their strength and ability,
They have made a quick retreat.
Their horses were too tired,
So they ran away on foot,
Their bows and arrows were broken,
They left them lying on the battlefield!
Put away your bows and arrows,
Put your weapons in your chests,
Put your horses out to pasture,
Be drinking liquor and wine!”
He shouted to them,
Speaking his evil thoughts.
When this had happened
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Listened to the words of his brother Hara Zutan,
Many thoughts were stirring in his mind,
He spoke many words to himself.
He said to his nephew Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors:
“The trotting of a black dog is not considered trotting,
The words of Hara Zutan cannot be considered true.
The lords of the valley of the yellow river,
The three Sharaidai khans,
When they have opened the gate of war
Are very dangerous demons,
They do not turn away so easily,
They have not gone home.
Your naiveté is shameful,
Your carelessness is wrong.”
When he had said this
Malevolent Hara Zutan acted very offended,
He spoke flatteringly acting as if he were sad:
“If you cannot believe the words that I say,
Go look in your yellow book of fate.”
He cried and carried on,
So benevolent Sargal Noyon
Opened up his yellow book of fate,
Reading and testing what had been said:
It said that the three Sharaidai khans
Had turned around and headed for home,
They had put away their weapons and left,
Heading for the most distant east,
For the land of the yellow lake.
When he read they had gathered and departed
Sargal Noyon was very astonished…
When they had heard this
Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors said:
“Now that the three Sharaidai khans have fled,
Now that they have returned to the land of the yellow river,
We are not going to shoot our bows for no reason,
We are not going to tire our horses in an empty place,
Let us go home and drink yogurt and airag,
Let us go back and dust the dirt off our clothing!”
They made a great noise and hubbub,
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Was very surprised,
He was most astonished.
His mind stirred with doubtful thoughts,
His heart was full of disbelief.
This having happened
He said to his nephew Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors:
“The darkness of men’s hearts never ends,
The darkness of the night ends with dawn,
If we go home now
We are being naive and careless.”
In spite of what benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan had said,
His nephew’s thirty three warriors returned to their homes.
They came to the door of Abai Geser’s wife Alma Mergen, saying:
“The three Sharaidai khans have made a quick retreat,
Good times have returned,
We will gather up our bows and arrows,
Peaceful times have returned,
We will put away our bows and quivers!”
Alma Mergen called the people from north and south,
She served meat and fat in portions as big as a hill,
She poured out liquor and wine in portions as big as a lake.
They made a party that lasted for eight days,
On the ninth day they drank and talked.
Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors
Drank liquor and became confused,
Smoked their pipes and were intoxicated.
Benevolent Sargal Noyon Khan
Rebuked his nephew’s thirty three warriors:
“My boys, my boys, don’t be doing this!”
He failed when he tried to forbid them:
“Ladies, ladies, stop doing this!”
His warning and nagging did no good.
Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors
Gulped down liquor by the bucketful,
They gobbled up great quantities of food,
They became drunk and red in the face,
They lost their senses and became like idiots…
When this was happening
Benevolent Sargal Noyon’s mind was full of doubt,
His red heart was troubled with worrisome thoughts.
He sent fifteen year old Erhe Manzan Baatar
To look out from the green slopes
Of the sandy Manhan mountain.
Fifteen year old Erhe Manzan Baatar
Rode his blood red horse swiftly,
He came to the green forested slopes
Of the sandy Manhan mountain,
He looked out from that high place,
When he gazed from the mountain,
The army of the three Sharaidai khans
Was swarming like maggots and ants,
Marching on the warpath
At the foot of the sandy Manhan mountain,
When he saw what was happening
Erhe Manzan’s red heart pounded in his chest,
He urged his blood red horse to fly like a hawk,
He loosed an arrow from his heroic yellow bow,
His shot destroyed a thousand soldiers,
His arrow killed a thousand troops.
He charged down the mountain,
He galloped toward Geser’s home.
When this happened
The leader of the army of the Sharaidai khans,
Han Biruuza Noyon,
Pointed up at Erhe Manzan Baatar, saying:
“We are being attacked by a drunken man,
Hurry on up there and seize him!”
He sent Buhe Sagaan Mangilai and Zurgaadai Mergen,
The two warriors came to Erhe Manzan Baatar,
They caught up with him on the peak of the Manhan mountain,
They rode beside him so close their stirrups rubbed together,
They stood so close to him that the tips of their spears crossed.
When this had happened
Buhe Sagaan Mangilai and Zurgaadai Mergen
Said to Erhe Manzan Baatar:
“A person who covets another man’s treasure
Will never have enough to be satisfied,
Whose son are you,
What are you the son of?…
What kind of man are you to rob
The treasure of his own parents?
Why do you climb the Manhan mountain
And yell and shout from its peak?”
Thus they shouted and tried to intimidate him.
When this had happened
Fifteen year old Erhe Manzan Baatar
Tried to humor the two enemy warriors:
“Have you gone on the warpath
Have you gone on the road to battle
For the sake of our fathers’ treasure?”
When he had said this
Buhe Sagaan Mangilai used black deceit,
He used evil trickery on the young warrior:
“If you are a good man,
How smart are you?
What is the meaning of those seven ravens
That are flying by with their mouths open?”
When Buhe Sagaan Mangilai pointed with his finger,
Innocent Erhe Manzan Baatar looked away
In the direction in which he had pointed.
At the very moment he looked away
Zurgaadai Mergen shot Erhe Manzan Baatar,
The arrow went in one armpit and came out the other.
The two warriors of the Sharaidai khans rode away,
Abai Geser’s warrior Erhe Manzan Baatar
Pulled out his enemy’s black arrow from his body,
He said to his enemy’s black arrow:
“If you are a straight and black arrow,
You will be able to recognize your owner!”
He nocked the black arrow on his heroic yellow bow,
He spoke these words over the arrowhead:
“Go and pierce the deep black chest
Of Zurgaadai Mergen Baatar!”
And he shot the arrow after the fleeing warriors.
When the arrow struck Zurgaadai Mergen,
He fell from his horse onto the ground,
Blood flowing from his mouth and nose.
Erhe Manzan Baatar shot a rock as big as a foal,
That stood in front of him,
He used a fragment of the broken rock
To block the wound in his right armpit.
He then shot another rock as big as a sheep,
That stood behind him,
He used a piece of the shattered rock
To block the wound in his left armpit.
He took his gold and silver sash that was ten ells long,
Winding it under his arms to stop the flow of blood.
He climbed back on his blood red horse,
He made it gallop back toward his home,
The warrior’s blood made the blood red horse redder,
The warrior’s blood made the vermilion saddle turn black.
Trotting at a gentle pace he was scarcely able to ride,
When he saw a spotted magpie he was scarcely able to talk:
“Go to Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors,
To his three hundred leaders of the army,
To his three thousand solders,
Go tell them as fast as you can!
The army of the three Sharaidai khans
Are swarming like maggots and ants,
They are marching at the foot
Of the sandy Manhan mountain.

