Glorious is our noble Thamada, Glorious is Nasren the Longbeard! He sits in the saddle - to people's wonder - A horse's mane under his beard, A proud horse, like a valuable cloak, Covered with a silver-foamed wave. Thamada is riding - a fur coat saddled, marvel at the abundance of strength, the world! The links of chain mail shine in the sun, - There is nothing like it in the whole district. They slaughter fat sheep for Nasren, Everyone is constantly looking for Nasren. If the security of Tlebitsa weakens, he will be notified immediately. Nasren-Thamada orders the foot and horsemen to call for battle. The grasses bend lower and lower: Near Psyzh, on the shore, the head detachment stood, and the last one stood near Harama Mountain. Longbeard saddles his horse, Longbeard rings his sword. Nasren rides in the lead detachment, As befits a thamada - he is brave.
The sledges dismounted near Indyl, and Loz was cut down for a hut. The Narts said to their friend: “We ask you to do us a favor: Ashi the heir, Ashamez, Let us see in your ranks.” The longbeard calls Aryksha, and orders him to gallop after Ashamez. Arykshu rides, Arykshu gallops, Here he enters a familiar courtyard. They came out to meet us: “You are welcome, Be our guest.” - And he answered: “No, I won’t get off my horse, I’m going to Ashamez, where is Ashamez?” “Ashamez has this custom: He tears the straps from the bull’s skin and crawls out of the cradle, - He runs off to play alchiki.” “So this is a little boy; will the Nart play alchiki?!” Arykshu soon returned to the army: “Woe to your gray hairs, Nasren! You dishonored me before people - you forced me to go after a suckling!” * * * As soon as Ashamez appeared on the ice, everyone ran away from the opponent. Only Kuitsuk is not afraid of him. “Do you want to fight me, Kuitsuk?” “Okay, but if someone loses, Don’t take back the bones.” We agreed. Kuitsuk is unprepossessing. Although he is unlucky in the game, he is cunning... But the agreement is forgotten by Ashamez: He wants to return the loss. “No, forget about it and think about it, May the God of heaven strike me!” Then Ashamez took the reindeer calf, deftly grabbed Kuitsuk on the forehead, and dragged him along the ice by his feet. “If you became a stern knight, you would avenge your father’s death!” And Ashamez turned white with anger, Alchiki left and said: “Thank you for the direct word, Long life to you, live, But name my father’s murderer, Oh, name my father’s murderer! Alchiki will leave everything to you, I’ll add seventy-five to you, And you’ll take three more deer, As soon as you name the father’s murderer.”
“I won’t name you the murderer, I can’t name you, Let your mother name the murderer, You can achieve the truth like this: You can better pretend to be sick, As if your stomach hurts, Fried barley, they say, helps, Give me some barley, quickly, And save me from torment. Demand, but don’t take from the dish, Persuade a handful to take it in your hands, And when he takes it, he’ll bring it to you, - As if from torment Squeeze her hands - The mother will name the killer.” And Ashamez flew away like a bird, lays down at home, cries, screams, as if his stomach was writhing, he sobs more and more bitterly. The mother was sitting with the neighbors at that hour. She heard a scream and ran home.
“Oh, my son, my thin-walled Nart, what happened to you, what happened to you? Do me a favor, son, open up to your mother!” “Oh, my dear, I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I’m tormented by pain, I can’t stand it!” “Oh, my son, my thin-walled Nart, what can I do for you?”
“My dear mother, There is a cure, I know. I feel sorry for my young life, Fry me barley!” “Oh, my son, my slender Nart, Oh, my beloved Firstborn! This is not yours, but someone else’s word, Who taught you such a trick?”
“Oh, my dear, I don’t know anyone, This is not an instigation - I won’t endure the torment! Give me, pitying me, Barley quickly, Help my son, - I’ll leave the White Light!” “Oh, my son, my thin-walled Nart, Here’s barley for you, fried, hot.”
Ashamez cries, He does not take the pile of hot grains from the dish, He knocks the clay dish out of his hands. “Oh, my son, the desired firstborn, I just don’t understand. What do you need?” “Oh, my dear, I wish for barley from the hands of my dear, affectionate, loved ones!” “Oh, my son, my thin-walled Nart, Oh, my beloved one, I’ll burn my hands.”
Still, she took the barley, - On her palms, Even though the fire scorched them, she gave it to her son. He jumped up and squeezed her hands tightly, Burning the hands of the worthy Mother. “Oh, my son, the barley of my palms is burning!” the mother moans quietly. “My grief, my grief!” “My mother, guasha, The fire is burning my heart, A stone is crushing my chest! Help, dear... How can I live without knowing Who is my father’s murderer, With whom I must fight. You are my dear mother, You must tell me Who killed my dear one, Nartami’s beloved.”
“Oh, my son, my brave firstborn, No matter what you do, you can’t reach the villain. Now Nasren himself, Tormented by illness, stood with the Nart army at the Indyla River. Know: your father’s killer is the Evil Tlebitsa-beast. He is now far away, Between two seas. If you approach the wave, you will find death at the bottom.”
