And the unwashed sky, and drowsy waves
“I nebo nevmyte, I zaspani khvyli”
And the unwashed sky, and drowsy waves;
And above the shore far away
The reed bends like a drunk
Without a wind. My dear Lord!
Will it still be long for me
To yearn for the world
In this unlocked prison
Above this wretched sea? In the steppes
The yellowed grass does not speak,
It is silent and bends as though it were alive;
It does not want to disclose the truth,
But there is no one else to ask.
Taras Shevchenko
“I nebo nevmyte, I zaspani khvyli”
("І небо невмите,і заспані хвилі")
1848, Kosaral (Косарал)
Translated by Michael M. Naydan
Original publication:
Taras Shevchenko, Tvory v 6 t. [Works in 6 v.], Kyiv: Naukova dumka, 1968
Source:
"Ukrainian Literature. A Journal of Translations" Volume 1.2004"
Shevchenko Scientific Society, New York, USA
http://www.shevchenko.org/Ukr_Lit/Vol01/01-04.html