Chapter XII

And then
Abai Geser the Mighty
Said the right word:
“From my wife that has been brought [from a-far]

I have a son now,
My Oshor Bogdo!
[But] when I was staying with the celestial father
And with the fifty five western heavens,
I was to marry there, in the Sky.

Having come down I found and took you as my wife.”
“Haven’t you got a child from me to bring up
That you are going to look for some other woman?
Haven’t you got a son from me
That you are looking for some other woman?

[Sankhan Gokhon] kept asking.
Geser became quite confused.
“Sankhan Gokhon the beauty,
Let me have a look
In the yellow book of fortune.

I’ll try and read
The first three of them”.
Having said so [Geser] came up
To the throne, golden and silver,
He opened his liver

Took out the mottled book,
He opened his forehead,
Took out
From among the yellow books of fortune
The first three [books].

He sat down on the throne
Golden and silver,
And began  to read in agitation.
When it was dark at night,
He read by the light of lamp,

When it was day,
He read by daylight.
And when he was reading
Some places [of the book]
He read them shedding tears,

The other places
He read with joy and smile.
“How will I get
To that far-off  land?
How am I to get there?”

He wondered with great wonder,
He was amazed with great amazement.
Thus he sat, they say.
And when he was sitting so, [he decided]:
“I am to reach my bride predestined

By all means,
And if I don’t reach her,
I’m to die, sure.
It had been predetermined by the Sky
That I am one with her,

That I am created together
With Gagurai Nogon-beauty,
The daughter of Galta Ulan-heaven.
Our fathers and mothers
Exchanging thigh bones

Together ate the marrow;
Exchanging the small glasses
Together drank arkhi;
Exchanging their pipes
Together  smoked tobacco.

Our fathers and mothers
Had us engaged.
With father Esege Malan
We have common root,
The mother Ekhe Yuren

Gave blessing to us.
I must win by all means
That  beautiful young girl!”
And then
Abai Geser the Mighty

Saddled instantly
His blue horse and jumped on it.
Having jumped up
He said: “I’ll go and seek my bride!”
And rode  eastward of his home.

When he was riding
He came across
An old man on the white horse:
The old man’s beard
Was hanging down up to his knees,

The lashes of the old man
Were hanging down up to his chin,
On his right light-blue eye
There was dry pus as big as an ankle.
On his left light-blue eye

There was a dry pus as big as a bee.
And there was the following.
“Sonny, sonny, just listen to what I say:
Where, which valley
Are you going to, sonny?

Where are you going,
Which valley, sonny?”
He kept asking.
“I’m going to marry
Gagurai Nogon the beauty,

[The daughter] of Galta Ulan the heaven”,
The right word said [Geser].
“Along Zambi - the wide land
To those far-off lands?!
No, you won’t get there!