Your Erhe Manzan Baatar,
Having been naive and careless,
Was shot through his two armpits,
He lies on the north side
Of the sandy Manhan mountain,
Barely hanging onto life,
Bleeding to death!
Go meet the demonic enemy in battle,
Send Neeher Emshen Baatar to me quickly.”
When Erhe Manzan Baatar had said this
The brown spotted magpie said:
“I am not able to help you,
I am about to lay eggs,
I am gathering twigs for my nest.”
The bird flew away and disappeared in the forest.
After this had happened a black raven came,
Flying in circles above Erhe Manzan Baatar.
The warrior had become faint and weak,
He could repeat only half of his message:
“Go to Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors,
His three hundred leaders of the army,
And his three thousand soldiers,
Make them understand this well!
The army of the three Sharaidai khans
Is swarming like maggots and ants,
They are marching at the foot
Of the sandy Manhan mountain!
Go and meet the demonic enemy in battle!
Erhe Manzan Baatar sends this message!…”
He lay on the ground as he spoke.
The black raven cawed and croaked,
He flew as fast as he could,
He flew as wisely as he could,
He landed at the gate of Abai Geser’s palace,
He called out the thirty three warriors:
“Erhe Manzan Baatar fought like a man
On the green slopes of the sandy Manhan mountain,
He was deceived and was shot through the armpits,
Send Neeher Emshen Baatar to him right away,
It is time for brave warriors to go help him!
The army of the three Sharaidai khans
Is swarming like ants and maggots,
They are marching on the green slopes
Of the sandy Manhan mountain!
Go meet the demonic enemy in battle!
Go to save and protect this golden land!”
Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors,
His three hundred leaders of the army,
And his three thousand soldiers,
Were all drunk and red in the face,
Staggering and leaning on each other for support,
Walking around on bare feet,
They went up to the sandy Manhan mountain,
They met their enemy in a field of red thyme,
Their power and courage in their red blood,
Bones and flesh piled up,
Blood flowed in streams,
Black dust was swirling!
Ravens came from the south for their evening meal,
Ravens came from the north for their food for the night.
After this had happened,
The army of the three Sharaidai khans,
That swarmed like maggots and ants,
Came to the shores of the black lake,
To the shores of the Hatan River,
They surrounded the home of Abai Geser.
Abai Geser’s wife Alma Mergen,
Changed herself into Abai Geser,
Going out to meet the evil enemy
She shot arrows again and again,
Making a gap in the enemy forces,
She shot arrows again and again,
Making a breach in the enemy line.
The three Sharaidai khans made a commotion:
“It was a lie when we were told Geser was not home!
Abai Geser must have come back from hunting…”
They were very offended,
They were filled with regret.
They turned around and headed for their homes,
They turned around and rode toward their native land.
When malevolent Hara Zutan saw this happen,
Dark thoughts began to boil in his mind,
Evil thoughts were bubbling in his heart…
When this had happened
He caught his handsome grey horse
And got on its back and rode,
Going to catch up with the Sharaidai khans.
Chasing the army from behind,
His hoofbeats pounding the road,
Shouting after the retreating soldiers.
When Han Biruuza Noyon heard Hara Zutan
The white hairs bristled on the crown of his head,
His white teeth ground inside his mouth.
He turned around and yelled at Hara Zutan angrily:
“You said Abai Geser was away from home,
You did not say he had come back,
You play evil tricks and my soldiers die,
You are some kind of hateful demon?!”
He was very angry,
His mouth gaped in fury,
He grabbed Hara Zutan under his arms and squeezed,
So that his heart and lungs were coming out of his mouth.
Hara Zutan started screaming,
He begged him for mercy, saying:
“Ow! Ow! That hurts!
Why are you doing this?!
You are making a big mistake!
That was not Abai Geser,
It was his wife Alma Mergen,
She has deceived you,
She has tricked you!
A barren mare is tricky,
A woman will get tired,
When she runs out of arrows,
She will be like a bird without feathers,
She will be like any other woman!”
He lay before him bowing and scraping.

When Han Biruuza Noyon had heard this
He spared the life of Hara Zutan Noyon,
He once more went into battle.
He surrounded Alma Mergen’s house
With three rings of soldiers,
He attacked her from three directions.
There were so many soldiers attacking
That they darkened the heavens,
There were so many soldiers attacking
That they turned the earth black.
Abai Geser’s wife Alma Mergen
Once more turned herself into Geser,
She shot arrow after arrow,
Making a hole in their line,
She shot arrow after arrow,
Making a breach in their line.
The army of the Sharaidai khans
Swarmed like maggots and ants,
As numerous as blades of grass,
As numerous as a stand of reeds,
They attacked in wave after wave.
When this had happened
Alma Mergen ran out of arrows,
It was time for her to be captured by the enemy soldiers.
When this had happened
She gathered up thirteen magicks on her palms,
She made twenty three magicks dance on her fingers,
She flew up out of the north side of the palace,
She went back to the land of her father Uha Loson.

