Dastan Performance among the Uyghurs

Hey . . .

These mountains are tall,

They hinder the path of the desolate.

If the desolate die, who will cry for them?

Orphans cry for the desolate.

I am desolate in this world,

I am an orphan in this world.

There is no land for me,

They opened Khotan to Islam,

Hajim Hebiybulla

Raised his hands to pray,

He prayed to the Prophet.

Boys in front of the city bazaar,

Ghojam Pasha was proud of himself,

Gracious Ghojam Pasha,

Sixteen companions to his right hand,

Sixteen companions to his left hand,

Hey, young boys of Khotan,

Kind people of Qaraqash,

Hold to Islamic law,

Do not delay prayer,

Give a tithe of one in ten,

Give a zakat of one in forty.

Do not hurt the hearts of others, said

Gracious Ghojam Pasha.

As he stood in front of the gate,

Mimanbay of Zangguy,

One of Mimankhan's sons,

Ran away to toss off a letter.

When he saw the letter,

"Hey, Abdurakhman Pasha,

If you are brave,

You will go out to the battlefield,

If you do not go out to the battlefield,

Please vacate this city."

He took a look at this letter,

Gracious Ghojam,

He came in front of his mother:

"Oh mother, dear mother,

In the dream I saw last night,

I was among seven dogs,

I saw this dream, mother.

When dawn broke in the morning,

As I stood in front of the gate,

A bastard messenger,

He ran away, having dropped off the letter.

When I looked at the letter:

'Hey, Abdurakhman Pasha,

If you want to be a real boy, a real man,

Come to the battlefield,

If you do not come to the battlefield,

Vacate the city.'

So says the letter, dear mother,

To go to the war, mother,

I have no will to go.

But I must go, mother,

What should I do?" he said.

Notes

Translation by Elise Anderson and Mutallip Iqbal

Shahzadä Qämbär didiki: I padishahi aläm, chüshkä täbir bärgüchi kishi pästä turup, chüshning täbirini anglighuchi kishi täkht üstidä bulurmu, didi. Padishah täkht bäkhlirini bikar qilip, Shahzadä Qämbärni täkht üstigä achiqip qoyup. Ämdi körgän chüshini birinbirin Shahzadä Qämbärgä sözligänliri, padishah nimä däydur qeni:

Kichä körgän chüshümdin,
Ol chüshümdin qorqimän. (2x)
Kichä körgän chüshümdä,
Qan kichip yatalmidim. (2x)
Shährimdin ayrilmaqni,
Sän manga rawa äylimä. (2x)
Ol beshimdin way mining,
Ol seriq sämbär gül, (2x)
Way zimingä chechildi.
Aghzimdin bir jüp qush,
Pärwaz qilip uchti,
Ikki yenimdin ikki yolwas,
Way mini talap aldi. (2x)
Kichä körgän chüshümdin,
Ol chüshümdin qorqimän. (2x)

Ämdi padishah körgän chüshini birinbirin Shahzadä Qämbärgä sözlidi. Ämdi Shahzadä Qämbär padishahning körgän chüshini anglap, bu padishahning chüshigä nimä däp täbir biridu qeni? Ämdi Shahzadä Qämbärdin söz ishtmäk kiräk.

Ol bashingdin sachilghan
Ol seriq sämbär gül,
Qizil qaningdur, didi. (all three lines 2x)
Aghzingizdin uchqan qush
Rohi janingdur, didi.
Talap alghan ikki yolwas,
Yüsüp-Ähmädtur, didi. (2x)

Atlirining yurghisi
Quyunchä bardur.
Qaysi shähärgä at salsa
Shuni aladur.
Ol bäglärning palwanliqi
Rostämchä bardur.
Yüsüp alidu shähringni,
Körgin tamasha. (two lines 2x)
Ol beshingdin sachlighan,
Seriq sämbär gül,
Ol seriq sämbär gül,
Qizil qaningdur.
Aghzingizdin uchqan qush,
Rohi janingdur.
Talap alghan ikki yolwas,
Yüsüp-Ähmädtur.
Yüsüp alidu shähiringni,
Körgin tamasha.
Yüsüp bilän u Ähmäd,
Häm musulmandur. (two lines 2x)
Da'im qilghan ishliri,
Pärzi-sünnättur.
Yüsüp alidu shähiringni,
Körgin tamasha. (two lines 2x)
Yüsüp bilän Ähmäd Bäg,
Ikki shir-batur. (two lines 2x)
Ol bäglärning palwanliqi,
Rostämchä bardur. Yüsüp alidu shähiringni,
Körgin tamasha.
Bäglär kilidu aqiwät,
Shirina sözläp. (two lines 2x)

Äl qissä, Shahzadä Qämbär padishahning chüshigä shundaq täbir bärdi. Padishah bu Shahzadä Qämbärning gipini anglap, Shahzadä Qämbärni därhal zindan bashliqi Hämdishäp digän kapirni chaqiritip turup, zindan bashliqi Hämdishäp digän kapirning quligha tapshurup bärdi.

