(Kabardin version)
(Bzhedug version)
Translated from Narts. Kabardian Epic Literature, 1951
Russian text
Narts are riding in a campaign,Narts are riding forward,
In order to avenge their enemies,
In order to crush the army of Chints.
They are riding for battle through steppes,
But they decided
Not to take Sosruko with them.
Terrible frost catches
Narts on their way.
How can they go forward?
Every horseman is attached
To this frozen earth.
And he trembles on his saddle
In these Kuma steppes.
World is in icy chains.
Woe to Narts' warriors,
Woe to Narts' horses!
Frost increased,
Man's strength decreased.
Old Narts are crying
In Kuma steppes.
On their eyes, there is snow,
In their voices, there is anger:
"Hey, Imys, do you have fire?"
"I do not have fire."
"Hey, Sosym, do you have fire?"
"No fire! No fire!"
"Hey, Khimish, do you have fire?"
"I do not have fire."
"Ashemez, do you have fire?"
"No fire! No fire!"
Bold Narts do not have fire.
Is it how they should go to champaigns?
Long-bearded Nasren
Told bold Narts:
"Our way became deadly,
We all will die in the wilderness:
Those who are old and those who are young.
Woe to Narts: deadly cold
Will kill us and make corpses!
We are so foolish, Narts.
Now, we will have a lesson:
We should have taken
Swarthy Sosruko with us,
The horseman whose name
Chints fear,
Whose footprints bring happiness,
Whose participation in battles
Releases from all the troubles,
Whose lance is ready for a battle
And paves a way to victory,
Whose high helmet shines
As our guiding star,
Whose noble bravery
Covers us like a chain-mail shirt,
Whose arrow fights against snowstorm,
Leads people away from trouble,
And finds a way in hard circumstances.
Brothers Narts, we made a mistake
That went without Sosruko!"
Bold Narts are upset:
They should have taken Sosruko!
Who is there in cold and fog
Appeared on a mound?
It is Sosruko coming:
Sosruko is where a danger is,
Where people need help!
On the stormy road,
Narts cried together:
"Hello, our terrifying warrior,
Our famous leader!
We are dying in frosty night.
Help us if you can.
If you can, kindle
Hot camp-fire as soon as possible!"
"I wish good luck to everyone,"
Replies Sosruko.
"Who saddles a horse to go
And rides to with wilderness without fire?"
I do not have even a little spark
Because I go without fire,
I do not fear cold.
Do not be upset, Narts,
I will get fire for you!"
He took an iron arrow
And shot it to a night star.
The night star fell down,
Scattering many sparks.
Horsemen praised Sosruko.
Narts stretched their arms
In order to get warm a little.
But their hearts were anxious again:
The star was put out soon
And melted in the wilderness.
Narts were upset again!
What shall Sosruko do?
Strong Sosruko decided
To release bold Narts
From their trouble.
Stubborn Sosruko sat down
On swift horse Tkhozhei.
Without fear, he rushed
To the top of Kharama.
Fearless Sosruko saw
Smoke that was coming out of
An ancient tower,
Spiraling and melting
And hiding in clouds.
He was happy that he saw smoke.
He came in a hidden way.
Sosruko saw
Seven barbed barriers.
This is Inyzh's home.
Sosruko came near
And saw high fire
Blazing inside of a circle.
One-eyed Inyzh
Was sleeping and snoring.
He was lying like a large circle:
His head was touching his knees.
He was enlightened by a smoldering log.
His mouth was open,
In it, a front tooth was missing.
And fire was still blazing
Inside of the large circle
And did not weaken even for a moment.
Sosruko asked
Tkhozhei as a friend:
"Narts need fire.
What shall we do, horse?"
The horse neighed seven times:
"Hey, warrior Sosruko,
Strong and handsome!
We will not go back,
But will come to Inyzh.
When we come near,
I will turn my swift horse's race
Into dog's pace.
When we come even more near,
I will not go like a dog,
I will sneak like a cat.
I was born from foam.
I will jump over walls
Of this ancient tower.
I will rear up
Over Inyzh without fear.
We will win without fight:
Bend to the fire
And take a smoldering log."
The horse, a constant adviser
Of daring Sosruko,
Rushed to the old tower.
When it came nearer,
It turned its swift horse's race
Into a dog's pace.
When it came even nearer,
It turned dog's pace
Into a cat's mild rustle.
When it reached the tower,
It rushed like a swift wind,
It leaped up like light dust
Over the ancient tower.
And fearless Sosruko
Bent to the fire
And took a smoldering log.
But he took it awkwardly:
A coal parted
And fell on Inyzh.
