Five poems by Ukrainian writers that must be read by everyone
Some were written almost a hundred years ago, some just recently. Read them, share them, and continue to stand with Ukraine.
The events we witness right now are not new to Ukrainians. Throughout history, they experienced them all: Russian occupation and oppression; betrayal, indifference, and cowardice of the allies; violent deaths, mass graves, and grief; and endless fight survival and freedom. Today, I want to share five poems by Ukrainian writers that I translated from Ukrainian to English. Some were written almost a hundred years ago, some just recently. Read them, share them, and continue to stand with Ukraine.
Vasyl Sagaydak (1945-2006) – a Ukrainian poet, writer, and translator. He was oppressed for his pro-Ukrainian views and position by the Soviet (Russian) government for almost his entire life, which severely impacted his career and work.
A commandment Vasyl Sagaydak 1990 Never let a barbarian on your doorstep, my son – No matter if he comes with war or with sweet vows. He will take your house, your bed, and your wife, And will burn all your books at maidan. He will bury your language in vocabularies and graves, And everything you have right now, my son, He will reweave thread by thread, rewrite word by word, Rebuild stone by stone, and claim as his own. *Maidan is a town square. The word originated in the Persian language and came to Ukraine from the Crimean Tatar language.