The army of the lords of the yellow river,
The soldiers of the three Sharaidai khans,
Who swarmed like maggots and ants,
Seeing that Alma Mergen had escaped,
Followed the course of the Hatan River,
Coming to the palace of Urmai Goohon.
When the demonic enemy attacked,
When the battle had begun,
They found Urmai Goohon was ready for them.
She stood holding Abai Geser’s hard steel sword,
She stood on the granite and silver threshold to meet them.
The hard steel sword made a noise as it cut flesh,
The silvery steel sword rang when it cut white bone.
Slicing through the necks of those who came on foot,
Striking off the heads of those who came on horseback…
When was happening,
The son of Sagaan Gerel Khan, Erhe Taija,
Rolled up his two sleeves above his elbows,
He tucked the skirts of his deel above his waist,
He ran charging at Urmai Goohon from the front,
When the son of Sagaan Gerel Khan came near,
Urmai Goohon sliced through Erhe Taija’s neck
Urmai Goohon struck off Erhe Taija’s head.
When this had happened,
When the three Sharaidai khans learned of this,
Their strength and courage was gone,
When they heard that their son was beheaded
They were filled with regret.
They had no more desire to continue the battle,
They lost their courage when the reason for the war was gone,
They regretted what they had done,
They pitied themselves for their mistake,
They turned around and headed for home,
They fled and rode back to their own land.
When he saw this happening
Malevolent Hara Zutan once more got on his stallion,
Catching up with the enemy soldiers
He stopped on the road before them.
He prostrated himself before Han Biruuza and said:
“What a fool you are,
How short-sighted you are,
You run away because you were defeated by a woman?
You flee because you were outdone in your deceit?
A barren mare is tricky,
A woman will get tired!
Make a decision for yourself!
Think about this well!
If you attack all as one group you will be killed,
If you attack from two sides you can capture her.”
When Hara Zutan Noyon had given this advice,
The army of the Sharaidai khans turned around again,
They attacked Urmai Goohon as he had suggested,
When they had finally captured her
They were very excited,
They rejoiced very much.
They put her in a silver cart drawn by three joroo horses,
They grabbed her by her arms and forced her to ride in it.
They then rode on their way back to their own land.
When Abai Geser’s wife Urmai Goohon,
Who was as beautiful as the red sun,
Had fallen into the enemies’ hands,
Had been tied onto their saddle thongs,
She cried out and lamented:
“What has happened when Abai Geser rode out on the hunt,
What has happened when Sargal Noyon is bent and old,
What has happened when Hara Zutan has evil thoughts,
What has happened when thirty three warriors were drunk,
What has happened when the three Sharaidai khans have so many soldiers,
What has happened when Urmai Goohon has remained so pure?..”
She was crying and mourning,
While she was going on her journey.
When this had happened,
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon
Was very afraid of the thirty three warriors,
Was terrified of his benevolent brother Sargal Noyon,
Being so consumed by fear
He cried out to the Sharaidai khans to assist him,
He shouted to them to help him, saying:
“Now that you have gotten what you wanted,
Will you not think of who made it possible,
Will you forget the past and future,
And go mindlessly back to your homes?
What foolish people you are,
What short sighted people you are!…
Do you think you have killed
Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors?
As long as benevolent Sargal Noyon is alive
If Abai Geser’s warriors are killed in one day
He can resurrect them on the following day!
They will go out again to fight their evil enemy!
When we were doing what we have done
My older brother benevolent Sargal Noyon
Lay hiding by the white reedy lake.
Send a strong warrior to sneak up on him,
Send him to the white reedy lake,
To shoot him with an arrow and kill him!”
Speaking evil jealous words,
He was disgracing himself,
The leader of the army
Of the three Sharaidai khans,
Han Biruuza Noyon,
Said to Buhe Sagaan Mangilai:
“Abai Geser’s uncle Sargal Noyon
Is hiding at the white reedy lake;
Sneak up on him and shoot him,
Strike off his black round head,
Hang it on your lovely steed and come back!”
He sent the warrior on this errand.

Buhe Sagaan Mangilai took his bow and arrows,
He rode stealthily to the white reedy lake.
He shot Sargal Noyon as he hid in the reeds,
He shot Abai Geser’s uncle in the head,
He struck off the old man’s head with his sword,
He made his poor black head into a ball,
He turned his two arms into whips.

When she had seen what had happened,
Abai Geser’s wife Urmai Goohon,
Who was as lovely as the red sun said:
“Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon,
Who thinks jealous and dark thoughts,
Will disgrace himself in his wickedness,”
She looked up and cried,
She looked down and was very sad.

When this had happened she said:
“You have taken me alone from my home,
You have stolen me away from my relatives,
Give me my husband’s uncle’s head,
Do not argue with my request.”
She begged the three Sharaidai khans,
Bowing to them and asking for their favor.
Some of the Sharaidai khans’ people
Said that they should give it to her,
Some of the Sharaidai khans’ people
Said that they should not let her have it.
Han Biruuza Noyon thought that
Since they had decisively defeated him
He believed there was no harm in giving it:
“Why not let her have that ugly thing,
We have tied her onto our saddle thongs,
Where can she escape to,
Where can she run off to?”
He gave Urmai Goohon
Sargal Noyon’s head
Covered with whitish grey hair,
He gave it to Urmai Goohon
To be her friend on the journey.
Abai Geser’s wife Urmai Goohon,
Who was as beautiful as the red sun,
Took Sargal Noyon Khan’s head,
She washed it in the arshaan of nine springs,
She smudged it with the thyme of nine mountains.
When she had done this she said:
“Go to the fifty five tenger of the west,
Go to her who swaddled a thousand white gods,
Go to her who raised up ten thousand tenger,
Go to her who protects a thousand gods,
Go to her who supports ten thousand tenger,
Go to her with the silver cup,
Go to Manzan Gurme Toodei,
Land on top of her chest!…”
When she had said these words,
She threw Sargal Noyon’s head into the sky,
The head purified by the waters of nine springs,
The head smudged with the thyme of nine mountains,
Sargal Noyon’s handsome round head
Flew upwards into the heavens,
It was flying with a great noise.
When the three Sharaidai khans saw what had happened
The most skillful of their archers could not shoot it,
The most quick of their archers could not hit it.
The whitish grey head
Of benevolent Sargal Noyon
Flew upwards into the sky,
Passing the thirteen layers of the heavens
It came to her who protects a thousand gods,
She who supports ten thousand tenger,
She who has the great silver cup,
Grandmother Manzan Gurme Toodei–
It fell rolling on the breast of her deel.
When she had seen what had happened,
Manzan Gurme Toodei of the silver cup
Was choked up in her throat,
She slapped her two shins,
She was very surprised,
She was very astonished,
When this had happened
She opened the great book with her thumb,
Reading it from its very beginning,
Looking at everything up to the most recent time,
Reading the book of fate from its roots,
Researching it up to its growing tips,
When she read she saw that
In the valley of the Muren River,
By the shores of the eternal lake,
In the valley of the Hatan River,
By the shores of the black lake,
Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors,
Fought in the fields of red thyme
At the foot of the sandy Manhan mountain,
Until blood was flowing in streams,
Until flesh and bones were piled up,
They had become figures of stone,
They could be seen lying there.
During the time when Abai Geser was hunting,
The Sharaidai khans who ruled the yellow river
Opened the door of war and went on the warpath,
They had gone to steal and abduct Urmai Goohon
Who was as beautiful as the red sun.
The goddess who had the silver cup,
Grandmother Manzan Gurme Toodei,
Called for Geser’s three pretty older sisters,
She sent them quickly down to the earth.
When the three older sisters came down to the earth
They took on the form of three ongoli birds.
They pursued and found their brother
Hunting among the ridges of the Altai Mountains,
They met him in the twenty three ranges of the Huhii taiga.
When they met and embraced their brother Abai Geser
They explained everything that happened from the beginning,
They told him all that happened up to the most recent time.
Explaining what had happened from the beginning,
They told him what had happened to the present:
“The three Sharaidai khans that rule the yellow river,
Have gone on the warpath and gone on the road to battle,
Your thirty three warriors,
Your three hundred leaders of the army,
Your three thousand soldiers,
Lie on the fields of red thyme
Below the green slopes
Of the sandy Manhan mountain,
Their blood flowed in streams,
They have turned into stone statues.
Your wife Urmai Goohon
Who is beautiful as the red sun,
Fought bravely in battle,
She has been taken as plunder;
Your wife Alma Mergen
Who is beautiful like the golden sun,
Being defeated in battle
Returned to the kingdom
Of her father Uha Loson.
The warrior Buhe Sagaan Mangilai
Of the three Sharaidai khans
Struck off the head of your uncle Sargal Noyon,
He hung his round head as an ornament on his horse.
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon
Has jealously allied himself with the enemy,
He has disgraced himself with his treachery.
The lords of the valley of the yellow river,
The three Sharaidai khans,
Have brought danger to your golden land,
Piling up heaps of bones,
Pouring out streams of blood.
They will kill your subjects with hunger and thirst,
They will kill your herds with plague and anthrax.”
When they had said these things
Geser’s three pretty older sisters
Flew up into the sky,
They returned to the upper world…

