Роман об Александре (Монгольская версия 14 века)

[7r]

[1] In ancient times,in the land of Qurasan,

[2] in the city named Misir, [...] named Sulqarnai.

[3] Living [...] thousand years [...],

[4] [. .? . .] Sulqarnai,

[5] his [...] coming, Sulqar[nai] [...],

[6] Thou being favored by Heaven, [...?...] [...]

[7] thou, [either] after [or] before, [...]

[8] [When Sulqarnai was] listening to this word, [...],

[9] when he said, [...] "[Living] two thousand [years] [...]"

[10] [...]

[7v]

[1]

[. . .],

[2] causing the noyad like

[. . to assemble,

[. ..],~

[3] "When

[I] was listening to this word

[*

[4] being impoverished in years

[ . ],

[5] when

[.. .] was

[I I]

[. ? ]ingin a prayer to 4' Heaven,

[living] three

[thousand years]

[. .],

[6] let my dying

[either] after s

[or] before be nonexistent,"

[. .],

[7] he saw land and water 5 which

[ *].

[8] He caused

[ . .to go.

[. .] one nm3

[ker6]

[. .

[9] after arriving,what

[ . ].

[10] great land 65 . .],

[11] crossing a bridge with fifty good noked

[. . .],70

[12] going, by the Decree of Heaven,as only Sulqarnai

[8r]

[1] ascended upon Mount Sumur,in the four corners and

[in] the eight directions,

[2] the mountains, whatever

[they were],77 and the hollows, whatever

[they were], of the vast earth were 80 seen.

[3] Unto the peak of Mount Sumur,

[ . ],Sul

[qarnai] 84

[. ],

[4] on that,one strap making

[ ] to earth 90 * .],

[5] Sulqarnai

[ . .] that strap

[. . .],saying

[unto himself], "I shall descend,

[6] inquiring

[of] one

[of my] n

[ker]," he tied

[it to himself] and arrived.

[7] The garudi bird,seeing that Sulq

[arnai] was 1

[0". .],1Oso

[said].

[8] "Thou art foolish,thou.From Heaven above

[ ]106 (?)earth,

[9] from the height

[. .] "this strap

[* . ]110 everlasting

[. . .],

[10]

[. . *],

[11]

[. . .],

[12]

[* . ],114 AN EARLY MONGOLIAN VERSION OF THE ALEXANDER ROMANCE 57

[8v]

[1]

[. .

[2] was 11

[-*]

[. .].

[3] "

[. .like

[this].120

[4] having listened to

[ ]

[ .the ocean

[ ? . . ],124 * .],saying

[to himself], "

[5] I went out. Now the great

[. . .]

[6] is attained. I shall enter

[into] the ocean sea,"

[7] when his noyad were listening to

[ . ],

[8] as they spake to Sulqarnai, saying, " Thou

[* .1],, saying, " Thou art ascended upon

[it] and art (?) come.When

[thou] art 135 speaking, saying

[to thyself] that thou

[9] wouldst enter

[ . ],136 within that,

[in danger] and disaster,

[10] the living beings are lying"in multitudes."

[11] They will completely 142 swallow this thy gelding.So, then, they will swallow stones the size of a tent.

[12] Other such bad,150d angerous, and disastrous living beings and beasts 153

[9r]

[1] are lying there in multitudes incalculable.As for thee, if

[thou] enter there, let there

[2] not be danger and disaster," 158

[3] he caused

[one] to build a qaraba the size of

[one big enough] to hold two persons.

[As for] the outside of this qaraba, he caused

[one] to net

[it] by

[means of]

[. . nets.

[5] He caused

[one] to twist ropes incalculable which would attain unto

[the point of] exhausting

[4] five thousand mod.`69 When he was entering into the qaraba box,

[. .]

[6] loading173f ood and provisions'in sufficient quantity,175w ithin 176 the box,

[. .] when he was tying

[7] a stone firmly, (?)he went,entering into the ocean.

[. ]

[8] When he was 180 going, not knowing,

[. .] one

[. . .]

[9]

[. . .],

[10] speaking, saying,

[". . ., S

[u]l

[qarnai]

[ . ]

[11] being favored

[by Heaven]

[. ]

[12] was achieved, I spake,190 saying,"

[. . Mount Sumur,

[9v]

[1]

[to] the bottom of the ocean sea,

[. . .]

[2] I shall approach."

