The Legends Angkor-Wat

The Legends of Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat is an ancient melody frozen in stone.
The road led to a far unknown land,
Ancient stone temples have been preserved by time here,
That sprawl between canals and ponds.
The guide told us about these protected places.
An attentive traveler in the wilds of forests.
One day I noticed a carved pattern on the stone,
And to this remote, dense, deaf land,
Brave people have made a difficult journey.
The valley is filled with the sound of ringing voices,
The forgotten sounds reached the spirits of the woods.
Over the years, a lot of roots and trunks have been cleared,
And in the dense thicket they found a lost city.
Grateful grandchildren discovered the land of Angkor,
Palaces and temples of Khmer masters are a creation,
Among the forests, they were erected by royal command,
The ancient temples of Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prom...
They were created according to the master architect's plan
Godson of Indra, in the image of the heavenly palace.

Travelers from different lands on the shores of the pond,
Gathered in the predawn hour, 
Holding my breath, waiting for the Sunrise,
The first rays of the sun are playing on the hills,
Silhouettes of Towers in the bright sky,
A fresh breeze blew through the swirls.
Joyful whispers spread throughout the neighborhood.

The wise elder greets us at the playground by the road, 
Clasping his palms together, he welcomes you with a bow,
Friendly places travelers in the shade of a banyan tree,
Praising the sky, pointed to the ancient towers, 
He tells stories and legends, reveals secrets.
My Lord   On high, he listens to all beings.
His faces are turned to all sides of the world.
He blesses pilgrims, protects time, and warns
Demons against malice and envy. 
The Buddha guides people on the right path.

The views of the stone lord radiate in all directions,
The water and sky reflect these healing vibrations.,
Temples are like huge crystals gathering heavenly power,
They guide the pilgrims and feed them with good energy.
The elder told an ancient legend.
Indian Prince Kaundinya (Prea Thong) On a large merchant ship,
He roamed the sea, reached a distant land.
He fell in love with the princess Sama (Neang Nek) of unprecedented beauty,
The father of the princess is the terrible king of the Nagas
He blessed the young to start a family,
Freed a piece of land from the waters of the sea
and Cambodia gave them the blessed land.
And they founded a new dynasty on this land.

In the sacred year, their descendant Prince Prekh Ketomialia
With the permission of Mr. Indra, I visited the Heavenly Palace.,
Who delighted him immensely with his beauty.
The prince decided to invite the heavenly inhabitants to visit,
But I was saddened that there was nowhere on earth to adequately accommodate them.
Mr. Indra sent his architect Preah Pisnokar to the prince.
 He wished to build a heavenly palace on earth.
This architect was the son of a gardener and the celestial virgin Apsara.
 He accurately conveyed the beauty of the heavenly palace on earth.
It's not easy to find a way between these huge palaces,
You can't get around all the galleries,  you can't embrace the bas-reliefs.
We will carefully examine what time has saved.,
You can dream and imagine what used to be here.…
 The water surface is frozen, the stars are shining in the sky,
 As an extension of the heavens, their reflection in the water,
Like a big petal, the boat floats in silence.
The stars tremble on the wave, like pearls in the depths.
One day Indra himself visited the temple  with his entourage.
A carved boat descends from heaven from a height between the stars,
 It glides along the river surface to the stone shore.
And the companions of the Gods entered the firmament of the earth.
That chosen breg is strewn with flowers,
Heavenly messengers have a worthy destiny.

Palaces and temples rise between the waters,
Stars twinkle in the sky. The white lotus blooms,
Dew trembles on the leaves, like tears of tenderness.
 The flames of bonfires are reflected in the waters of the moats,
Bright stars, the glitter of blades and jewelry.
The procession moves solemnly along the canal,
Musicians play instruments, timpani tremble,
Drums are thundering rhythmically, pipes, horns, tambourines,
The bells sound melodiously, the trumpets sound loudly.
The boats on the canals are decorated with flowers and flags.,
The tanned rowers work together with long oars.
Elephants nobly enter the square,
Commanders are sitting on gilded capes.
The horses are brisk, pulling war chariots,
 Their drivers are slowly leading them by the reins.
And then the Guards regiments are marching.,
Warriors have steel sabers and strong spears.,
The stern archers lined up in a row.
The quivers are painted and glisten in the sun,
 A squad of brave men follows the guard,
The sacred painted ark is guarded,
Like birds of prey, they are ready,
Tear the enemies to pieces.
The warriors of the guard look like twins,
 The Emperor on a white elephant, under a palanquin,
Surrounded by guards and his entourage.
 The attendants in capes follow.