When Abai Geser had heard what had happened,
He looked up and cried,
He looked down and was sad.
The tears from his right eye flowed into Baikal,
The tears from his left eye flowed into the Lena River.
When this had happened
He mounted Beligen the bay horse,
The steed mighty in body,
The horse with wisdom in his bones,
He pulled on the right rein,
He left the ten ranges of the Altai Mountains,
He rode toward his home,
He left the twenty ranges of the Huhii taiga,
He galloped toward his native land.
When he rode at a gentle pace
His horse left tracks as big as cups,
When he rode very quickly
His horse left a trail like a trench.
They flew just above the fluffy white clouds,
They flew just below the edge of the blue sky,
They were flying like the eagle,
They were soaring like the hawk,
They landed on the slopes of the sandy Manhan mountain,
They looked sadly on the site of the recent battle.
They looked with regret at where their friends had died…
When this had happened
Geser’s father Sengelen Noyon,
Who had accompanied his son in his travels,
Came up on the slopes of the sandy Manhan mountain.
When Geser came to the fields of red thyme
On the slopes of the sandy Manhan mountain,
He saw his thirty three warriors,
His three hundred leaders of the army,
His three thousand soldiers,
Turned into stone statues.
When he had seen them,
When he had embraced them,
Abai Geser’s heart pounded in his chest,
His white tendons were twitching.
When he looked down he was weeping,
When he looked up he was crestfallen.
When he was hugging the stone figures
Of two of his fallen warriors in that place
He fell to the ground unconscious…
Abai Geser’s father Sengelen Noyon
Was very greatly frightened,
He did not know what to do.
He thought very much about what to do,
He spoke many words to himself.
Swearing to rescue and do ariulga for Geser
He gathered the herb called the blue beard of heaven,
He smudged his son so he would be cleansed.
When Abai Geser’s amin once again entered his body
He went to resurrect his thirty three warriors,
Restoring their gol to their bodies,
He made his three hundred leaders of the army rise up,
He made his three thousand soldiers like they were before.

Abai Geser greeted his thirty three warriors,
His three hundred leaders of the army,
His three thousand soldiers,
Embracing them one by one,
Meeting them one by one.
They rejoiced very much,
They were very excited.
When this had happened
Abai Geser went to the house
Of his father Sengelen Noyon,
Followed by his thirty three warriors,
His three hundred leaders of the army,
And his three thousand warriors.
He met and embraced his two wives,
Alma Mergen and Tumen Jargalan.

When this had happened
Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors,
His three hundred leaders of the army,
And his three thousand soldiers,
Went looking to shoot Hara Zutan Noyon,
They wasted arrows shooting when they saw him,
Saying that they were jealous and angry,
Chasing him for revenge and for their wrath,
They went out riding their horses,
They went taking staves to beat him.
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon
Knew what was happening,
Knew what it meant,
Having lost hope he tried to ride away,
Having lost self respect he was ready to be caught,
Having lost his abilities he was trying to run away.
When this had happened
He went quickly to his nephew Abai Geser saying:
“Save my life and old age,
Save my skin and flesh.”
He prostrated himself and begged,
He lay crying and carrying on in their midst.
Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors,
His three hundred leaders of his army,
And his three thousand soldiers
Came in pursuit of Hara Zutan,
They said to Abai Geser:
“Where did Hara Zutan run off to?”
They looked for him inside the houses,
They were unable to find him,
They looked in the rivers and lakes,
The could not see him,
When they could not find malevolent Hara Zutan
They became very angry,
They gaped their mouths in fury.
They said to Abai Geser:
“You save him when we want to kill him,
You forgive him when he ought to die!
If you try to rescue Hara Zutan Noyon
We will attack you with our yellow steel knives!”
Thirty three warriors were ready to fight with Geser.
Abai Geser opened up his right hand and showed them,
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon had become tiny,
So small he hid in the shadow of Geser’s little finger,
So tiny that they could hardly see him,
With snot and drool running from his nose and mouth,
He was bowing and scraping begging for mercy.
Abai Geser’s thirty three warriors,
His three hundred leaders of the army,
And his three thousand soldiers
Ground their teeth in their anger,
Their bodies trembled with fury,
Unable to cut off Abai Geser’s little finger
They swore and cursed Hara Zutan Noyon…
At the moment when the thirty three warriors came in,
When Hara Zutan was sitting on the palm of Geser’s hand,
The malevolent prince was talking and dusting off his tobacco pouch,
When he could not talk from fear he was bowing and scraping.
He knew he was about to depart from the golden world,
He was still thinking evil and deceitful thoughts,
He realized that he was about to die…
Abai Geser said to his uncle Hara Zutan
That his evil deceit had come to an end,
That he would go up to a place suitable to him,
That he would go to the place that he deserved,
He then sent Hara Zutan on his way.
The tea that Hara Zutan was drinking drooled from his mouth,
The smoke that he drew from his pipe escaped from his lips.
Malevolent Hara Zutan curled up next to the western wall,
He lay on the ground dead, his body twisted and contorted:
One eye was squinting,
One eye was open,
One arm was stretched out,
One arm was bent,
One leg was stretched out,
One leg was bent,
When he lay there dead
His body was twisted and bent.

