Can you help me make it sound natural?

I'm translating a text about nomads. Since I'm not a native speaker and don't have much practice, I'm not sure how it sounds. I'm afraid I tend to a word-for-word translation. Can you correct the things that sound odd to you, please?

"Many of her tribesmen, Olkhonoots, had gathered to send her off. They had sung songs, joked, competed in wit, everyone had had fun, she had too: she had always loved holidays, and that had been her holiday – in her honour, in honour of her groom they had composed songs and magnificent yurols – good wishes/blessings. Her tribesmen were famous for their facetious temper, songs and beautiful girls. Taking a journey of many days, sometimes even from the shores of unbeknown Lake Baikal, sometimes from the Great Wall - the bound of Chinese Altan Khan’s kingdom,- men came to this tribe for brides.

The first day of the trip passed imperceptibly. She remembered the farewell feast, sang to herself songs composed in her honour, looked at her groom by stealth. She liked him, her Chiledu. Tall, sturdy, with an open, friendly face; she knew that a man like that wouldn’t hurt her for no reason or let anyone hurt her."