Priests, courtiers, nobles, palanquins
are held by elegant servants.
The people greet with shouts and bows.
Crowds of people gathered from all over the area,
The path is strewn with flower petals.
The evening brings coolness, and guests fill the terraces.,
 The dancers swim smoothly to the sound of music.,
 The beauties slowly move in a circle,
The braids are tightly braided with turtle combs.
Weightless outfits, expensive belts frame a delicate figure.
Modestly lowering their gaze, they perform an ancient dance,
Within the strict framework of the ritual,
the delicate finger ornament,
It speaks of tender feelings, a silent expression in the eyes.
Her graceful movements enchantingly excite.
Gold jewelry and bracelets on wrists,
Radiant diamonds, tiaras with stones,
 Thin legs running on the carpet, swarming fingers,

Glances are caught by an ardent wanderer looking around the neighborhood,
The sound spread around, echoed to him, Evoking a gentle thrill,
Dev's smooth movement, the swaying of shadows, responded with a deep sigh, 
The quiet rumble of the crowd's admiration echoes.
Skilful actors performed historical plays,
The Royal Ballet presents wonderful dances,
Fragrant streams flow from the kindling lit in the temples,
They spread out in the countryside, torches burn near the walls of the palaces,
Shadow paintings appear on the walls,
The reflections of the lights flicker on the waters of the moats.
In the fading rays of the sun, the five towers of the temple on the hill,
They shine like the peaks of Mount Meru on high.

***
The elder reverently names the great gods.
 Lord Brahma created the earthly world with his energy,
 Mr. Vishnu preserves this world,
 Mr. Shiva destroys and transforms the world,
and Mr. Buddha enlightens this world.
The elder told us about the old days,
About the deeds of the ancient gods, about the pranks of demons.
Gods and demons decided to unite forces,
To get the coveted Elixir of Immortality.
On the stone bridge, demons and gods are at work for centuries,
Pulling the Snake like a rope, they whip up the celestial ocean.
The demons and the gods were arguing with each other:
Who will be more revered on earth,
Who gets the divine nectar, Capable of giving immortality a gift.

To get the elixir of immortality, you just need to whip up the ocean together.,
 In the boundless ocean,
Vishnu in the form of a turtle gave a firm foothold,
Mount Mandara served as a whorl for them, Vasuka the snake replaced the rope.
The head of the great Serpent is in the hands of the Asura demons,
The gods have been holding onto the tail with all their might for a thousand years in a row.,

They alternately pull, churning up the ocean.
 Centuries pass in rhythmic movement,
From exertion, the Snake releases venom, but to avoid harm, 
Shiva drinks poison, saves everyone from trouble,
 But the blue scar on his neck has been shining ever since.

Hard work is not wasted, the foam of the ocean shows wonders:
The goddess of beauty, the beautiful beauty Lakshmi, appeared from the foam,
 Other wonders appear: a winged horse, a white elephant, a miracle tree.,
Celestial dancers of the Apsara, a Healer with a bowl of elixir, swim out.
The gods drank the elixir, and the asura demons
were captivated by the dancing of the heavenly maiden., 
 Only the demon Rahu took a sip of that elixir, and gained divine powers.,
Swallowed it  The sun and the moon, which plunged the world into darkness.
Vishnu deftly cut down the demon, freed the heavenly bodies,
 Now the head of the demon Rahu and his tail Ketu are wandering in the sky,
Eclipses disrupt the peace of the luminaries.
Demons and gods have been fighting ever since.
And only by the command of Shiva in this blessed land,
Statues of demons and nagas humbly guard palaces and temples.