“Oh, my dear, I don’t know Fear. What do I need between the seas? It’s half a grief for me! Where can I find my father’s Horse again?” “Oh, my son, the White Alp is in the stable, The poor thing is bored, - He is unkempt. A huge boulder lay there in front of the door, The disobedient horse is menacing and stubborn. He stagnated, Always locked up. My woe, my woe, He will kill you!”
“Oh, my dear, I’ll mount my horse, Say just a word: Where is my father’s saddle?” “Oh, my son! Like a fire on the mountain, In a black chest is my father’s saddle.”
The son lets go of the kind hands, He takes out his father’s saddle, Three dogwood sticks are in his belt, He pushes away the stone with his foot, He enters the stable impatiently, He touches the horse’s mane and ears: “If you don’t listen to me, the gray wolves will eat you!” He threw up the saddle, tightened the girth, pulled his waist tightly with a belt and - onto the horse! A gray horse with arrogance, - He carries a sled into the skies; Behind the clouds is a fleet-footed sleigh, The sleigh broke the sticks on its back, But it curbed the dashing steed... It threatens it with a sharp piece of debris. The fearless horse slowed down his run and said to his rider: “If you are an exemplary sled, I will be your faithful horse!”
Then Ashamez descended to the ground, jumped off his broken horse, returned to the house and equipped himself, and the time had come to go on a hike. Glorious Ashi put on armor, - Away with all interference: he has become a sledge! The gray alpa saddles up again, deftly flies into the saddle again. “Mother,” he says, “see you happy meeting, I’m going far away!” And he goes. Above the hilt is a mighty eagle, The hounds are a cloud following the horse. A young man rides and jumps across the field - His glorious path has begun! Like a light cloud on a light alpine, He flies over his native land, Here he rushes over the forest edge. "What kind of bird is there?" - This is a pheasant. Instantly the eagle grabs the pheasant and gives the bird to its owner. The rider tied a pheasant to the saddle. Here is a clearing - a halt, an overnight stay. Nart got a light from the chair, and the flames of the fire flared. Smoke rises straight into the sky: So tomorrow is a fine day!
...Longbeard looks from the shore: “What is that smoke in the distance? Who is this taller than our camp, who entered there without any restrictions?” Longbeard and Sosruko together send ten riders there. The messengers are riding towards the smoke above the forest, Stopped near the fire: What kind of incomprehensible young man is there? They are going back to their troops. “They saw the young man and were amazed, but did not dare to speak.”
Oh, and then Thamada got angry: “What is this obstacle?” He sat on his horse, sat down, and pulled the bowstring tight. “Maybe I’m going to the enemy to fight?” Thamada is coming; Thamada gallops, He came close to the young man: “Hey, may your overnight stay be happy!” “Be a fair thamada! You are welcome to come to us if you want.” “Who are you? Where are you from?” “Graybeard, but inquisitive beyond measure, No matter what my name is, I will shelter you.” “No, I don’t want to, you’re grumpy like an old man,” and Nasren turned back. The young man shouted: “Good thamada, don’t be offended, I will give my name: You know our glorious tribe, Asha is my father, I am Ashamez.” Thamada turned his horse sharply, He looked at the young man, “He loves the brave, stately young man... The two of them ride back to the army.” The knights are grumbling: the gray-haired Molokosos has brought him to the sledges! Thamada said to Uazirmes: “We need to measure the depth of the river.” “You want to drown me, right!” — Uazirmes answered angrily. Nartu Sosruko told the thamada: “We need to measure the depth of the river.” “Hey, twins,” Sosruko shouted, “Come on, measure the depths of the river! Warrior Arykshu, dashing rider, find the bottom in the abyss of the river!” Arykshu did not agree either... “You are younger than us, Ashamez!” Achamez and the horse swim quickly across the river current. The sledges moved after Ashamez, barely keeping up with him in the waves. The sleds come ashore with difficulty, not believing their own eyes. They are driving through a deep gorge - Here is the Tlebitsy dashing herd, - They captured all the mares, Only the black horse galloped away. Ashamez rushes after him fearlessly. Rushing like the wind, the daring sledge! Finally, he catches up with the horse and strikes with his sword. The horse had a bad time in this fight: Both shoulder blades were cut. The young man rose up like a hurricane, And a mound flew up to Tlebitsy, * * * The keen eyes of Bidokh the enchantress. “Do you hear, Tlebitsa,” she says, “The enemy is stealing your herd now.” The evil Shorty boils with anger: “Who dares to touch me here in the intermarium, arguing with death?!” Suddenly his black horse runs in, The horse is bleeding all over, Apparently, he ran home without looking back, Both shoulder blades are cut. “You are dearer to me than my own father. Who is it, who ruined you?” Bidokh quickly ran into the yard and breathed on the horse, healed the fatal wounds and returned the horse’s strength. Again Tlebitsa saddles his horse and rides out of the yard. Having met the young man, getting extremely angry, he arrogantly shouts to him: “Hey, they say, my herd has sped away. Have you met anyone, tell me!” “Evil Shorty, am I not able to take your herd from you myself?” “Don’t joke with me, little one, and don’t make me lose my patience!” “You yourself brought me out of patience, brought death to my father...” “Who are you, what kind of person are you, What are you talking about, thug?” “I am Ashamez, and my father is Asha, if you ask me.” “The hateful, unexterminated race, You are only its green shoot!”