[. .] 19' Formerly Heaven and Earth

[ . .],197 FRANCIS WOODMAN CLEAVES

[4] this (?) messenger 1'

[. . .],

[5] at the moment when

[I] was hewing, steel

[ . ],

[6] in the eveningwent, encountering me

[. . .] 20b

[7] I shall approach, saying, "How shall I arrive?."

[8] Return thou swiftly.Before

[ ]

[thou] spakest, saying, " Return." When

[Sulqarnai] was

[9] listening to this word,21' causing the hempen rope to move, he went out.

[. ]

[1o] again, indeed,215in one moon, he finished ascending upward,That which he had seen

[11] which was within the sea 219-all 220-he told unto his noyad.

[12] The nayad, listening,wondered at

[it]. So he did.Again,

[13] there being

[but] a moment,again, indeed, causing

[them] to assemble,227

[lOr]

[1] when he counseled counsel unto his noyad, he spake, saying, "Ai, my n6ked, noyad, be listening! J now am recalling

[2] one word. I now shall set with Mother Sun.How far goeth

[3] the darkness? I shall follow the darkness. I shall see whether it be far

[4]

[or] whether

[it be] near.238.

[As to] the setting,how

[is it] and what

[5] rule doth it have? 1' Then the n4Oked]

[. .] spake unto one another,s aying,

[6] " Now Sulqarnai,

[. .] the broad land and water, saying

[to himself], 'I shall go in the direction of

[7] darkness,'

[. . .] this thought,

[* . .].

[8] Then Su

[lqarnai],

[. . .]

[9] "Follow

[ye]!

[ .]

[10] the many noyad

[. . ],

[11] assembling

[. . .],that the sun had set,

[. . .],

[12] going down,

[. .] unto the entrance of darkness,260

[lOv]

[1] entering with

[his] niked,

[. . .]

[2] went within. That

[. . .],

[3] coming, Sulqamai

[. .],spake, saying,"

[4] This darkness

[. . .],

[5] between

[. . .],thy sending and going

[. . *],

[6] went,27t2r usting in thy three thousandy ears. . .]

[7] These many other noked

[8] do not have whatever

[seeds] of years

[of life] as thee.

[We] shall barely see these seeds.

[ . ]

[9] have been in jr i only difficult 282 lands, in danger and disaster.

[ . ]

[10] As for thee, return AN EARLY MONGOLIAN VERSION OF THE ALEXANDER ROMANCE 59 swiftly. And there is neither land nor

[11] water which hath not yet been traversed by thee."

[12] When Sulqamai was listening to that word, he so spake unto his noked. When he was speaking, saying," Now,

[lir]

[1] when

[we] shall return from hence, praying, we shall together request

[2] from Heaven the water whereby, even when

[the number of] my years predestined by Heaven shall be finished,292

[ I], then, shall not die here and shall become everlasting,"

[3] he arrived, praying. At the moment when he draweth nigh unto the entrance

[4] of darkness,294o ne person, not showing his body,

[5] gave a cup full of water

[unto him].

[He spake,] saying, " Sulqarnai, thou,

[. . .], from the three thousand years

[6] whereby

[thou] hast been favored

[by Heaven],800

[. . .

[7] when thou now art drinking this water,

[8] up to the time when Heaven and Earth30'

[ ] are transformed (= destroyed),0B in the meantime,30n7o t dying,

[. . .

[9] thou shalt enjoy everlasting life.

[10] When

[Sulqarnai] was

[listening to that word],309h e spake unto his n6ked.

[11] He said, "This I . ]. 3"When his noked spake,

[12]

[they spake, saying,] 312 "Thou art saying

[to thyself], 'This darkness

[. .].' "Going outside,314h e said unto the many noked, 'A!

[* . .] 317

[lIv]

[1] then, if

[ye] drink, how will ye be hindered? '6 So

[he did].319

[92]h e went out.

[He] told unto his people what he had seen,whatever

[it was], which was within the darkness-

[3]

[. . .] (?) all and everything.

[4] After that,

[* . .] that water, by the hand,

[. . .]

[5]

[. . ] my

[. . .] unto my good noked.