***
Sometimes Vishnu and Shiva appear in the form of Harihara.,
Whoever meets Harihara will bow his head humbly, and in reverence will lay gifts on the altar.,
 He repeats the words of prayer and puts his hands  together in a friendly manner,
Heaven will be able to serve, a blessing will descend.
 Once the King of Demons  Hiranyakashipu For severe austerities, he received protection from Brahma.,
On earth, he became invulnerable from people and weapons.
 But over time, he began to oppress the gods and people.,
And forget about divine justice. Summoning his anger and determination,
 Lord Vishnu Narasimha became a lion man.,
To punish the demon and restore order on earth appeared.
When the king decided to punish his son Coolness, For worshipping Lord Vishnu.,
Narasimha the Lion emerged from the shattered column and tore the villain to pieces.
Tsarevich Coolness found peace of mind after a long meditation.,
By the will of Lord Vishnu, Coolness ascended to the throne in the demon world.,
He brought order and calmness among his subjects there.

Once upon a time, the earth was ruled by an evil tyrant,
an Asura invulnerable with a horse's head,
He oppressed gods and people, violated  the divine laws of the universe.
Then, by chance, Mr.  Vishnu lost his head for a while,
By the will of the gods, he acquired a horse's head, and appeared in the form of Hayagriva.,
He has restored justice and order on earth.,
 The evil Tyrant, the horse-headed Asura, was punished.
And by the will of the gods,  he returned his head to its former place.

When you have free time, you can visit the museum.,
 There are statues of gods, kings and heroes among the many,
Statues of Harihara and Hayagriva can be seen.
 Vishnu incarnated on earth as Krishna. 
Baby Krishna raised mighty mountains.
He took palm trees in his hands like thick ropes, 
 He braided the tall trees into braids.
He protected the people from the terrible storm,  and he played the flute in a quiet moonlit hour.
The world was fragrant with these sounds.
When Krishna grows up, he does great things.,
Terrible demons are being pushed into the dense forests,
Ferocious lions are harnessed to a chariot,
 Riding on a bird, the hero Garuda flies,
He notices everything, helps kind people.

The elder showed a bas relief of the battle of Krishna and Asura Bana
He told us how the king of the neighboring lands, the treacherous Asur Banu
 He imprisoned our young prince, the grandson of Krishna.,
Whereupon Lord Krishna besieged the fortress of Banasura with an army,
Garuda extinguished the fiery wall of the fortress with his wings.
In a bloody battle  Krishna Asura Bana conquered,
And for his treachery, he deprived him of extra hands.
 Through the intercession of Shiva, King Banasura was saved.
Out of a thousand of his hands, he only kept four, The ferocious lions of Banasur scattered away ,
King Banu released the prince from prison, He married his daughter to the prince.
Young people on a fancy chariot
They returned to the capital with Mr. Krishna.

***
The elder kindly accompanies us everywhere.,
He walks through the galleries of temples and palaces.,
It is interesting to tell ancient stories,
With statues, frescoes, mysterious signs explains,
 During small stops by the water,
 Under the trees outdoors in the shade,
 You can quench your thirst and have a snack.,
Admire the wonderful views of nature, Or listen to quiet music.

***
Over time, Demons raged in the world,  Vishnu decided to bring order to the earth,
He appeared on earth in the form of Rama, and was born into the royal family,
He has grown stronger over the years  in the palace, wins in archery,
As a coveted prize, he chooses Princess Sita as his wife.
 When dark times come in the kingdom,
 In fulfillment of a father's command and filial obedience,
 Prince Rama with Princess Sita and Lakshmana's brother,
They left their father's house to wander around the world.
Rama and Princess Sita go into exile,
With them  Lakshman, they are hiding in a forest hut.
The demon king Ravana became infatuated,
He wanted to kidnap the beautiful princess Sita,
Take her to Lanka, put him in his palace.
The treacherous wizard turned into a golden deer,
Sita was enchanted by a gentle gaze, cherishing a dark plan.   
 While Prince Rama and his brother were catching that deer,
The ruler Ravana secretly made his way to the dwelling,
He kidnapped Princess Sita and imprisoned her in Lanka.
Prince Rama and Lakshman are running after him.,
But the demons are on their way to protect them.
Princess Sita languishes in captivity in Lanka,
Prince Rama and Lakshman are rushing to help,
With them is the army of the monkey king Sugriva,
The magical Hero monkey Hanuman, the Demons want to destroy them all.
Rama's companions are fighting the demons asuras.
Eagles help the heroes, bears rush out of the thicket.
Demons run wild during the day,
And they don't let you walk through the woods at night.
Hanuman and the monkeys build a bridge to Lanka,
 Evil demons do harm early in the morning.
The mermaid Suwannamacha helps the hero,
And the fish guard the man-made bridge underwater.
 Rama defeated the demon with a face on his stomach,
 But hordes of new demons are already on the way.
Ravana the giant demon King on a chariot
There are ferocious lions in the team,
the monkeys are being dispersed.
Rama defeated the demon Ravana, and set Sita free.
God Agni tests the princess with tongues of flame,
And returns Sita from the campfire unharmed.

