"Who told you that we Circassians will become extinct?!" 
[«Хэт фэ къыв­жезыIар, адыгэр ды­кIуэ­­ды­жыну?!»]

Composed and sung by Albert Lhache [Лъачэ Альберт; Альберт Тлячев].

This is a song that expresses the Circassian collective yearning towards unity of all the Circassians, everywhere, in Circassia and all the Diaspora countries. It embraces optimism and negates the narrative of the doomsayers who predict the extinction of the Circassian nation. 

Lhache is a prolific Adigean singer and songwriter. He composed many songs on Circassian villages, towns and clans in Circassia and the diaspora, emphasizing Circassian unity. "Who told you?!" well represents his fine art of composition. The artist is a good representative of modern-day Circassian bards.

"Who told you that we Circassians will become extinct?!" [«Хэт фэ къыв­жезыIар?!»], Albert Lhache

“Bedinoqwe’s Song: Bedinoqwe Comes to the Nart Council” 

Performed by Ziramikw Qardenghwsch' and others.

[This is one of the epic chants of the Circassian Nart Epos. This is the gist of the song. The full text of the song is found at: http://www.khasa.narod.ru/lyrics/b/badynoko.html]

Bedinoqwe decides to visit the Narts to be introduced to them. He enters the Nart pasturing fields. He meets the herdsman of the Narts.

— “May your herd multiply!” he addresses him. “Tell me of things to know about the Narts.”

The herdsman of the Narts recognizes Bedinoqwe upon seeing him. The herder praises Bedinoqwe to the skies, and informs him that the Narts are gathered at Satanay’s place for the white Wine Drinking Festival, feasting and celebrating, with Nesren Zchach’e as the leader, and with Sosriqwe amongst them, and that the Great Narts fought with short swords by their side. “Beautiful damsels dance for their pleasure. They will invite you to take part in their orgiastic feast only to do you harm, to slay you to get rid of you; so do not go thither, my child!” the herdsman warns Bedinoqwe. 
 
Bedinoqwe is immensely angered by the herdsman and what he said [for Bedinoqwe has been well-disposed towards the Narts since his birth, despite their malevolence and maleficence towards him]. He spurns the warning, spurs his lean thoroughbred, and heads to the Nart town, leaping and bounding. 

On her way to bring water for the mansion, Lady Satanay’s house-slave sees the coming rider. Not knowing who he is, the slave runs back to the house and tells her mistress about the astonishing knight she saw. 

Lady-Satanay shudders in fright, and sends her menial out again to observe the appearance of the approaching rider and to divine his identity. The slave espies Bedinoqwe’s appearance, hurries back and tells Lady-Satanay of the rider’s impressive air and looks. 

With the slave-girl not recognizing the rider, Satanay stands up and surreptitiously looks out of the small gate at the rider. She immediately identifies him [and perceives him as a threat to the Narts]. Satanay, the witch, resolves to receive Bedinowe to rob him of his heroic essence and render him enfeebled, so as not to vanquish [her beloved son and minion] Sosriqwe and the Narts. She sends her slave outside to welcome Bedinoqwe. 

The slave runs out and heads towards Bedinoqwe. She salutes Bedinoqwe, and invites him to the Alij mansion, to be royally regaled. However, Bedinoqwe refuses the invitation, saying, “I am not the kind of man to indulge in excessive drinking and feasting!” 

With the menial unable to convince Bedinoqwe to enter, Satanay comes out of the mansion to entice him into her abode, inviting him for but one toast in his honour. When he refuses her offer, she takes off her headscarf to show him her inviting white mouth. Abstemious Bedinoqwe turns his eyes to resist the temptation, but crafty Satanay flashes her voluptuous white breasts at him. When she sees his unconcern, she strips further down to expose her exquisite ivory navel, and as she perceives not the slightest interest, she undoes her silk lace to reveal her silken inviting private part in its full glory.  

Bedinoqwe is utterly incensed by Satanay’s shameless display, and he calls her “a wanton bitch-witch”. “There is no other inveterate ‘bitch-witch’ like you in our land. May God cast his cruelest curses upon you! May you receive what you deserve; as for me, I am searching for a best man amongst the Narts,” maledicts Bedinoqwe.  