It burned his eyebrow,
His thick eyebrow was on fire.
The giant opened
His only eye.
He counted the smoldering logs.
One was missing.
Bold Nart with a smoldering log
Went far away.
The giant cried:
"Who robbed me?
Let my father punish
You, bitch's son!"
Inyzh did not get up,
But stretched his arms
And sticked them out of his tower.
He began to grope around.
He groped seven roads.
Sosruko rode
Seven days and nights,
But when he reached a river,
Tkhozhei was found
On Inyzh's hand!
The giant looked
At the one who dared
To go away with his smoldering log.
He saw that Sosruko was of steel.
Inyzh though:
"This small one is strong.
Although he is foolish,
He will substitute my missing tooth!"
Thus Sosruko found himself
In the giant's mouth.
Sosruko did not fear.
He took his lethal sword
And began to cut gums
Of the giant Inyzh.
The one-eyed giant
Could not bear strong pain.
He spitted Nart out.
Swarthy Sosruko
Was released!
Then, Inyzh said:
"Hey, small Nart,
The stealer of fire!
I have an enemy,
Swarthy Sosruko.
Answer quickly
Where is he, the son of Satanei,
Swarthy Sosruko?
Narts name Sosruko
As one of giants.
They say about him:
"He is stronger
All the horsemen on the earth.
Swarthy Sosruko
Is stronger than giants!"
Say quickly
Where is he, the son of Satanei,
Swarthy Sosruko?
Sosruko replied:
"At the mountain feet,
I am Narts' shepherd.
I did not see may things,
But I heard many things.
I did not see Sosruko,
But I heard about Sosruko.
I will not tell where he is,
But I will tell about him."
Inyzh replied:
"Since you, small Nart.
Were unable to tell me
Where Sosruko is,
Then, be able to show
How Sosruko plays!"
Sosruko gave a start,
Smiled, and said:
"There is no such a man
Among Narts who is able
To repeat Sosruko's games.
Narts believe that there is no
Giant who is able
To defeat Sosruko in games!"
The one-eyed got angry:
"Do not chatter, wimpish shepherd,
But begin to tell
About Sosruko's games!"
"I did not hear more pleasant
Game for Sosruko:
Our Sasruko Stands
At the mountain foot.
Narts throw a huge stone
From this mountain.
But steel Sosruko
Is a very strong man.
He pushes back the huge stone
With his forehead in flight!"
"Am I unable to do the same?
Come on, small shepherd,
Throw a stone from the mountain!"
Nart took a huge stone
And threw it from the mountain.
The giant catched the huge stone
With his forehead and pushed it with his forehead,
He returned it to the mountain top.
He said loudly: "Really,
This game is good!
After it, I want to eat,
But the work is good for the forehead:
It becomes stronger from blows!
I like this game,
But maybe you, shepherd, know
Harder game?"
Sosruko, where is your mind?
There is a trouble with the one-eyed one:
He does not die!
Sosruko leads
The giant farther.
He says to the giant:
"Narts say this way:
He whose name is Sosruko
Lies down on the ground
And opens his mouth.
People put arrows into his mouth.
Skillful Sosruko
Chews their ends.
He chews and laughs
And spits the ends out!"
"Fill my mouth with arrows.
I do not fear this work!"
The giant with a big mouth
Smiled and immediately
Lied down on the ground
And opened his big mouth.
Sosruko filled it
With arrows.
Evil Inyzh was not harmed
By the tricks of young Nart!
The giant chewed the ends
And spitted the arrows out.
He laughed at Sosruko:
"Small shepherd of Narts! Really,
This game is good:
It makes saliva fierce
And teeth very strong!
But maybe you, shepherd,
Know harder game?"
Sosruko, where is your mind?
There is a trouble with the one-eyed one:
He does not die!
Sosruko leads
The giant farther.
He says to the giant:
"He whose name is Sosruko
Takes pleasure
In this daring game:
In front of him, the bold one,
Narts put a pot.
They fill this huge pot
With lead.
They put it on the fire
And melt lead
Ten days and nights.
This is a game of strong men!
Well, Sosruko
Is praised among Narts not in vain!
He sits down into lead
That boils, that melts.
And he sits in the pot
Like a horseman on a saddle.
He waits when, eventually,
Lead hardens!"
"Am I unable to do that?"
Inyzh replied, yawning.
"I am willing to sit into the pot!"
Young Nart made fire
And put pot on the fire.
Ten days and nights passed
And lead melted in the pot.
The giant sat down into lead
And hardened with it.
But he made a strong jerk
And separated his body from lead.
The one-eyed one exclaimed:
"I am satisfied with my action.