The bas-reliefs tell the story of terrible misadventures,
Princess Sita is in the hands of the treacherous asura Ravana,
But Prince Rama has already brought the long-awaited salvation.,
Prince Rama with Princess Sita next to him,
With them, their supporters rejoice and rejoice.
Only the shadows of the events of those times have been preserved.
They showed us a performance of Ramayana at the Shadow Theater.
Old stories and epics were passed from mouth to mouth.,
According to ancient traditions, masks were cut out of the skin.
 It was as if the heroes from the temple wall were coming to life.
In a dark hall, masks are reflected on the screen,
 The action of the play unfolds to the music.

***
Lord Vishnu and other gods appeared on earth,
 We fought the demons, restored order.
The elder told a sad ancient story,
Cousins are descendants of great dynasties
The troops converged for battle on the field of Kurukshetra,
The descendants of the gods and demons came together in a formidable battle.

The bas-relief depicts a battle between Gods and Demons. 
Thunderer Indra riding an Elephant, spears lightning
His retinue of Gandharva spirits are clearing the way with spears.
The lord of the Kubera Mountains shoots
arrows on the shoulders of a giant Yaksha,
 The forest spirit drives away ferocious lions, scares the horses.
Surya, the Sun god, throws arrows with a fiery disk.
The belligerent Skanda's bowstring is ringing
and his arrows are flying accurately.
His fighting Peacock spread his wings menacingly, 
The lions with the chariots are backing away.
Krishna is riding on the celestial Garuda fighting, 
 Agni, the god of fire, sends fiery arrows at his enemies,
The lord of the wind, Vayu, disperses enemies with gusts of wind.
The lord of the waters, Varuna, riding on a Naga, intimidates enemies.
While Vishnu is aiming, Garuda is shielding him with his wings.,
The chariots are pushed back, the horses are stopped by shouting.
Shiva fights on a Bull in the thick of battle,  breaks enemy spears, crushes enemies with his Gaze,
they run away in droves, the demons of the underworld send new soldiers into battle.
Their commanders ride in chariots with lions and Nagas.
The battle of Grozny unfolds at the foot of the mountain,
 The screams and groans of the warriors can be heard, the drums on the field are thundering.
 Gods and demons are fighting, sabers are flashing, pikes, and bows.
Arrows obscure the sky, sparks fly from the shields,
Animal growls and bird cries can be heard all around.

 ***
The God of the underworld, Yama, with a staff in his hand
With a stern retinue on a buffalo in a royal saddle,
He executes a just judgment on people,
It will indicate the further route for them.
The souls of those who have walked the righteous path,
 They are sent to heaven at the appointed hour.
 Those who get along with heaven, the earth helps their souls,
And corrects those who are on the other side.
The souls of poor sinners are rushing about in hell,
There are terrible guards in the cellars of the dark ones,
 And fierce lions are guarding the gates of the slaves.
 Having redeemed his sins, he will be able to free himself.,
 Whoever overcomes the torments will pass through all the prisons,
And will come to earth with a new life.