Satanay is utterly angered by this, and she gives up her attempt to seduce Bedinoqwe. She lets him on his way to the house where the Narts are having their drinking festival. “Go on your way. You shall find a Nart best man to your liking. May you be struck by the road ailments!”  

Bedinoqwe heads towards the place where the Wine Drinking Festival is being held. When he is seen by the Nart sentinel standing at the gate, this latter tells the Narts of the rider’s approach. They hurry to look at the coming rider. Not recognizing him, they ask Sosriqwe about his identity. Is there anyone whom Sosriqwe doesn’t know!? Sosriqwe recognizes the rider and tells the Narts what needs to be told about Bedinoqwe. He also informs the Narts on how to kill Bedinoqwe.  

The Narts go out to meet Bedinoqwe, they spread seven felt cloaks, and accompanied by seven Narts as ushers, they ceremoniously take him in full honour to the Wine Festival. They offer Bedinoqwe a wine toasting-horn in which a slender venomous viper is lurking. “Drink with us this toast, so that we can be introduced to you and divine your character!” they tell him.

Bedinoqwe immediately perceives the viper, and, with his steel moustache, pierces the wicked viper in the gut and pins it to the bottom of the drinking horn. He downs the beverage and hands back the toasting vessel. “I shall do the same unto you!” Bedinoqwe says as he turns to face the Narts, who have fallen into panic. But Bedinoqwe is merciful, and he forgives the transgression of the Narts. The Narts take Bedinoqwe back to his seat by the table. Intoxicated by the heavenly elixir, the Narts start to dance in ecstasy. 

Sosriqwe and Bedinoqwe compete as who is the best dancer, putting on a spectacular display of dancing skills and prowess, dancing and frenziedly twirling on three-legged tables full of dishes and drinking vessels and leaping off without upsetting the table or spilling a single drop of drink. Instead of engaging in internecine warfare, the Narts chose to display their heroism and skill in dance. Thus did the Narts keep Bedinoqwe in their midst as a leading light.

«Бэдынокъуэ и пшыналъэ: Бэдынокъуэ нарт хасэм къокlуэ»

Бэдынокъуэ нарт IэхъупIэми нытохьэ. Нартхэ Iэхъуэми ныIуощIэ. 
— Бэхъу апщий! — жреIэ. — Нарт хъыбари сыгъащIэ. 

Нартхэ я Iэхъуэр Бэдынокъуэм зэрыIуплъэу къецIыху. Iэхъуэр Бэдынокъуэ къыщогуфIыкI, къыщотхъу, абы щыгъуэми къыжреIэ, нартыжьхэр Сэтэней деж ефэ-ешхэу зэрыщIэсхэр, Нэсрэн ЖьакIэ тхьэмадэу, Сосрыкъуи яхэсу, нартыжьхэм джатэ кIэщIхэр я бгырыдзэну зэрыщызауэр. «Абыхэм пщащэ дахэ я къэфакIуэщ, уэ джэгуэгъу пхуащIынщи лей къуахынщ, си щIалэ, умыкIуэ!» — къыжреIэ. 

Бэдынокъуэ абы къегъэгубжь. И хуарэ псыгъуэм йолъэдэкъауэри зэ пкIэм, зэ лъэуэ, зэ лъэм, умылъагъужу нарт къуажэмкIэ еунэтI. 

Сэтэней и унэIутыр псыхьэ кIуэну ежьауэ шу къакIуэр елъагъу. Ар хэтми унэIутым къыхуэмыцIыхуу, щIолъэдэжри Сэтэней жреIэ. 

Сэтэней хощтыкIри етIуанэуи и унэIутыр къыщIегъэж, и шыфэлIыфэм кIэлъыплъу жриIэну. УнэIутыр Бэдынокъуэ и шыфэлIыфэм кIэлъоплъри, щIолъэдэжри дилъэгъуар Сэтэней жреIэ. 

УнэIутым шур щыхуэмыцIыхум, езы Сэтэней къотэдж, куэбжэ цIыкIумкIэ щэхуу къыдоплъри къоплъакIуэ, зэрилъагъууи къецIыху. Сэтэней удти мурад ещI Бэдынокъуэ къригъэблагъэу и лIыхъупкъ хихыу къаруншэ ищIыну, Сосрыкъуэрэ нартхэмрэ къатемыкIуэн щхьэкIэ. Бэдынокъуэ къригъэблэгъэну унэIутыр къыдегъэкI. 

