Part one

Alpamysh and Barchin are engaged to the cradle. Their fathers, the brothers Baiburi and Baysary, the noble beks of the “Sixteen-Tribe Congrat” tribe, were childless for a long time until they begged the children for themselves from God. Baysara gave birth to a daughter, Bayburi had twins: a son and a daughter. Having quarreled with his brother, Baysary migrated to the country of Kalmyks. Here, the beautiful Barchin evokes the love of the heroes of the Kalmyk Shah Taich Khan. To avoid a forced marriage with her hated suitors, Barchin announces that he will give his hand to the one who will be the winner of four competitions. These competitions are horse racing (“baiga”), competition in the art of bow possession, target shooting and wrestling. Barchin secretly hopes that the winner will be her one - Alpamysh, the son of Bayburi, for whom she sends ambassadors to her homeland. Alpamysh’s assistant in this difficult matchmaking is one of the Kalmyk warriors - Karadjan, who becomes a friend of the hero from an opponent and an enemy. Karajan on the horse of Alpamysh Baychibara overtakes all his opponents, despite the insidious Kalmyks who bind their rival and maim his horse, driving nails into his hooves. Karadjan enters into a single combat with the Kalmyk heroes, after which Alpamysh completes the victory, by extorting the most powerful of them - Kokaldash.

Together with Barchin, who has now become the wife of Alpamysh, the victors return to Kongrat. In the country of Kalmyks, only Baysary remains, who still does not want to make peace with his older brother.

Part two

In the second part of the poem, Alpamysh, having learned about the oppression caused by his father-in-law Taicha Khan, again goes to the country of Kalmyks and, inadvertently, is captured by his insidious enemies. He spends seven years in the Zindan (underground dungeon) of the Kalmyk Shah. The food is brought to him by the shepherd Kaykubat, who accidentally discovered his place of residence. The daughter of a Kalmyk king visits him in prison, falls in love with him and helps him escape from captivity. The liberated Alpamysh defeats Taich Khan, kills him and puts the shepherd Kaikubat on his throne.

During the seven-year absence of Alpamysh, his younger brother Ultantaz becomes the head of the Congrat tribe. The new ruler cruelly oppresses the people, dishonors the old father Alpamysh and persecutes his young son Yadgar, and Barchin forces him to marry him. Alpamysh, exchanging clothes with his old slave, the herdman Kultay, unrecognized, comes to the wedding feast of Udtantaza, frees his wife and relatives and kills the rapist.

The poem ends with the return to the homeland of the voluntary exile Baisara and the reunion of the disintegrated Congrat tribe under the rule of the hero Alpamysh.