ABSTRACT
[230] Chinggis Qahan said:
‘My elder night-guards,
who, in the clouded night,
lie down around my yurt
with its smoke-hole cover,
allowing me to sleep
soundly and peacefully,
enabled me to reach this throne.
My blessed night-guards,
lying down around my palace yurt
in the starry night,
allowing me to sleep
fearless in my bed,
enabled me to reach this high throne.
My loyal night-guards,
standing sleeplessly
around my lightly armoured yurt 513
in the blustering snow,
the shivering cold,
and the pouring rain,
have eased my heart and
enabled me to reach this happy throne.
My trusted night-guards,
standing among the surging foe
around my felt-protected yurt,
guard me unblinkingly.
My vigorous night-guards
were quick to stand [by me]
when the birch-bark quivers rattled.
My night-guards, so swift to act,
were quick to stand [by me]
when the [enemy’s] willow-wood quivers rattled.
My blessed night-guards,
call them [henceforth my] “elder night-guards”.