An orphan who herded sheep on lands belonging to a certain Noyon (feudal lord) had nothing except Chiraa-Khoor, his beautiful, strong and fast horse. The Noyon grew jealous of the horse and wanted to take it away.

The orphan herder fled to other lands, and in this song Chiraa-Khoor, describes his journey. He began in the upper regions of the Khemchik River, in Bai-Taiga, and fled towards Tandi. As he travels along, he gives his own poetic names to the natural sights along the way.

Mongolian throat singing is one particular variant of overtone singing practiced by people in Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, Tuva and Siberia. It is inscribed in 2009 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of the UNESCO.

Chiraa-Khoor

In the middle of the yellow steppe,

We rest underneath a lone birch tree,

The cool wind brings the aroma of juniper,

I’am a traveler, and My Spirit is Joyful,

AlexK