Abai Geser then said:
“My uncle Hara Zutan Noyon,
Why do you die so badly?
If a person dies with his eyes open
It is bad luck for his children.
I will block up the eye that will not close
With ashes and dirt.”
He reached into the gulamta
And took a handful of ashes,
He closed the eye that was squinting,
He blocked up the eye that was open.
When Abai Geser looked at the arm
That was stretched out he said:
“My uncle Hara Zutan Noyon,
Why do you die so badly?
If a person dies with his arm stretched out
It is bad luck for his family and children.
I will cut the tendons in your arm
And bent it onto your chest.”
He took out his yellow steel knife
Cutting the tendons in Hara Zutan’s arm and leg,
He bent the arm that was stretched out,
He straightened the leg that was bent.
When he had done this Geser said:
“Well, now Hara Zutan has died
As a man ought to die,
He lies as a man should lie.
We have sent him to a place suitable for him,
We have sent him to the place he deserves.”
He hitched Hara Zutan’s grey stallion to a sled,
Harnessing two brown horses on either side of him,
He drove the sled to a clearing in the taiga,
In the shadow of five big pine trees.
He put him there in accordance with custom,
He laid him there according to tradition.
When he had done this
He gathered up stumps and brush,
He gathered big and small trees,
He piled them up around Hara Zutan’s body,
He lit the funeral pyre in four places.
When he had done this
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon
Jumped out of the fire shouting “Ow! Ow!”
Abai Geser grabbed Hara Zutan
By the front of his clothing, saying:
“When a dead man comes back to life
It is bad luck for his children!”
He then threw him back into the red flames.
Malevolent Hara Zutan was completely scorched,
He once again jumped out of the fire.
Abai Geser seized him again saying:
“A man who lives a second time
Is bad luck for his household!”
He threw him back in the fire to burn.
Malevolent Hara Zutan Noyon
Twisted and curled up in the flames,
He jumped out of the fire once more.
Abai Geser grabbed him again,
Malevolent Hara Zutan said to his nephew:
“From this time onward I will stop making trouble,”
He ran away quickly and got his horse,
He then prostrated himself before Geser.
Abai Geser said to his uncle:
“If you do not stop as you promised,
I will throw you in the fire again.”
Thus he threatened to kill Hara Zutan
A final time if he did not behave.

After this had happened
Abai Geser returned to his home,
They brought him a golden table
And served him delicious food,
He drank milk liquor
Until he was red in the face.
He recalled what had happened from its very roots,
He pondered what had happened to the most recent time,
He sat there and said to his companions:
“What father’s son steals and then runs away?
What mother’s son steals and lives with his plunder?!”
Anger and bile boiled inside him,
His red heart pounded in his chest,
He white tendons twitched in his shins.
When this had happened
He decided to rescue Urmai Goohon
Who was as beautiful as the red sun,
He prepared to go to battle
With the three Sharaidai khans.
When he did this
He prepared Beligen the bay horse,
The steed mighty in body
With wisdom in his bones.
He lay a silk-edged saddle blanket on his back,
He lay on a silver chased saddle,
He put a silver crupper over his hips
That would not let the saddle slip forward on the steepest slope,
He lay silver breast straps over his shoulders
That would not let the saddle slip backward on the steepest slope,
He adjusted a girth of ten straps
That would not come loose for ten years,
He tightened a girth of twenty straps
That would not come loose for twenty years,
He tied the lovely reins to the saddle horn,
He tethered his horse at the silver hitching post.
When he had finished he said:
“Now that I have prepared my horse
I will prepare my body!”
He pulled on his black pants
Sewn from the hides of seventy deer,
He tugged on his black fishskin boots,
He pulled on his fine silk deel
That he always wore in battle,
He buttoned its seventy brass buttons
With the strength of his thumbs.
He turned around dusting off dirt and trash from his clothing,
He dressed and brushed off dust and dirt from his clothing,
He took his sash that was ten ells long,
That was decorated with gold and silver,
He wound it tightly around his waist.
He put black iron armor over his back,
That could not be penetrated by seven days of rain,
That could not be pierced by seventy arrows,
He strapped his hard silvery sword on his left side,
The blade that could not be scratched by the hardest white bone,
The sword that would not be melted by the hottest black blood,
He hung his broad silver bowcase on his left side,
He hung his silver decorated quiver on his left side,
He put his heroic yellow bow of seventy laminations in its case,
He put seventy five arrows in his quiver,
He put ninety five arrows in his quiver,
So that they would be of help in the cold of winter,
So that they would be like shade in the heat of summer.
He put silver armor like wings over his shoulders,
He put forged iron armor over his breast,
He put his mink fur hat on his head,
That was as big as a haystack,
That was decorated with broad tassels;
He hung his helmet of silvery steel behind his head.
He put armor on his chest
So he could not be defeated by arrows,
He put armor on his back
So he could not be conquered by bladed weapons.
He was shining like the sun,
He was rustling like a tree in full leaf.
After he had done this
He melted spider oil in his mouth
So he would not be hungry for ten years,
He anointed his nose with worm oil
So he would not be hungry for twenty years.
When he was finished
He opened the massive pearly door in a beautiful way,
He stepped over the granite threshold in a pure way.
He walked without stumbling over the silver steps
That a mare and her foal could run on,
He walked without erring over the silver walkway
That a mare and her colt could run on.
He came to the silver hitching post with eighty rings,
He pulled loose the red reins of his horse,
He spoke a blessing over Beligen the bay horse,
The horse mighty in body,
With wisdom in his bones,
Geser spoke magic words over his rump,
So that he became like a foal,
He spoke magic words over his shoulders,
So that he became like a colt.
After he had done this
He took the lovely reins in his right hand,
He put his foot into a massive silver stirrup,
He swung into his silver decorated saddle.
He pulled the right rein of Beligen the bay horse,
He turned his steed in the direction of the sun,
He rode off to rescue his wife Urmai Goohon,
Who was as beautiful as the red sun.
While he was riding Abai Geser said:
“My heroic yellow bow of seventy laminations
Will not break when I am in battle,
My golden arrows that cut in forty ways,
My arrowheads with four blades will not miss their mark,
My blade that is eight ells long,
With magic in its steel and magic words inscribed on its hilt,
Will not have a chance to become rusty!”
While he said these words
Abai Geser headed toward the lands of the distant east,
He traveled in the direction of the land of the yellow river.
When he traveled on the khan’s straight road,
The trotting of his horse was like thunder,
When he rode over the people’s broad road,
The hoofbeats of his steed struck sparks.
He trotted over the peaks of mountains,
He galloped over the treetops.
He passed the border of his nurturing native land,
He crossed the border of a strange foreign land.
After this had happened
He pulled the reins of his horse and stopped
Next to a red pine out on a white field.
Abai Geser gathered twelve magicks on his palms,
He made twenty three magicks dance on his fingers:
He turned Beligen the bay horse into a brownish colt,
With a saddle blanket of burlap and a rawhide saddle.
He turned himself into an old man with brownish skin,
With a deel full of holes and white hair like spikes.
When Abai Geser became an old man riding a brownish colt
He rode onwards from there,
Even if his destination was far he continued,
Even if the rivers were wide he crossed and rode on.

