Yestai’s “Khorlan” In Maraldy Township (Northern-Siberian Region), in Uruk aul lived bai Sultan, from the Kipchak tribe. Sultan had two daughters, Khusni and Khorlan. The latter’s name is connected with the famous song «Khorlan» composed by a twenty year-old composer. The history of the song’s creation is the following: At the pastures of Irtysh 150 versts from Aitkul a certain bai Suleimen kept his stock. The fiance of his son Shoshan came from Maraldy. Preparing to visit the fiance and her parents, Shoshan sent a pair of horses to Yestai and asked to come with him in the travel not as best man or a personal friend, but as the well-known and respected singer of a big clan. Yestai readily accepted the invitation. The house of Shoshan’s fiance belonged to Sultan’s aul. In the honour of the fiance from all the neighbouring villages there gathered djigits and girls. Traditional festivities and plays began. Among the youth were Sultan’s daughters Khusni and Khorlan. Tastefully clad, unlike the other akyns singer Yestai won Khorlan’s heart too. Yestai also noticed the girl. Finding a moment to be alone the djigit and the girl confessed their love to each. Khorlan was already betrothed, it was utterly impossible to think of marriage, and Yestai made up his mind to steal her away. After receiving the assent of the girl, Yestai went to his native Akkul and held council with friends and relatives. The friends fervently supported Yestai. After a year the singer again went to Maraldy together with his friend. Yestai, resting in the neighbouring aul, sent a man to Khorlan but the girl was well guarded and had no opportunity to slip out of the house unnoticed. The intentions of the young people became known to all. The angry father at once sent an envoy to Shi town to the fiance’s father and demanded to take the «paid-up» fiance. Hurriedly the wedding-feast was organised and Khorlan, surrendering to fate, went to the far-away aul of her husband. All his life Yestai could not forget Khorlan. About his life drama, the dream unrealised the singer composed the famous song «Khorlan».You should know, you should know, djigits:

Not eternal is your life.
There is no more happiness in life, than to fall in love.
But a second one like Khorlan,
You can never meet.

You can travel the whole world
Oh, people, believe my words,
In Baghdad, in Egypt, in China
There is no girl more beautiful,
Than Khorlan.

he love of Yestai’s youth proved to be uncommonly strong. It had lasted through all the ordeals of the long years. When he was an old man of sixty-seven, Yestai tremblingly performed «Khorlan». Taking the dombra, he was silent a long time, thoughtfully looking into the distance, and sighing, wiped the sudden tears from his eyes and only then started playing. He strained the strings of the dombra weakly, because of this the sound was low, sad, muffled. From his song there came ancient times, the tale of a true love. On the fourth finger of the singer’s right hand there glistened a big golden ring. Finishing the song, he would look at the ring as some sacred periapt and say: «Well, friends, this ring - it is the witness of those happy days. It is the memory of incomparable Khorlan». Then he would fall into his thoughts again and keep a long silence...