Letter Of A Cossack To The Turkish Sultan. Funny!

[Guest Scanderbeg]

 

Original text in Russian

 

 

These [Cossack attacks] so inflamed the hatred of the Muslims toward the Zaporogian Cossacks and the entire Christian population of Ukraine that the Turks decided to attack the Zaporogian Syech and raze it to the ground. There is a popular tradition that, before sending his troops to the Zaporogian Syech, Turkish Sultan Muhammad IV sent to the Zaporogians a letter demanding they submit voluntarily to him, an unconquerable knight. To the Sultan's letter, the Cossacks responded with free choice of words in a letter of their own. It denied the Sultan all honor, cruelly mocking the boasts of an "unconquerable knight." Many who treasure South Russian lore preserve copies of this letter of the Turkish Sultan and of the quaint reply of the Zaporogians. The letter may be fictitious, but it is entirely consistent with the spirit of the Zaporogian Cossacks.

 

Sultan Mahmud IV to the Zaporogian Cossacks:

As the Sultan; son of Muhammad; brother of the sun and moon; grandson and viceroy of God; ruler of the kingdoms of Macedonia, Babylon, Jerusalem, Upper and Lower Egypt; emperor of emperors; sovereign of sovereigns; extraordinary knight, never defeated; steadfast guardian of the tomb of Jesus Christ; trustee chosen by God himself; the hope and comfort of Muslims; confounder and great defender of Christians -- I command you, the Zaporogian Cossacks, to submit to me voluntarily and without any resistance, and to desist from troubling me with your attacks.

--Turkish Sultan Mahmud IV

The following translation appeared in M.B. Kuropas, "The Saga of the Ukraine," MUN Enterprises,

[Lacertus]

Oh! It isn't absolutely exact translation of the letter. Actually we couldn't to read it in a respectable society. It was much more cheerful. By the way, the letter (the draft copy of the letter is more true) has been kept by miracle, the original wasn't kept.

[Guest Scanderbeg]

Interesting. I would love to read an uncensored version.

[Lacertus]

I have original version of the letter in Russian. But I cann't translate it without assistance as I don't know obscene English. If you're capable it yourself I'll send you the variant of true letter. But I'll not risk to do it at the forum.

[Guest Scanderbeg]

It's okay. I get the idea though.

[Lacertus]

What idea are you speak about?

[Guest Scanderbeg]

the different version of the letter.