During the spring festival of Nowruz (Nooruz), Kyrgyz people always recite a magical chant
In Kyrgyzstan, Muslim devotion and ancient pagan traditions blend in a fascinating way.
On Friday, March 20, 2026, in Bishkek, the Eid prayer marked the end of Ramadan. And on Saturday, for Nowruz, sacred juniper smoke rose over the central square while the chant “Alas-Alas” echoed through the air.
Original in Kyrgyz:
18 миң ааламды
Кут жараткан Эгебиз,
Адам ата, Обо эне —
Жуп жараткан Эгебиз.
Чексиздиктен чеберлеп,
Жер жараткан Эгебиз,
Берекесин белендеп,
Эл жараткан Эгебиз.
Телегейи жандуунун
Тең жараткан Эгебиз,
Кереметин дүйнөнүн
Кең жараткан Эгебиз.
Ала-Тоо, Алтай ыйык жер —
Абалтан биздин мекенибиз.
Көчмөн калктын түндүгүн
Көтөрүп жашап келебиз.
Оо, Жараткан!
Ак калпак кыргыз элин сакта,
Ала-Тоо ыйык жерин сакта.
Алас, алас, алас —
Ар балээден калас!
Оо, калайык,
Ак мөңгү, булак сууну сакта,
Ата-бабанын ыйык туусун сакта,
Мурасын улаар муунуңду сакта,
Улууну урматтаган уулуңду сакта,
Учам деген кушуңду сакта,
Улагын улаар кызыңды сакта.
Оо, Жараткан, бир өзүңдөн сураймын:
Элимде токчулук, молчулук,
Берекелүүлүк болсун, ылайым.
Айдан аман, жылдан эсен бололу,
Алас, алас, алас —
Ар балээден калас!
Эски жыл кетти, жаңы жыл келди,
Ай көрдүм — аман көрдүм,
Буудай, арпа, саман көрдүм.
Жер жарылып чөп чыксын,
Желин жарылып сүт чыксын,
Эгин-тегин бул жылы
Өткөн жылдан көп чыксын.
Алас, алас, алас!
Ак элечек апалар,
Ак сакалдуу аталар,
Эли-журтум аман болсун.
Ар бир үйдө бешик ыры ырдалып,
Ынтымак, ырашкерлик орносун.
Ноорузум, мекениме келгиниң,
Нуруң төгүп жериме,
Жарык күндү бергиниң.
Кош бол, кышым —
Жаз келди!
Арыба, жазым, арыба,
Жаңы жыл келди — карыба.
Дыйкан бала күч алып,
Кырманыбыз данга толуп,
Дасторконубуз ырыскыга толуп,
Берекелүү жыл болсун баарына.
Алас, алас, алас!
Нооруздун ушул күнүндө
Арча түтөп ар үйдө,
Сүмөлөк, көжө бышып,
Шаттык-күлкү жаңырып,
Шаң орносун көк төрдө.
Оо, эр Манастын урпактары,
Айдан аман, жылдан эсен бололу!
Кудайым өзү колдосун,
Умай эне жолдосун деп,
Баарыбыз бата кылалы.
Оомийин.
Translation into English:
Creator, giver of grace,
Who created eighteen thousand worlds,
Who created humankind as a pair,
father and mother together.
From infinity, with skill,
You shaped the earth,
Endowed it with abundance,
And brought forth the people.
All living beings in the universe
You created equally,
Spreading the miracle of this world
Across the vast expanse.
The sacred lands of Ala-Too and Altai
Have been our homeland since ancient times.
Raising the tunduk of the nomadic people,
We live on and continue our path.
O Creator!
Protect the Kyrgyz people in white kalpaks,
Protect the sacred land of Ala-Too.
Alas, alas, alas —
Let all misfortunes go away!
O people,
Protect the glaciers and spring water,
Protect the sacred banner of our ancestors,
Protect the generation that carries the heritage forward,
Protect the sons who honor their elders,
Protect the bird that soars upward,
Protect the daughters who continue the lineage.
O Creator, I ask only of You:
May my people have abundance, prosperity,
Well-being and peace.
May we remain unharmed month by month, year by year,
Alas, alas, alas —
Let all misfortunes go away!
The old year has passed, the new has come,
One who saw the moon remained alive,
One who saw wheat, barley, and hay.
May the earth open and grass rise,
May the udder fill and milk flow,
May the harvest this year
Be greater than the last.
Alas, alas, alas!
Mothers in white elechek,
Fathers with silver beards —
May my people live and prosper.
May every home be filled with lullabies,
May harmony and unity prevail.
O Nowruz, come to my land,
Illuminating the earth with your light,
Grant us a clear and warm day.
Farewell, winter —
Spring has arrived!
Hello, spring, hello,
The new year has come, do not grow old.
May the farmer gain strength,
May the granaries be filled with grain,
May the table be full of abundance,
May this year be blessed for all.
Alas, alas, alas!
On this day of Nowruz,
May juniper smoke rise in every home,
May sumalak and koche be cooked,
May laughter and joy be heard,
May celebration reign under the sky.
O descendants of great Manas,
May we remain safe and prosperous!
May God support us,
May Umay-ene accompany us,
And together let us speak the blessing.
So be it!
By tradition, a special sweet dish made from sprouted wheat is prepared for Nowruz: sumalak. It’s cooked for a very long time, sometimes up to 10 days, and is shared freely with everyone.
When you taste sumalak, you dip the tip of your pinky finger into the bowl three times, lick it, and make a wish. We’ve tested it ourselves — it 100% works!
There’s also a legend about its origin. A woman once lost her husband and was left alone with seven children. When their winter supplies ran out, she gathered sprouted wheat and began to cook it. The children kept asking when the food would be ready, and she told them, “The meat isn’t ready yet,” dropping small stones into the pot to make it seem real. The hungry children fell asleep, and soon after, so did she.
That night, seven peri came into their home and circled above the pot, filling it with magic. The food turned out nourishing and delicious. The widow fed her children and shared it with all her neighbors.
To this day, large stones are placed at the bottom of the pot when cooking sumalak. Its name comes from Persian and means “seven angels”: “si” is seven, and “malak” means angel.
Text by Yulia Zemtsova
Cover photo by ArtHouse Studio
