Taras Shevchenko's poem “It Makes No Difference To Me” (tr. by Clarence A. Manning)

It Makes No Difference To Me
("Meni odnakovo, chy budu")

It makes no difference to me,
If I shall live or not in Ukraine
Or whether any one shall think
Of me 'mid foreign snow and rain.
It makes no difference to me.

In slavery I grew 'mid strangers,
Unwept by any kin of mine;
In slavery I now will die
And vanish without any sign.
I shall not leave the slightest trace
Upon our glorious Ukraine,
Our land, but not as ours known.
No father will remind his son
Or say to him, "Repeat one prayer,
One prayer for him; for our Ukraine
They tortured him in their foul lair."

It makes no difference to me,
If that son says a prayer or not.
It makes great difference to me
That evil folk and wicked men
Attack our Ukraine, once so free,
And rob and plunder it at will.
That makes great difference to me.

Taras Shevchenko
"Meni odnakovo, chy budu"
("Мені однаково, чи буду")
1847, S.- Peterburg (С.- Петербург)

Translated by Clarence A. Manning

Original publication:
Taras Shevchenko. Zibrannja tvoriv: U 6 t. — K., 2003. — T. 2:
Poezija 1847-1861. — S. 11-20; 549-570


Source: http://www.infoukes.com/