УнэIутыр къыдожри Бэдынокъуэм ирегъэгъазэ. Бэдынокъуэ абы фIэхъус ирех. УнэIутыр Бэдынокъуэм къолъэIу Алыджхэ я унэм еблэгъэну, фIыгъуэ-тхъэгъуэхэр къыхуегъэлъагъуэ, ауэ Бэдынокъуэ «сыефакIуэ-ешхакIуэкъым», — жеIэри еблэгъэн идэркъым. 

Бэдынокъуэ унэIутым къыщыхуемыблагъэм, Сэтэней къыкъуокIри еблэгъэну, зы бжьэ къыхуефэну къолъэIу. ЩыхуемыблагъэкIэ, и IэлъэщIыр зэтрехри и жьэгъухум Iуегъаплъэ. Абы щыхуемыплъым, и бгъэгухум Iуегъаплъэ. Ари щыфIэмыIуэхум, и бынджэм Iуегъаплъэ, ари хъымпIар щимыщIым, шылэ уагъэр зэпечри и щахэгум Iуегъаплъэ. 

Бэдынокъуэ абы къегъэгубжьри, Сэтэней «зэрыхьэбз удыр» къыжреIэ. «Уэ пхуэдэ хьэбз уд нэмыщI, дэ ди хэку имысмэ, ди хэкум Тхьэр ибгэ!» — жери Сэтэнейр зрипэсыркъым. «Абы къыфIэбгъэкIмэ, уэ пхуэфащэ бгъуэтынщ, сэ нарт щауэгъу солъыхъуэ! — жреIэ Сэтэнейм Бэдынокъуэ. 

Сэтэней абы къегъэгубжьри, нартыжьхэр щефэу зыщIэс унэм Бэдынокъуэр еутIыпщ. «Нарт щауэгъу бгъуэтынщ, гъуэгупэ узри къыуатынщ!» — жеIэри. 

Бэдынокъуэ санэхуафэр здэщыIэмкIэ еунэтI. Ар зэрыкIуэр куэбжэм Iут нартым елъагъури санэхуафэм щIэсхэм яжреIэ. КъызэрыщIохри, шу къакIуэм къоплъ. КъахуэмыцIыхуу Сосрыкъуэм къоупщIхэр. Сосрыкъуэ имыщIэн щыIэ!? КъецIыхури, Бэдынокъуэ зищIысыр нартыжьхэм яжреIэ. Бэдынокъуэ яукIа зэрыхъунумкIи нартыжьхэр егъэIущ. 

Бэдынокъуэм нартыжьхэр къыпожьэ, щIакIуиблыр къызэпаубгъури, нартыжьиблыр и блыгу щIэту, санэхуафэм ныщIашэ. Блащхъуэжьейр есу хэсу санэхубжьэр къыIэщIагъэувэ, «Санэхубжьэм къытхуефи, уи шыфэлIыфэр къэтщIэнщ!» — къыжраIэ. 

Бэдынокъуэ блащхъуэжьейм гу нылъетэ, и жыр пащIэр блащхъуэжьейм и накъыщIэм [gut, intestine] ныхеукIэри, фалъэм и щIэм иреIулIри, фадэу щIэтыр щIефыкIри фалъэр яретыж. «Сэ фысщIэнщ!» — жиIэу къыщигъазэкIэ, нартыжьхэр мэгумэщI. Ирагъэгъазэри Iэнэм ягъэтIыс. Нартхэр зэрогъафэри къэфэн щIадзэ. 

ИкъукIэ гъэщIэгъуэнщ, Iэзагъышхуэ хэлъуи гъэпсащ Сосрыкъуэрэ Бэдынокъуэрэ къэфэнкIэ зэрызэныкъуэкъур. ЗауэнкIэ мыхъуу, къэфэнми лIыгъэ халъагъуэу, гъэсэныгъэ халъагъуэу зэрыщытар абы къегъэлъагъуэ. Нартхэ гъуазэу Бэдынокъуэ къахуонэ. 


“Bedinoqwe’s Song: Bedinoqwe Comes to the Nart Council”

Amjad Jaimoukha

Related tracks