This having happened,
The lords of the valley of the yellow river,
The three Sharaidai khans,
Those evil beings mighty in magic,
Those demons of great sorcerous power,
Had erected a barrier blocking the road,
So that nothing could go through above,
So that nothing could pass through below,
Two stony mountain cliffs clashed together
Like the gnashing of great black teeth,
Like the smacking of giant red lips.
So that winged creatures could not fly past,
So that hoofed animals could not pass through.
Sucking in and chewing up
As they opened and closed
Again and again.
When Abai Geser came to the two mountains blocking his way
He turned his brownish colt into a flint and put it in his pocket.
He dug down below the two mountains,
He severed and broke their roots,
The barrier erected by the Sharaidai khans
Broke and came tumbling down,
Opening a pass through which he could travel.
This having happened
Abai Geser traveled in the form of an old man
Supporting himself with a wooden staff,
He went through the mountain pass,
He went beyond the two mountains,
He neared the homes of the three Sharaidai khans,
He went to sleep by a bubbling spring on the side of the road.
When this had happened
The seventy three daughters of the Sharaidai khans
Came to draw water from the bubbling spring,
Seventy two girls disrespected the old man and stepped over him,
The seventy third girl scolded them, saying:
“You violate the customs of women
By stepping over the old man,”
Then she walked around him according to women’s custom.
The brown old man awoke and asked the seventy third daughter:
“Who does this spring belong to,
Who drinks this water?”
When he had asked her the seventy third daughter replied:
“Old men are deceitful,
Mountain passes have a hole,”
She then forgot her wariness,
She told him true words:
“The three Sharaidai khans
Captured Abai Geser’s wife Urmai Goohon,
They went on the path of war and battle,
They stole her and brought her as plunder.
Urmai Goohon who is as beautiful as the sun
Was to be married to Sagaan Gerel Khan,
But because she fights and resists
She is confined in a dark and cold house,
She is locked in and lives there alone.
She is being pressured and made to suffer.”
When Abai Geser had heard this
His red heart was pounding in his chest,
His white tendons twitched in his shins.
“What kind of monster forces a woman to marry him?
What kind of evil man abuses a guest he has abducted?
Do you go in to her to give her water to drink?
Do you see her face and talk to her?”
The old man wanted to learn as much as he could.
The seventy third daughter of the khans replied:
“When I bring the water I do not go in and see her,
We pour the water into a trough from outside.”
When Abai Geser had heard this
He took off his golden ring,
Dropping it into the girl’s bucket.
The seventy third girl caught up with the others,
When she poured the contents of her pail into the trough,
Abai Geser’s golden ring rolled in with the water,
The ring came tumbling into Urmai Goohon’s hand.
Inside the cold and dark house
A light began to shine,
Inside her sad and woeful heart
Happiness began to grow.
Urmai Goohon kissed Abai Geser’s golden ring,
She put it on the crown of her head,
Saying it was her star of destiny,
She hugged it against her chest,
Saying it was her fortune and joy.
The hero Abai Geser had come to save her,
He said that he came to defeat his jealous enemy,
He said that he came to make the happy raven be sad,
When he looked up he was smiling,
When he looked down he was crying.
When the yellow sun arose on the following morning
The brown old man arose and came close
To the palace of the three Sharaidai khans.
He lay on a mountain pass for three days,
Watching and observing that they did.
He saw that the three Sharaidai khans
Were evil beings mighty in magic,
Were demons of great sorcerous power.
Abai Geser gathered twelve magicks on his palms,
He made twenty three magicks dance on his fingers,
When he had done this he came to the front
Of the palace of the three Sharaidai khans,
He turned himself into a little baby
And lay there crying and bawling.
When the white oldest khan saw what had happened,
He went and looked at him using his magic powers,
When he looked at the baby’s cheek
He could tell what his powers and abilities were,
When he examined the little baby boy
He could see that he would be a great warrior.
The white oldest brother of the Sharaidai khans,
Sagaan Gerel Khan said:
“When a boy is born he is a friend to warriors,
When a foal is born he is a friend to horses!”
He adopted the boy and lay him in a cradle.
Every day the boy got bigger and bigger,
Every night he became taller and taller,
He became too big to sleep under a sheepskin,
He became too big to sleep under a cowhide.
Even when he had become big
People referred to him as “the baby,”
Because he was a boy who had been found
They gave him the name Olzoboi (foundling).
The lords of the valley of the yellow river,
The three Sharaidai khans,
Struck a golden drum to call their subjects from the north,
They hit a silver drum to call their subjects from the south.
They served meat and fat in portions as big as a hill,
They poured liquor and wine in portions as big as a lake.
The party lasted for eight days,
On the ninth day there was great discussion.
When this was happening
The mightiest of the Sharaidai khans’ soldiers,
Buhe Sagaan Mangilai,
Boasted about the strength of his body:
“When we abducted Abai Geser’s wife Urmai Goohon
I used this bow to shoot his thirty three warriors!”
He spoke happily and arrogantly.
The Sharaidai khans’ archers gathered around him,
They all tried to draw his stiff yellow horn bow.
When they tried to pull their strength failed,
When they tried to draw back they could not do it,
The white hairs on the crowns of their heads bristled in frustration,
The white teeth in their mouths were grinding in anger…
When this was happening
The foundling boy Olzoboi came among them,
He took the yellow horn bow from them, saying:
“Some warriors can pull a bow,
So warriors are too weak,”
And he clicked his tongue at them.
Some of the people in the party
Said that he could draw it,
Some of the guests at the feast
Said that they would watch.
The foundling Olzoboi began pulling the string,
His strong thumb pulled the string back to his shoulder;
Pulling with all his strength he pulled it back further,
The people at the party said “Pull, pull!”
Pulling with all his strength he pulled it even further,
The guests at the feast shouted “Pull, pull!”
Olzoboi pulled with Abai Geser’s strength,
He pulled the string back further than before.
The people at the party were laughing and smiling,
The guests at the feast urged in on shouting “Pull!”
They praised the foundling boy Olzoboi,
Making his power even greater,
Making him grow even stronger,
He bent the bow as far back as his hip,
He bent the bow even with the small of his back.
Buhe Sagaan Mangilai’s yellow bow
Broke into three pieces,
Fragments scattered in three directions.
When Buhe Sagaan Mangilai saw his bow break
He was greatly surprised,
He was very astonished,
“You have become something to frighten Abai Geser,
You have broken the bow I carry into battle!”
He was very angry,
His mouth gaped in anger.
He grabbed Olzoboi’s two arms and started wrestling.
The people at the party shouted “Olzoboi, fight!”
The guests at the feast urged him on saying “Go, Olzoboi!”
Olzoboi made himself even stronger,
His face turned red as he fought,
He wrestled with all his might,
It was soon obvious he would win.
Anger and bile boiled inside Abai Geser,
Hatred smoldered inside him;
Anger and wrath boiled in his heart,
His hate became a red blazing fire.
His fury made the foundling Olzoboi stronger,
He snatched up Buhe Sagaan Mangilai like an eagle,
He squeezed his body until his ribs were bending,
He squeezed him until his ribs were breaking,
He grabbed him behind the knee and threw him down,
Buhe Sagaan Mangilai lay at his feet.
Olzoboi grabbed him around the hips,
He swung him back and forth,
Until his two ears were bulging,
Until his two little toes were bulging,
He threw him so that he landed beyond three mountains!…

