Taras Shevchenko. Pugachev's arrest. 1842 (Тарас Шевченко. Арешт Пугачева. 1842).
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Taras Shevchenko
CALAMITY AGAIN
Translated by John Weir
Dear God, calamity again! ...
It was so peaceful, so serene;
We but began to break the chains
That bind our folk in slavery ...
When halt! ... Again the people's blood
Is streaming! Like rapacious dogs
About a bone, the royal thugs
Are at each other's throat again.
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Taras Shevchenko, "Calamity Again"
"Mii Bozhe mylyi, znovu lykho!"
("Мій Боже милий, знову лихо!")
1859, S.- Petersburg (Санкт-Петербург)
Translated by John Weir
Source: http://www.infoukes.com/
Original publication:
Taras Shevchenko. Zibrannia tvoriv: U 6 t. — K., 2003. — T. 2:
Poeziia 1847-1861. — S. 303; 712-715
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Тарас Шевченко
Мій Боже милий, знову лихо!
Мій Боже милий, знову лихо!..
Було так любо, було тихо;
Ми заходились розкувать
Своїм невольникам кайдани.
Аж гульк!.. Ізнову потекла
Мужицька кров! Кати вінчані,
Мов пси голодні за маслак,
Гризуться знову.
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More Taras Shevchenko's poems translated from Ukrainian into English by John Weir:
John Weir (Ivan Fedorovych Viv'yurskiy), a Canadian of the Ukrainian lineage, was a talented English-speaking translator of the second half of the 19ih century. During his life he translated 29 Shevchenko's poetic works, a prosaic foreword to the poem of «The Haidamaky», the narrative «The Artist», the poet’s autobiographic letter and some excerpts from his diary. John Weir, being a translator with the Ukrainian root, felt melodiousness of Shevchenko’s lines, understood a social foundation of the poet's artistic images.
This POWERFUL, BEAUTIFULLY written poem brings me to tears. I'm filled with sorrow for the Ukrainian people.
I send you all my love and strength for endurance and your fight for freedom.
I thank you very very much for introducing us such a great poet of Ukrainian. I'm a poet of the classical Japanese poems, Waka.
I hope peace.
It's so sad that calamity continues to happen there. In spite of all the death and their having to endure leaving their own country I hope peace will come to them soon.
May peace reign again soon