Chapter V: B. Historic and Political Songs

With the introduction of obligatory Christianity by Vladimir the Great, the grand duke and ruler of Ukraine and other territories which later developed into the white Ruthenian and Russian countries respectively, at Kiev in 988 (unofficial Christianity existed in Ukraine centuries before; even Olha--St. Helen--Vladimir’s grandmother, had been formally baptized at Constantinople on her visit thither), the production of heathen ritual and religious folk songs gradually diminished, for it was in the interest of the Church to eliminate these pagan beliefs; or, where this appeared difficult, this pagan lore and ceremonial were merged with Christian tenets, other personalities having been substituted; the Christian songs appear to be less indigenous and original than the ancient pagan songs.

(a) _Songs from the age of Ukrainian Principalities of the earliest date._

These songs may be justly styled the political annals that celebrate the exploits of the Ukrainian heroes who formed and consolidated the Ukrainian Kiev Empire of the Ruriks that ruled until the Kiev Ukraine fell under the foreign Lithuanian domination of the Gedymins after Ukraine was weakened by constant Tartar invasions from the East. For almost two centuries did the Lithuanian grand dukes hold their sceptre over Ukraine, but they adopted the ancient Ukrainian culture and language. In the vicissitude of fate both Ukraine and Lithuania were forced to unite with Poland in the so-called “Union of Lublin” in 1569. The subject of these songs is the heroism and chivalry of the Ukrainian princes and their retainers while advancing upon foreign cities and distant lands.

The lyric-epic poem: “Slovo o Polku Ihorevi”--The Lay of the War-Ride of Ihor, or the Word of Ihor’s[1] Armament, is the best and most famous production of the Ukrainian antiquity written by an unknown poet of the twelfth century, such as no other nation possesses.[2]

SLOVO O POLKU ÍGOREVI[3]

Were it not meet, brothers, to begin the sorrowful lay of the
war-ride of Ígor, Ígor Svyatoslávlitch after the old fashion?

But let us picture events of our own day, not fancies in the manner
of Boyàn.

For whenever inspired Boyàn wished to make a song of praise, he would
let his fancy stray, now as a gray wolf over the ground, now as an
eagle among the clouds.

Recalling the strife of olden days, he flew ten falcons against a
flock of swans and whatsoever swan was reached first, would sing the
praise of old Yaroslàv or of old brave Mstislàv who slew Redédya in
sight of the hosts of Kosógi, or of comely Romàn son of Svyatoslàv.

Yet were they not ten falcons that Boyàn flew against a flock of
swans, but his impassioned fingers with which he struck the live
strings and these of themselves sounded forth the praise of the
princes?

Let us then, brothers, begin this tale of the times from old Vladímir
unto our own Ígor who girded his mind with strength, steeled his
heart with courage and filled with the lust of battle, led his brave
hosts against the Pólovtzy in defense of the Russian land....[4]

Galician Osmomysl Yaroslav! High art thou seated upon thy
gold-wrought throne.

With thine unyielding hosts thou hast borne the weight of the
Hungarian mountains.

Thou hast blocked the path of the king, closed the gates of the
Danube, hurling bolts from thy clouds, sending forth ships as far as
the Danube.

In storm thy thunder reaches unto many lands.

Thou openest the gates of Kiev, strikest from the golden throne of
thy sires, sultans and distant lands.

Strike, sir, Kontchàk the Pagan nomad, for the Russian[5] land, for
the wounds of Ígor, the valiant son of Svyatoslàv!

* * * * *

Boyàn, bard of olden times, sang the encounters of Svyatoslàv and of
Yaroslàv and of Olèg, saying, “Though evil it is for thee, oh, head
lacking body, worse farest thou, body without head,”--Russian[6]
land without Ígor.

The sun shines in the sky, prince Ígor in the Russian land.

Maidens sing on the Danube.

Their voices are borne across the sea to Kiev.

Ígor rides through Borítchev to the holy shrine of the Mother of God.

The lands rejoice; the cities are glad.

Having sung to old princes, now we shall sing to young ones, “Glory
to Ígor Svyatoslávlitch, to dauntless warrior Vsévolod, to Wladímir
Ígorevitch!

Hail! princes and retinue fighting Pagan hosts in behalf of the
Christians!

Glory to princes and retinue! Amen![7]

(b) Of somewhat later period are the _Ukrainian Dumas_.[8] Stanislaus Sarnicki, a Polish historian, in his “Annals” of 1506 is the first one to mention the Ukrainian Dumas, saying that “The Ruthenians call these elegies their Dumas.”[9]

Dumas of the earlier period are of lyric-epic character, as well as didactic; they resemble the popular Ukrainian folk songs, and may have been derived from the ancient ones. The later period Dumas, from the middle of the XVII Century, are less poetic; they are realistic, humorous and with traits of sarcasm. They differ from the folk songs, and may not be considered verse in its strict sense, in that they are, as it were, a free improvisation without rhythm or rhyme, with constantly changing, irregular succession of arsis and thesis (beats), sung in melodious recitation, accompanied by the Kobza. There are twenty Ukrainian national Dumas of the older, and nine of the later period with many variants (same themes but different readings). There are some dumas falsified by the Russificators, which are easily distinguished from the genuine ones by contents and form, which we do not take account of here.[10]

PLACH NEVILNYKA--

(The Cry of a Captive)

A poor captive sends his greetings
Out of the Turkish land and from the faith of Mussulmans,
He sends regards to the Christian cities--to his father and mother.
Yet he can not bring his greetings in person
But forwards his salute through a gray dear little dove.

* * * * *

UTECHA BRATIW Z AZOVA

(The Flight of the Brothers from Azov)

When out of the Turkish land
And from the faith of Mussulmans
A small regiment flew
From the Azov city:
A rather small troop,
And there were not great dust clouds.

Three own brothers were escaping,
Three belovèd friends.
Two on horse-back; the third one on foot
Runs, approaches the riders,
Grasps the stirrup
And speaks out these words:

* * * * *

ROZMOWA DNIPRA Z DUNAYOM

(A Colloquy of Dnieper with Danube)

The Dnieper river asks silent Danube:
“Why, quiet Danube,
Do I not behold my Cossacks on thy waters?
Hast thy mouth devoured my Cossacks--
Hast thy Danube-water carried them away?

* * * * *

KORSUNSKA BYTWA

(The Battle of Korsun)

* * * * *

Soho, Sir Potocki![11]
Why hast thou, hitherto, a woman’s brain?
Thou knewest not how to behave at Kamianets of Podolia,
How to use a roasted suckling pig, a chick with pepper and saffron;
And now thou wilt not know how to battle with us Cossacks,
Thou wilt be unable to live on rye flour and fish sauce;
Unless I deliver thee into the hands of the Crimean Khan,
That his whip may teach thee to chew the mare’s raw meat!

* * * * *

(c) Some of the _recent historical songs_ are:

SHCHE NE VMERLA

1. She lives on, our Ukraine, her glory and freedom!
Once again, young brethren, shall good fortune smile on us.
Our foes shall perish like the dew in sunshine,
Once more will we, brethren, prevail in our own dear country.

(Refrain)

Soul and body shall we offer for our longed for freedom,
We shall yet prove, we are, brethren, of Cossack descent.

* * * * *

3. Oh, Bohdan, our Bohdan, our celebrated Hetman!
Wherefore hast thou sacrificed Ukraine to Moscovites?
We shall lay down our lives for our former prestige,
Proudly shall we call ourselves Ukraine’s faithful children.

(Refrain)

4. Our Slavonic brethren are under arms already;
Forward promptly must we go, but not lag behind.
Let us all, Slavonic brethren, cheerfully unite
That our enemies may perish.--Gain freedom and right!

(Refrain)

NE PORA

1. ’Tis no time, ’tis no time, ’tis no time,
To serve the Moscovites and Poles!
Repeatedly they wronged our Ukraine.
For our Ukraine alone must we live.

* * * * *

4. For this is the favorable time!
In the headstrong and obstinate fight
Shall we perish to gain honor, freedom and right
For thee, our native and glorious land!

VZHE BILSHE LIT DVISTA

1. Over two hundred years ago since Cossack was enslaved;
He wanders along the river bank, calling out his Fate:[12]
“Come forth, come out of the water,
Deliver me, my dear, from this misfortune.”

2. “My falcon dear, I shan’t come out,
Though willing; for in bondage am I, too;
In bondage, under the yoke of servitude,
In Moscovite Custody, cast into prison.”

3. “Young Cossack Destiny that I am,
To the Moscovites was I sold as a slave,
Into captivity, heavily fettered,
Thou unwise Hetman Bohdàn, see, what you’ve done!”

FOOTNOTES:

[1] The Ukrainian pronunciation and transliteration into English of the name of the heroic Ukrainian prince is Ee-h-o-r, not Ee-g-o-r, Ihor not Igor as is faultily pronounced and written by Russians and their uncritical followers. The only excuse for the Russians is that their alphabet does not possess the equivalent English h sound; they pronounce the Ukrainian г = h as g. The Ukrainian g is ґ, which again does not exist in Russian.

[2] It is a pity that until recently both the Russians (Moscovites) and some foreigners unacquainted with historical facts presented the “Word” as being “Russian” instead of Ukrainian. The language of the oldest, mistakingly so called “Russian” literature is chiefly old Slavonic with ample admixture of the early Ukrainian. The earliest Ukrainian literature written during the Kiev period of the Ukrainian Empire, which also included the present European Russia and White Ruthenia, differs linguistically from the literary documents written on the Moscovite territory at the same period. Until Peter the Great the Ukrainians and the Russians were officially recognized as two different nations with two entirely different languages. He introduced the “theory of the union of the Russian nation,” and styled the Ruthenians or Ukrainians as the “Little Russians” with a “Russian” dialect. True, that the Ukrainians were also called “Russi” and “Rossi,” but it meant not the present day Russians (Moscovites); the historic word was “borrowed” from the Ukrainians, to say it gently.

[3] As translated from the ancient Ruthenian-Ukrainian by Prof. A. Petrunkevitch of Yale University in “Poet Lore,” 1919. The reader is also referred to Prof. Leo Wiener’s “Anthology of Russian Literature,” Vol. I, p. 80 ff., G. P. Putnam’s Sons, New York and London. Giving the translation of Prof. Petrunkevitch, the author of this study disagrees with him as well as with many others who translated the words: Руський, Русь, Русич as if identical with the modern “Russia” and “Russian.” The author’s position is supported by the self consciousness of the entire over-forty-million Ukrainian nation as well as by Ukrainian and foreign historical authorities.

[4] За Землю Руськую,--_Za Zemlu Rus(i)kuyu_ means _for the land of the Rusyns--Rusyts(i) or Rusytch(i)_, these words having been Latinized into Ruthenus (Ruthenia) in the 9th century; another appellation was introduced in the 12th century: “Ukraine,” Ukrainians, which latter name was generally adopted by all the Ukrainians during the struggle for independence with Poles and Russians in the 17th century similarly as the name “Rumanians” replaced the former names Moldavians and Wallachians; the word _Rusyn_ means _Ruthenian_; is still locally used by the Ukrainians. Since the “Word” was written in Ukraine by the Ukrainians it is self evident that this precious ancient Ruthenian masterpiece as well as many others cannot be and is not the “Russian” literature; and that therefore “Земля Руська” means the Ruthenian or Ukrainian land of the princes of Kiev and Galicia--Volhynia. Russian is always and invariably written by double _ss_, whereas Ruthenian is invariably written by one _s_ with a sign of softening added ь: Русин adjective: Руський equals Ruthenian--Ukrainian.

The Russians (Moscovites) wrongly claim the foundation of the Kiev empire to themselves; they have fed, so to say, on the ancient Ukrainian culture, language, state and civilization which were already known historically in 8th century, while the Russian state began forming itself in 13th century around Suzdal and Moscow by the amalgamation of the Slavic tribes of Radimitches and Viyatitches with the Mongolian Finns.

These facts are undisputed by all modern unbiased students of history. That the Russians succeeded in overwhelming the Ruthenians temporarily and have favorably impressed the world as the inheritors of the ancient Ukrainian empire--ah!--it is another story, a story of ruthless oppression and extermination of the Ukrainian people and their independent state.

[5] _Vide supra_, the note on Руська Земля--_Rus(i)ka Zemla_, which, when rightly translated means the Ruthenian land, i. e., the Ukrainian land, and not the modern “Russian.”

[6] Ruthenian--Ukrainian land.

[7] The Word of the Armament of Ihor being an epic poem, the author of this study fancies that instead of prose--like continuation of sentences, each sentence should be written separately forming a strophe.

[8] Duma--_dumaty_ means _to think_, to meditate on some deeds of the times of yore. They are the Ukrainian epopees, epic rhapsodies about heroic deeds, usually of Cossacks in their struggle against the Turks, Tartars, Russians and Poles. Equivalent in meaning to the Bilinas (bylo byti means that which has happened, been done or performed) which though of Ukrainian origin, became known as exclusively Russian epic poetry. One must remember that the “Word of the Armament of Igor” is called the “Ukrainian Duma of the XII Century” by all Ukrainian ethnographers.

[9] Ivan Erofeiv: “Ukrainian Dumas (Epos) and Their Arrangement” (Redaction); Zapiski Naukovago Tovaristva, Kiev, 1909, VI.

Annales sive de origine et gestis Polonorum,--“... elegias, quas dumas vocant.”

[10] Dr. Filaret Kolessa: “Ukrainski Narodni Dumy,” Prosvita, Lviv (Lemberg), 1920, p. 63 ff.

[11] Nicholas Potocki (pronounced Pototski), a Polish military leader in the war against the Ukrainians in 1648, badly defeated by Chmielnitsky.

[12] Figuratively: Ukraine.