Ukrainian poetry -- 19th century -- Translations into English
Selected Poems of Shevchenko 61 The Kobzar 63 Dedication 64 Perebendya 67 The Poplar 70 Dumka (What do my black hairs avail me) 76 To Osnovyanenko 78 Ivan Pidkova 81 The Night of Taras 83 Katerina 88 The Haydamaki 108 Prelude 110 To the Eternal Memory of Kotlyarevsky 117 Dumka...
Selected Poems of Shevchenko 61 The Kobzar 63 Dedication 64 Perebendya 67 The Poplar 70 Dumka (What do my black hairs avail me) 76 To Osnovyanenko 78 Ivan Pidkova 81 The Night o...
2. Part 2Taras Shevchenko was born in Ukraine in the village of Morintsy in the district of Zvenihorod, Government of Kiev on the right bank of the Dniper River. The situation of this co...
3. Part 3Among the families which entertained him, one of the most hospitable was that of Prince Repnin, the former governor general of Kiev and the friend of Kotlyarevsky. He was now li...
4. Part 4About two years later Major Irakly Uskov was sent to command the garrison. He was a more determined and broad-minded man and he decided to do what he could to make the fate of S...
5. Part 5In estimating the greatness of the poetry of Shevchenko, we can never forget that he must be judged in two different spheres and on two different planes. He is first and foremos...
6. Part 6He therefore willingly accepted the ideas of Kollár, a Slovak, when he wrote the _Heretic_ and glorified Jan Hus as a Slav hero, but it is to be noted that in the introduction w...
7. Part 7What was Shevchenko’s attitude toward religion? The best critics of the poet, whether they are Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic, or Protestant, have come to the conclusi...
8. Part 8Blind and aged Perebendya-- Who has failed to know him? Everywhere he wanders slowly On his kobza[1] playing. By his songs the people know him And sincerely thank him, For he dr...
9. Part 9“From Lyman a cloud is rising, From the field, another; Ukraina’s plunged in sadness-- Such is its misfortune! Plunged in sadness, drenched with weeping, Just as little children...
10. Part 10Do not ask, O black haired maidens; People cannot answer. Him whom God deems right to punish They will punish also. People bend as do the willows As the wind is blowing. For an...
11. Part 11Sons of mine, O haydamaki, Broad’s the world, and freedom, Sons of mine, go out to revel And to try your fate! Sons of mine, who still are youthful, Children still untutored! Wh...
12. Part 12In the forest winds toss wildly Branches and the poplars, Break the oaks, and o’er the meadows Sweep the tumbleweed. So is fate: one man it crushes, And another tosses, Me it ca...
13. Part 13So we flew and so we wandered. Then the sun was risen, And I stood and looked with horror At the scenes occurring, For the poor were now in motion, Hurrying to labor, And the Mo...
14. Part 14“Why do you talk utter nonsense? What are all the crows? And the Moskals and the seats? May the Lord protect us! Mayhap they will bid us lay eggs And hatch out some Moskals. For...
15. Part 15To admire their old virtues, Read again the story Of that glory, read it over, Word by word reread it; Do not miss a single chapter, Or a little comma-- Learn it well and you wi...
16. Part 16Towards evening, like a shining star, Sweet Mary wandered from the grove, All wreathed in flowers, There Mount Thabor Just as if wrapped in gold and silver Shone far away so daz...
17. Part 17After his return from the army, Shevchenko’s poetry took a more austere note. A large part of his latest works were adaptations of the Old Testament and the warnings of the Prop...