"Why weighs the heart heavy?" poem of Taras Shevchenko (Ukrainian-to-English translation by Vera Rich)

Taras Shevchenko 

"Why weighs the heart heavy?"

("Choho meni tiazhko, choho meni nudno")

Why weighs the heart heavy? Why drags life so dreary? 
Why is the heart weeping and sobbing and wailing 
As a child cries from hunger? Heart, heavy and weary, 
What do you long for? Why are you ailing?
Are you longing for food or for drink or repose?
Slumber, my heart, for eternity sleeping,
Uncovered and shattered. . . . Let hateful people
Rage on. . . . O my heart, let your eyes gently close! . . .

Taras Shevchenko's poem
"Choho meni tiazhko, choho meni nudno"
("Чого мені тяжко, чого мені нудно")
1844, St.- Petersburg, (С.- Петербург)

Translated by Vera Rich

Source of the original poem in Ukrainian: Taras Shevchenko. Zibrannia tvoriv: U 6 t. — K., 2003. — T. 1: Poeziia 1837-1847. — S. 282; S. 708 - 709.

Source of English translation of the poem: Taras Shevchenko."Song out of Darkness". Selected poems translated from the Ukrainian by Vera Rich. London, 1961, p. 40.

Here you can find Ukrainian text of the Taras Shevchenko's poem:
Original poem in Ukrainian