When the lords of the yellow river,
The three Sharaidai khans,
Saw what had happened they said:
“A warrior has come
Who can accomplish what we want,
A warrior has been born
Who can complete what we desire,
If Abai Geser were to come here,
Olzoboi has the strength to fight and defeat him!”
They were very excited,
They rejoiced very much.
After this had happened
Two groups of the Sharaidai khans’ subjects
Went to find Buhe Sagaan Mangilai,
One group went with crowbars,
One group went with shovels,
They surrounded Buhe Sagaan Mangilai and started digging,
When they turned over the dirt it chafed his arms and legs.
The foundling Olzoboi watched and said:
“It is contrary to the customs of men
To dig and pry out a man
Who was thrown down in a fight,”
He grabbed Buhe Sagaan Mangilai by his foot
And yanked him out of the ground.
After this had happened
Abai Geser summoned his thirty three warriors,
His three hundred leaders of the army,
And his three thousand soldiers.
When they heard Abai Geser’s call
They understood what was happening,
They knew what it meant.
After they had heard him they rode to battle,
The dust they raised turned the sky dark,
The hoofbeats of their horses shook the earth,
They rode in the direction of the yellow lake,
They traveled toward the valley of the yellow river.
Their armor clanked with a deafening noise,
Their hair waved in the breeze as they rode to war.
When the lords of the yellow river,
The three Sharaidai khans,
Knew that Geser’s thirty three warriors were coming,
That his three hundred leaders of the army were approaching,
The his three thousand soldiers were marching,
When they realized the terrible danger,
They understood what was happening,
They knew what it meant.
They summoned their warriors and archers,
They gathered up their soldiers and troops,
Those who fought on foot stood in formation,
Those who rode horses mounted their steeds.
They prepared the foundling Olzoboi for war,
They let him carry the standard when they went into battle.
The soldiers and troops marched behind Olzoboi;
Olzoboi led the army of the three Sharaidai khans,
Their marching made dust rise up to the sky,
Their footsteps kicked rocks on the earth.
Marching and riding,
Going and going,
The two enemy armies
Came together from two directions…
They battled on a field of red thyme,
They met by the black waters of a bend in the river,
Arrowheads sang the song of the arrow,
Arrows whistled the song of the arrow…
When this was happening
Abai Geser returned to his true body,
His round face was showing,
He resumed his original appearance,
His red face was showing.
He jumped on the back of Beligen the bay horse,
The steed mighty in body
With wisdom in his bones.
He greeted his thirty three warriors,
His three hundred leaders of the army,
And his three thousand soldiers.
They fought the army of the Sharaidai khans
That swarmed like maggots and ants,
They fought with spear and sword
Until the heavens turned dark,
Flesh and bones piled up like a hill,
Blood was running in streams.
Before the day was finished
An entire generation of the enemy lay dead,
Before it had become night
The trash who opposed them were vanquished.
When this was happening,
When the lords of the yellow river
The three Sharaidai khans,
Watched the armies thundering in battle.
Thoughts were stirring in their minds,
They spoke many words to themselves.
They were very surprised,
They were very astonished.
They gathered twelve magicks on their palms,
The made twenty three magicks dance on their fingers.
When they realized how Abai Geser had deceived them
The regretted their foolishness and naiveté…
They struck their golden drum,
Summoning their subjects from the north,
They struck their silver drum,
Gathering their subjects from the south.
They appointed Han Biruuza as their general,
They appointed Buhe Sagaan Mangilai to lead the army.
The soldiers were like the trees of the forest,
They were as thick as a stand of reeds,
They swarmed like maggots and ants,
They flowed like the waters of a flood,
They blew across the land like a mountain wind,
They stormed like the snow of a blizzard.
When the soldiers of the three Sharaidai khans
That swarmed like maggots and ants,
Approached the battlefield covered with red thyme,
When they came to the bend in the river of black water,
Abai Geser and his thirty three warriors,
His three hundred leaders of the army,
And his three thousand soldiers,
Met the enemy with courage in their red blood,
They attacked their enemy with rage in their black blood.
They stretched their bows,
They raised their swords and spears,
They piled up a hill of bones,
They piled up a hill of flesh.
The enemy baaed like goats,
Their foes cried like fawns,
Before the day was finished
An entire generation of the enemy lay dead,
Before it had become night
The trash who opposed them were vanquished.
When this was happening
Buidan Ulaan Baatar fought Buhe Sagaan Mangilai,
Flying at each other like eagles,
Buidan Ulaan Baatar fought with passion,
Buhe Sagaan Mangilai lost his strength,
He was ready to die.
When Buidan Ulaan Baatar remembered Sargal Noyon
Rage and hatred for Buhe Sagaan Mangilai boiled in his heart,
He grabbed his enemy behind the knee and threw him down,
When Buhe Sagaan Mangilai lay at his feet he shouted:
“You devil did a terrible thing,
Have a taste of your own deed,
You who did a treacherous thing,
See how you like your own punishment!”
He unsheathed his yellow steel sword,
He killed Buhe Sagaan Mangilai by cutting off his head.