For those who fight on the battlefield,
 The caring servants of the Pit are invisibly watching ,
The souls of the heroes will reach the Castles of heaven,
The celestial maidens of Apsara meet them there.
 Streams murmuring among the stones are refreshing,
The Gandharvas fill the gardens of paradise with singing,
And the Apsaras step on the carpets to wonderful sounds.
And the gods will look away from the storms of the earth.
And the hero's gaze will become softer among his friends.,
They will see the heavenly nymphs dancing, their fabulous outfit.
The hero's thirst will be quenched, they will forget  about earthly separation.,
They will be relieved of the pain from the soul.
Garuda guards proud castles, In the gardens,
the wings are very cool.

***
In a troubled age, the caring Lord Preparing t
o defend against external enemies,
From the devastation of forests, fields, villages, cities.
And in a difficult hour, the troops are ready to march.,
 And the goal is clear to everyone,
to overcome the enemies, to save the people.
Messengers carry reports. The sages remember the covenants,
 Treasurers have opened caskets, merchants are collecting coins,
Stargazers find comets, and the priests have called on God to help them.
Bonfires are burning in the districts, wizards interpret omens.
 Drums outside the temples are humming,
 blacksmiths are forging horseshoes and blades,
Mothers prepare breadcrumbs for their sons before dawn.
The drivers collect provisions for the wagons.
Tents are good for camping, they will save you from the heat at noon.,
Put the stones in the caskets, but how can the caskets be preserved?
Thick walls will save you from enemies if the bolt at the gate is secure.
The enemy spy hears every whisper, searches for secret murmurs.
Sly words are sweet, envy creeps in like a snake, With a lie,
the villain will open the lock at the door on a black night.
The hunters are preparing strong snares,  the beast cannot escape into the thicket,
Anglers get along well with the gear, they hide it carefully in the shade.
The enemy has come from afar, ravages fields and fields,
Scares away animals and birds, and takes people into slavery.
Burns barns and houses, blocks roads.   
No matter how fast the driver hurries, urging the horse to run,
But with each revolution of the knitting needle,  the eyelid is shorter for you.
Clouds of smoke rise in silence, the guards raised their bows,
Arrows like shadows of separation dig into a young body with claws…
And time flies like an arrow, then it stops like a wall.
Will the hero be able to stand up and defend the country, hug his mother at home,
She'll remember her friends. but in a difficult hour of battle, the native land helps.
He humbly accepts his fate before eternity…
The dragons of time are fighting an indomitable battle today and yesterday,
Just for the edification of meeting the dawn,
they leave a trail behind us in tomorrow. …

***
Garuda descended from the sky, the towers are guarded,
Lions guard the formidable steps, block the way,
 Demons and nagas, subdued, guard the stairs.,
 It's like they're protecting the stone pages of a calendar.
The guards are stern with clubs, the passages are closed,
Snakes, many-headed Nagas, cover the ravines,
The gatekeepers close the gates, the city is guarded.
The horse trusted the rider, rushes to the stone formation…
Enemies are flying under the hooves, save the horse rider.
 Brave warriors are fighting in battle, and the powers of heaven, the Powers of earth, and the powers of the underworld are helping them in a deadly battle.,
Demons are fighting for the souls of heroes,
the hero will not trust them with his soul.,
Otherwise, fate will turn around so that a new demon will be set up.…
There are unequal forces in treachery,  the chase is flying on the trail,
The dashing horses are soaring, the murmur is not heard,
The riders are ready for a hot fight, all as one.
Elephants fighting through the thickets pave the way,
You can't turn off the road with harsh assistants.,
Great forces fought, and there were still sons on the field.,
And there is no decent price for them, but a father's house awaits everyone.…
 A thick fog has descended, the road is not visible around,
Enemies are making noise over the edge, their voices are close.
But you can't tighten the noose tightly with a treacherous hand.
When the mists parted, the defenders' formation disappeared,
It was as if the Gods in the bas-reliefs
had hidden the inhabitants of the capital,
Only stone giants, looking in all directions,
The sentinel warriors and dancers froze in the stone on the wall.,
Only shadows are dancing furiously, and the fire is billowing with smoke.
The stone carved pattern fights back with a protective line.
The gray stones have risen, the walls are trembling with excitement,
Like elephant sirens, the noise is heard in the night,
 Garudas beat their wings, stones fly from everywhere.