[6] I gave the water whereby one liveth long. This

[, I **1"

[7] Some people said unto one another, " Jn

[asmuch as] Heaven hath been pleased to give

[it],if

[we] drink

[it],

[8] indeed, it will be good." Some people said unto one another,

[9] c

[. . .],if

[we] drink

[it], how will it be?" Then there was one good

[old man],

[10] a wise noyan. When FRANCIS WOODMAN CLEAVES that noyan spake, he so said,

[11] " As for this, if

[thou] drink the water, up to the time when Heaven and Earth are transformed (= destroyed),

[12] not dying, being very exhausted from living, thou shalt

[12r]

[1] become an obstacle to dying and existing. If these people of thee all, dying,

[2] remain behind,340th at thou shalt have existed alone, thou,34' what use

[will that be]?

[3] As for thee 342-when it happeneth like this people who follow

[thee] will be born no more.

[4] As for thee, if

[thou] art

[not] afraid 347 of the fact that,

[later], thyself regretting an end which shall be so come to pass,

[thou] shalt regret, saying,

[5] ' As for me, if I had not drunk this water, how

[would]

[6] I

[. . .] thus?,' drink

[it]. If

[. . *],

[7] thou, after, shalt become bad,352t hou." 3

[8] Sulqarnai, hearing

[. .],saying, " If it be so,

[. ]356

[what]

[9] use will

[that] be?," taking

[the water] in his hand,3"8

[. . .],

[10] when he poured the water,

[11] it fell

[. .] the leaves of a cypress tree and the cypress tree-that

[one]- winter and summer,did not come

[12] to dry up at all.So he did.Safe and sound he came

[12v]

[1] to the city

[named] M

[is]ir. After that, Sulqarnai

[ 7]0 great

[.. .] assembling

[2] with

[his] noked, so spake. He said, "Ye, my noyad, listen! Since Mother Earth hath been created from Heaven

[3] above,

[. .],

[4] before,380 however many qad were born. Now

[. . .],

[5] after, however many noyad

[who are] qad are born.

[I .]

[6] By the Decree of Us,only I have joyed

[7] the joy

[* .] whereby one liveth three thousand years. As this my very life endeth,390 there are no

[8] people who have not yet been seen by me." 3

[9] "Traversing 392t he vast earth, the great sea,393a nd the bottom of the sea,

[10] I am come.

[I] ascended upon the peak of Mount Sumur. I followed the darkness in the direction

[11] of the setting of the sun. Travelling two years,

[12] in the third year, being favored with the water of eternity,I went out. AN EARLY MONGOLIAN VERSION OF THE ALEXANDER ROMANCE 61

[13] I have lived exactly three thousand years. Now I, on this earth, only I 397

[13r]

[1] have become qan. On this very earth there hath not been born

[2] a qan who hath joyed as J"When I die,

[3] cause

[ye me] once to traverse the ocean (= world) .First of all 402 cause

[ye] to offer03a thousand fine maidens,404f illing a thousand natur of

[4] gold with big pearls,406l ittle pearls,407a nd gold.408

[5] After that, choosing a thousand youngand good wrestlerathletes and,

[6] singing,410s ingers,4"1a nd, zithering,412z itherists,413 send

[ye] a thousand sons-those who are twenty

[7] or thirty years old.Afterthat, send

[ye]

[8] a thousand whiteheaded old men.

[ .1] let

[9] the old men immediately 420 go,praying.Send

[. .],causing them to bear

[10] spears and swords.And cause

[ye] my

[11] hands to be 427 exposed.

[ ] me

[ .]

[. . .].Jf

[* .] enter into

[12] the belly,if

[. .]

[13] save big pearls and little pearls,

[. .]would be able to save the thousand maidens. If

[. 1] enter

[13v]

[1] into those,if Heaven nourish

[them],

[. . .can

[2] save these old men. And,44'h aving been born,442th ey will die.

[3] And if they live three thousand years, they will

[still] die.

[4] Whenever it be, they will

[still] die. Being assembled from these,445

[5] noyad

[who are qad ] have been born.And these 449

[. .

[6] however many noyad

[who are] qad are born. Ai! Joy

[ye]

[7] in

[. . .].After one dieth,it is no

[more of] use." Saying,

[8] "

[I] have concluded.

[I] have finished.

[I] have concluded," he said, " Old men,

[9] joy

[ye]. After one dieth,454 it is no

[more ofl use." He said,"

[I] have concluded.

[10] Joy

[ye]. If one finish dying,it is not

[of any] use.

[11] Qutluy bols-ufz edgiliig kels-uin."

[12] He said,459"

[I] have concluded. It is." 460