Shahzadä Qämbärni säksän yättä baldaqliq shota bilän tigigä yetip chüshidighan, bundaq eghir gunahqa yitip hechqandaq kishini salmighan zindangha tashliwätkin, buninggha bir loqma ta'am bärmigin, bir qäträ su bärmigin. Yaghachtäk qurup ölüp kätsunlär, däp ämir qildi.

Shahzadä Qämbärni shu küni säksän yättä baldaq shota bilän tigigä yitip chüshidighan zindangha bänid qilip tashliwätti. Ämdi, Padishah täräp-täräpkä namä äwätip, täräp-täräpkä xäwär äwätip, 360 shähärning khalayiqlirini yighdurup: Manga qandaqlikin kishi Yüsüp-Ähmäd bäglärni tutup äkilip bärsä, shundaq kishigä padishahliq täkhtimni birimän. Undaq kishini altun-kümüsh, dunya-oqattin bihajät qilimän. Shundaq kishigä ta ömrüm ötkünchä wäzir bulup ishläymän, didi.

---

The king told of his dream in great detail. Shahzadä Qämbär said, "Hey, King of the world, should the person interpreting the dream be so low, while the person listening sits upon the throne?" Getting down, the king put Shahzadä Qämbär on the throne. Now listen to what the king said as he described the details of his dream:

The dream I had one night,
I am afraid of this dream. (2x)
In the dream I had one night,
I was wading through blood. (2x)
That I will be separated from my city
Do not tell me. (2x)
From my head,
A yellow sämbär flower, (2x)
Scattered on the ground.
From my mouth, a pair of birds,
Flew out.
From both sides of me, two tigers,
Oh, they bit me. (2x)
The dream I had one night,
I am afraid of this dream. (2x)

The king described his dream to Shahzadä Qämbär in detail. Having heard the king's dream, what interpretation did he give? We should listen to Shahzadä Qämbär:

"Scattered from your head,
The yellow sämbär flower,
Is your red blood," he said. (all three lines 2x)
"The bird that flew out of your mouth,
Is your spirit," he said.
"The two tigers that bit you,
Are Yüsüp and Ähmäd," he said. (2x)

"The speed of Yüsüp and Ähmäd's horses
Is like a tornado.
Whatever city they enter on horseback,
They will take that city.
The bravery of Yüsüp and Ähmäd
Is like Rustam's.
Yüsüp will take your city,
Sit back and watch. (two lines 2x)
Scattered from your head,
The yellow sämbär flower,
That yellow sämbär flower,
Is your red blood.
The bird that flew out of your mouth,
Is your spirit.
The two tigers that bit you,
Are Yüsüp and Ähmäd.
Yüsüp will take your city,
Sit back and watch.
Both Yüsüp and Ähmäd,
Are Muslim. (two lines 2x)
Their everyday work,
Is religious duty.
Yüsüp will take your city,
Sit back and watch. (two lines 2x)
Both Yüsüp and Ähmäd
They are two brave lions. (two lines 2x)
The bravery of these bags,
Is like Rustam's.
Yüsüp will take your city,
Sit back and watch.
The bags will come in the end,
Speaking sweetly."

Shahzadä Qämbär interpreted the king's dream thus. Hearing Shahzadä Qämbär's words, the king immediately ordered Hämdishäp, the infidel dungeon-keeper, to imprison Shahzadä Qämbär.

"Throw him into the dungeon at the depth of an eighty-seven-runged ladder so that no one may reach him. No one has committed such a grave sin as he has. Give him not a single morsel of food, give him not a drop of water. May he die as dry as wood," he said, giving orders.

That day, they threw Shahzadä Qämbär in the dungeon at the depth of an eight-seven-runged ladder. The king sent out decrees everywhere, gathering the people of 360 cities. "I will give my throne to whomever captures and brings me Yüsüp and Ähmäd. I will see to it that he does not want for gold and silver, for earthly things. I will work as a vizier to him for the rest of my life," he said.

Notes

Translation by Elise Anderson and Mutallip Iqbal