The nagas hiss fiercely, the steep steps tremble,
the lions howl: down with the uninvited guests…
The enemies were thrown into confusion by such a rock-shaking,
Thunder rumbles in the night, enemies flee in fear.
 Black clouds came, washed away the traces of heavy rains.
The wonderful palace disappeared, swallowed up by an impenetrable forest.
The gods have hidden palaces and temples until better times,
when people will appreciate the heavenly painted pattern.
In the midst of an insurmountable jungle, an ancient city lurks,   
 In the thicket of thickets, away from human eyes.
Birds nest in the foliage, monkeys scream and jump,
Snakes crawl between the stones, and monitor lizards sometimes scream.,
And people, not daring to approach, bypass the side of the secret city.
Only bats, guardians of the night, visit the ruins in flocks.,
Their shadows flicker across the treetops against the sunset.

Mountain spirits and snakes are naked, tired from centuries of sleep,
Yes, their forest descendants guard the temples at night.,
Trees with huge snake roots are propping up the walls.
The traveler is surprised to hear the sounds of distant times.…
Grateful grandchildren revealed great creations to the world of masters,
Hidden for a while, but now they are carefully protecting from destruction.

***
We have overcome a long, difficult path and with God's help
We returned to our native lands, relatives and friends gathered together,
Our stories and favorite songs  will be played until morning.
Visiting protected areas,  we found ourselves in a fishing village,
In the morning we wandered along the trails, sailed on a fishing boat along the channels,
Monkeys were playing on the branches between the vines, snakes were rustling on the ground, 
Parrots flew overhead, birds of rare beauty and butterflies fluttered,
But we had a guide and a dog with us, they boldly
led us to the house through the thicket.
In the evening, dinner in a hut by the campfire,
fish, and fragrant tea from the forest, 
The soft sound of the surf, and a quiet conversation among themselves.
Soon we were surrounded by darkness,  the campfire was burning out, and the stars were twinkling.
 The voices faded away, only the Hostess was humming softly in a monotone,
Through slumber, images come out of the shadows, but the voices of the word are clearer.
A tiny painted house honoring the ancestors and the surrounding spirits
I hid under the crown of a tree, a modest offering in an antique bowl is kept,
A few fresh petals in a bowl, a glimmer of the moon on the water droplets.
 A fragrant candle trail flows between the branches.
The next morning we refreshed ourselves slightly, and we thank the hosts for the food and shelter,
They remembered the landlady's nighttime singing, but she just shrugged her shoulders.:
She thanks me for my kind words, but says it wasn't her who sang at night.,
Probably, the ancient spirit- the old lady Lok Yeai Mao,  the protector of fishermen, and the guardian spirit of the village of Neak-Ta looked at the light.,
They saw fishermen and travelers, and sang their own fairy tales.

***
According to legend, the union of Princess Neang, the daughter of the Naga
ruler and the Indian Prince Preah Thong, led to the creation of the ancient
Khmer state. Khmer Prince Prekh Ketomialia visited the heavenly palace of Indra,
 and with the help of its architect, the son of an earthly gardener and the heavenly virgin Apsara, embodied the beauty he saw on earth. Cambodia's temple complexes in the Angkor region are world-famous cultural heritage sites. Historians note that temple construction here began during the reign of King Jayavarman II (802-850) and lasted for about 400 years. During the heyday of the Khmer Empire, cities, temples, roads, dams, reservoirs, and irrigation systems were built. Angkor Wat Temple, built during the reign of Suryavarman II (1113-1150), Angkor Thom city, Bayon Temple with many faces on the towers, Ta Prohm Monastery were erected by King Jayavarman VII (1177-1220). The temples are richly decorated with carvings, and the bas-reliefs depict scenes from mythology, the Mahabharata, and the Ramayana. The weakening of the state from wars led to the destruction of cities and hydraulic structures. Residents fled the cities, and the temple complexes were eventually swallowed up by impenetrable forests. Only since the middle of the 19th century, the clearing of ruins from forests and the restoration of ancient structures began.