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• Taras Shevchenko's poem «Calamity Once More!» («Мій Боже милий, знову лихо!») — English and Irish translation by Gabriel Rosenstock

Taras Shevchenko's poem «Calamity Once More!» («Мій Боже милий, знову лихо!») — English and Irish translation by Gabriel Rosenstock

Spirit of freedom. Painting by Oleg Shupliak.

"Spirit of freedom". Painting by Oleg Shupliak.

Gabriel Rosenstock presents a version in English and Irish of a poem by Taras Shevchenko (1814 – 1861), known as "Kobzar", the Bard, Ukraine's national poet. He was also a painter, folklorist and language activist.

Taras Shevchenko

CALAMITY ONCE MORE

(Translated into English by Gabriel Rosenstock)

Dear God, calamity once more!
So peaceful and serene it was;
The chains that bound our people in slavery
Were straining to break
When suddenly . . . Now our people’s blood
Is flowing again. Like ravenous dogs
To butter, royal thugs
Are at our throats once more

* * *

Taras Shevchenko

AN ANACHAIN CHUGAINN ARÍS

(Translated into Irish by Gabriel Rosenstock)

A Dhé, an anachain chugainn arís!
Suairc séimh a bhí an uile ní;
Ar tí briseadh a bhí na slabhraí sin
A cheangail ár muintir
Ansin go tobann . . . tá fuil á doirteadh
An athuair. Ar nós madraí craosacha
Ag alpadh ime, tá greim scornaí orainn
Arís ag bithiúnaigh ríoga.

* * *

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.

Original publication:
Taras Shevchenko. Zibrannia tvoriv: u 6 t. — K., 2003. — T. 2:
Poeziia 1847-1861. — S. 303, 712 - 715.

Painting by Oleg Shupliak.

Painting by Oleg Shupliak.

Gabriel Rosenstock — poet, tankaist, haikuist, novelist, essayist, playwright, author/translator of over 180 books, mostly in Irish (Gaelic). Rosenstock is one of the foremost poets in Ireland in both English and Irish. He also writes haikus and he works as translator and as assistant editor for an Irish-language publishing house. He writes primarily in Irish and is the author or translator into Irish of over one hundred books. He is member of several literary societies and organisations, such as the Innti group and Aosdána.