Abai Geser and his thirty three warriors,
His three hundred leaders of the army,
And his three thousand warriors
Went to the palace of the lords of the yellow river,
They entered the home of the Sharaidai khans…

Abai Geser and his thirty three warriors,
His three hundred leaders of the army,
And his three thousand warriors,
Appearing like the rulers of the land,
Looking like a party going to a feast,
Approached the home of the Sharaidai khans.
Abai Geser shouted with the voices of a thousand stags,
He yelled with the voices of ten thousand stags,
He shouted loud enough to break mountains,
He yelled loud enough to crack cliffs,
He shouted loud enough to topple standing stones,
He yelled loud enough to crumble rocks.
His shouts made the heavens tremble,
His cries made the earth shake,
His shouts made waves splash on the shore of the Milk Sea,
His cries made the world mountain Humber Uula quake.

When this had happened
The three Sharaidai khans
Tried to find a way to save their own skins,
When the terrible Abai Geser came in
They were very frightened,
They were very scared.
When they had become powerless to fight Geser,
They thought dark thoughts of how to trick him:
“Save our lives and our souls,
Save our skin and bones!…”
They prostrated themselves before him,
They lay crying and weeping.
When Abai Geser saw this
He was repulsed by them:
“You came to my lands,
Destroying my people with arrows,
You killed my people and made them suffer.
You executed my uncle Sargal Noyon!
You took away my wife Urmai Goohon as plunder!”
It was time for the Sharaidai khans to die,
Their faces turned white in fear for their lives,
They lay on the ground licking dust and sand:
“Spare my red gol,
Spare my heart and lungs!..”
They begged as they crawled at his feet
Lying helpless like moss and foam.
Abai Geser said to them:
“I am not a man who thrives on hate and revenge,
I am not a man who follows jealousy and hatred.
Those who cause trouble and injury,
The demons who spread suffering,
Are the ones who taste my anger!
Those who tire the people with danger and crime,
The enemies who brandish their spears,
Are the one who receive my punishment!”
When he had said this
The Sharaidai khans swore an oath:
From that time forward,
Two times becoming as one,
They would not cause hunger and thirst in the world,
They would not take up their weapons against the people.

When this had happened
Abai Geser went to his wife Urmai Goohon,
Who was as beautiful as the red sun.
He greeted her with good wishes for the day,
He embraced her with good words for the month.

The hero Abai Geser,
Who had defeated the greatest enemies,
Who had conquered the greatest obstacles,
Galloped in the direction of his home,
He rode toward his native land.
He hitched three joroo horses
To a bright silver carriage,
He sat Urmai Goohon in it for the ride home,
Followed by his thirty three warriors,
His three hundred leaders of the army,
And his three thousand soldiers,
Abai Geser traveled with all his might,
They went as fast as they could.
They passed the border of the strange foreign land,
They crossed the border of their nurturing native land,
Even if their home was far they went on,
Even if the rivers were wide they crossed.
When they came to the shores of the eternal yellow lake,
When they came to the banks of the Muren River,
Abai Geser’s wives Tumen Jargalan and Alma Mergen,
And his father Sengelen Noyon
Struck the golden drum and summoned the people from the north,
Hit the silver drum and called the people from the south.
When Geser came to the shores of the eternal yellow lake,
When he came to the shores of the Muren River,
Having gone where he intended with destiny and fortune,
Having traveled with destiny, luck and success,
Abai Geser and his wife Urmai Goohon,
His thirty three warriors,
His three hundred leaders of the army,
And his three thousand soldiers,
Were greeted with drinks and milk foods…
When Abai Geser came to his house,
He said that good times had returned,
He gathered up his bow and arrows,
He said that peaceful times has returned,
He put away his bow and quiver.
Meat and fat were served in portions as big as a hill,
Liquor and wine were served in portions as big as a lake
The party lasted for eight days,
On the ninth day there was much discussion,
On the tenth day the guests sobered up,
And the people returned to their homes.
He who had defeated indefatigable enemies,
He who had conquered unconquerable foes,
The hero Abai Geser,
Put his steed out to pasture,
He stored his bowcase in a chest.
In the valley of the Muren River,
By the shores of the eternal lake,
In the valley of the Hatan River,
By the shores of the black lake,
Drinking the water that he drank,
Living in the land of his birth,
Bringing peace and happiness to the people,
Having suppressed the demonic enemies in battle,
Abai Geser lived with his three beautiful wives,
With his thirty three warriors,
His three hundred leader of the army,
And three thousand soldiers,
Eating three satisfying meals a day,
Celebrating three feasts a year!

Geser Comes Down to Earth Part 1

Geser Comes Down to Earth Part 2

Geser Comes Down to Earth Part 3

Abai Geser the First Branch

Conclusion of the First Branch

The Third Branch Arhan Hara Shutger

Gal Nurma Khan Part 1

Gal Nurma Khan (Part 2) The Fourth Branch

Orgoli the Giant Tiger The Fifth Branch

Sherem Minaata Khan The Sixth Branch

The Battle with Abarga Sesen Mangadhai The Seventh Branch

The Battle with Loir Hara Lobsogoldoi The Eighth Branch