My body became a hundred times stronger.
I want to have dinner!
I like your game,
But maybe, shepherd,
You know a harder game?
If you do not know, you will be in trouble:
I will amuse myself,
I will melt you alive!"
Sosruko, where is your mind?
There is a trouble with the one-eyed one:
He does not die!
Swarthy Sosruko
Begins this speech:
"Hey, two-sinewed and two-headed one,
Do not hurry to have dinner
In order that I will be able to tell
About the last game:
In the place where
Flows of all the seven seas
Reach deep ocean,
The one whose name is Sosruko
Sinks into the deep.
He does not touch the bottom with his feet
And he does not take water into his mouth.
Old Narts blow and blow
Seven days and nights.
They freeze the sea.
They freeze the swarthy Sosruko
In the sea.
He spends seven days and nights
In the deep, covered with ice.
He waits for the sunrise,
Straightens up his shoulders,
Breaks the ice, and goes out."
"Am I unable to do it!"
Replied the one-eyed one.
Nart brought him to the place
Where flows of the seven seas
Join and reach
The deep and terrible ocean.
Giant Inyzh
Sinked into the deep, trying
Not to touch the bottom with his feet
And not to choke with water.
Sosruko made cold
And froze the giant
In the deep of the ocean.
He held the giant in this deep
Seven nights and days
And then said: "Come out!"
The giant was not offended.
The one-eyed one strained
And moved his strong shoulders.
Thick ice was immediately broken.
"Wait!" cried Sosruko.
I did not bought all the frosts,
I did not sealed up all the cracks,
Ice is not strong enough yet!"
Nart blew and made snowstorms
And severe frost.
Flows of the seven seas
Were frozen!
Nart froze the giant
In the deep of the ocean.
He froze the water with thick ice.
He cried to the evil monster:
"Hey, Inyzh, try to release yourself
From icy captivity!"
The one-eyed one strained
And straightened his shoulders again.
He strained his strength angrily.
Veins swelled on his forehead.
His only eye winked.
It was too late: in this thick ice,
The one-eyed one was frozen!
Taking swift sword out,
Nart Sasruko thought:
"I have tied the enemy firmly.
Now, I can amuse my soul
And cut off the giant's head!"
However, severe Inyzh blew
And threw Sosruko away
To a long distance.
Sosruko came back,
Approached him from the back,
Stopped Inyzh on ice
In order to cut off Inyzh's head.
However, his two-edged sword was unable to do it.
It could not cut even one hair
Or make a small scratch!
The one-eyed shouted:
"If I had not been stupid,
I would have guessed immediately
That I saw Sosruko
By your thin legs
And by your smart games.
Inyzh is going to die!
Hey, steel Sosruko,
Nart warrior horseman!
Do not labor in vain.
You will not cut off my head,
You will only blunt your sword!
Better, go to upstairs
To my tower.
On the door of my tower,
You will see a strong sword.
You will glorify this sword:
You will cut off Inyzh's head!"
Sosruko turned his horse
And rode to the giant's tower.
"Is there slyness, deception,
Trap in Inyzh's speeches?"
Having thought this way,
Nart Sosruko opened the doors of the tower.
However, he did not enter the tower,
But threw a log.
Immediately, a strong sword
Fell down and drove into the log.
Sosruko bent
And took the sword at handle.
Sosruko with Inyzh's sword
Came back.
The giant saw him
And cried loudly:
"Hey, Sosruko, warrior horseman,
Steel Nart, handsome warrior!
I was at peace, I thought
That my sword would
Cut off your head,
That I would be delivered from you forever.
I see the sword in your hands.
Now, Inyzh is going to die.
If so, in my death,
Find pleasure, Nart.
Cut my head off quickly.
Pull out sinew from my neck.
Girdle yourself
And you will gain a giant's strength.
Then, no Nart
And no giant
Will be able to defeat you!"
Sosruko replied him:
"I came not to listen to your sea stories.
I came to kill you.
I came to get fire for Narts,
To rescue friends from death.
I do not need your sinew,
Full of poison.
Only man's strength
Is worthy to be praised on the earth!"
Having said this, Nart Sosruko
Cut off the giant's head.
He led his horse to the friends,
Having taken Inyzh's fire.
Because of frost and snowstorm,
Strong Narts and swift horses
Were frozen and attached themselves to one another.
They cried bitterly.
Sosruko reached the friends
And made hot fire.
He warmed horses and Narts.
Narts sweared in the wilderness:
"From now on, without Sosruko
We will go nowhere:
Neither to war campaigns nor to raids.
We swear in this forever!"
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