And strong bows were drawn, arrows were thrown by deft hands, and when the supply in the quivers dried up, the debaters stopped at once. “Hey, Ashamez,” says Tlebitsa, “Fly home quickly, like a bird, the battle is not decided, and there are not enough arrows.” But Ashamez answers him: “My home is far away. If you are a man, There is no reason to drive me away. Bring weapons for the fight yourself. We need to finish the battle with you.”
And Tlebitsa returned home, Bidoh the enchantress healed his wounds with her warm breath, and his strength returned to him again. He took plenty of arrows with him, Only the share of the enemy Bidoh did not allow the arrows to take Tlebitse... So he returned to fight again, - He rushed at Ashamez again. Blood rushed into Ashamez’s face:
“I believed you, I was waiting for you, You didn’t bring me what I needed, You’re used to fighting unarmed, Only a cowardly, Unjust, dishonest enemy does this!” The evil Shorty is known for his baseness, He does not heed the voice of honor: He strikes an unarmed man, pierces his heels with arrows, threads a hair lasso into them and drags him along the ground.
On the lead of the daring horse, the villain drags him to his lair. “Hey, hurry up, Bidoh, look at what I brought you today: Our family’s ancient enemy, defeated by Me, is in front of you; Today the end of the bullies has come, We need to give it to the dogs.” Bidoh looks: in front of her is a child, Slender and thin, all wounded... “Give up your arrogance, it’s not a difficult thing to torture a child’s body like that!” Taking the child in her arms, she examined her and carried him aside. Night is falling. The sky is starry. Nart Ashamez woke up late, raised his head, stood up, and sat down... And at this time Tlebitsa was having an extraordinary, bad dream. He woke up, trembling, Bidoh whispered to him on his bed: “Why are you still rushing about, what happened?” “Oh, I dreamed that Nart Ashamez resurrected and finished me off.” “Will the little baby finish you off? The hounds ate him long ago.” Turning over on his side with a sigh, he fell asleep again near Bidoh.
...Ashamez went out into the Courtyard, limping, And found a passage under the wall, - In the dead silence of the night, he carefully approaches Tlebitsa’s bed. Avenging his father, he kills his enemy and lies down on the bed instead. Bidoh imagines that Tlebitsa is with her. And from her living breath, the young man’s strength returned again. “Hey, get up, mistress, quickly!” “What kind of miracle is there? Why are you shouting?” “Longbeard Nasren follows the boy of the Nart family.” “Oh, if that’s the case, I’ll start a fire.” “I will immediately blow out your fire, Longbeard will see the flame, He will circle close with his army.” He himself harnessed the cart hastily, Hid Bidoh in it in the dark, He rides nearby on a gray alp, He is barely visible in his saddle. Yet in the darkness Bidokh saw who had so boldly deceived her, and she trembled with fear and began to sob in the silence of the night. “Enough, beauty, why are you crying? You can’t gallop to someone who is dead. We are going to the homeland of the Narts now, The sky there is blue, the sun is bright, There are many good ones there, few bad ones...” And Bidoh stopped sobbing. * * * They rode and rode further, and then they saw a herd. “Whose herd is this, hey, herd keeper?” "Uazyrmesa-narta herd". “Well, where are you driving him from?” “I’m driving him away because of Indyl.” “Your brave master is known to everyone, I hasten to him with good news.” Then he sends the herdman away and takes the herd with him. Day they travel, night they travel, Again they meet someone's herd. “Whose herd is walking here in the middle of the meadow?” “This is the Sosruko-Narta herd.” “Stately horses, noble horses, - Let him send a chase after me.” They drive further... Will they meet someone? The third herd they met: “The worthy owner is undaunted, Let him calmly wait for the horses.”
When Sosruko heard about everything, he didn’t say a word, he remained silent: “I can’t defeat him,” he thought, “It’s better not to make a fuss.” Ashamez's horse has a firm step, and here is the fourth herd in the forest. “I will not offend Nasren, Glorious thamada old Nasren.” The brave knight gave up all the herds, but he himself goes home at a distance. Here he enters his village - Noise, praise, everyone is happy. The Narts admire the herds, He gifts his friends with horses, He distributes all the herds to the people. Looks are turned to Ashamez. The young man is glad to see Satan. Hand in hand with her, Ashamez places the marveling Diva Bidoh. The joyful Hoch cut through the sky, - In honor of Ashamez, a feast for the whole world!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru