Ukrainian Folk Duma
Read by: Honored Artist of Ukraine Mykhailo Voichuk
Oh, old Khmelnytsky’s head grew sorrowful and troubled,
For around him there were neither centurions nor colonels;
Only Ivan Luhovsky remained with him —
The military scribe,
A registered Cossack.
Then they sat together in council,
Like small children,
And with their own hands wrote letters,
Sent them throughout the towns —
To regimental and company centers —
And in those letters to the Cossacks they wrote:
“Hey, Cossacks, children, comrades!
I ask you — take good care,
Gather up flour,
Come to the Grave beyond the Dyke,
Wait for me, Khmelnytsky,
To take counsel with you!”
Then the Cossacks indeed took care,
Gathered flour,
Came to the Grave beyond the Dyke,
Waited for the Resurrection of Christ —
But they did not see Khmelnytsky.
They waited for the Ascension of Christ —
But they did not see Khmelnytsky.
They waited for Saints Peter and Paul —
But they did not see Khmelnytsky.
They waited for Elijah the Prophet —
But they did not see Khmelnytsky.
They waited for the Holy Trinity —
But they did not see Khmelnytsky.
Then the Cossacks gathered in council again,
Like small children, and said:
“Hetman Khmelnytsky,
Our father Zinov Bohdan of Chyhyryn,
Promised to summon a fair
In the town of Subotiv
On the Feast of the Transfiguration.”
Then the Cossacks again took care,
Came to the town of Subotiv,
Met Khmelnytsky,
Drove their pikes into the dry ground,
Removed their caps,
And bowed low before him, saying:
“Hetman Khmelnytsky,
Our father Zinov of Chyhyryn!
For what purpose do you summon us?”
Then Khmelnytsky quietly said:
“Hey, Cossacks, children, comrades!
I ask you — take good care,
Set up a hetman among yourselves.
Is there not among you
Some old, experienced Cossack,
A kurin ataman?
For from time to time I grow weak,
I can no longer rule among you;
Therefore I command you
To elect among yourselves a Cossack as hetman —
He shall rule among you,
And give you Cossack order.”
Then the Cossacks quietly said:
“Hetman Khmelnytsky,
Our father Zinov of Chyhyryn!
We cannot ourselves, among the Cossacks,
Choose a hetman,
But we wish to hear from your grace.”
Then Khmelnytsky quietly said:
“Hey, Cossacks, children, comrades!
I ask you — take good care.
I have Ivan Luhovsky,
Who served me twelve years as page,
Learned all my Cossack customs;
He shall rule among you,
And give you Cossack order.”
Then the Cossacks quietly said:
“Hetman Khmelnytsky,
Our father Zinov of Chyhyryn!
We do not wish for Ivan Luhovsky.
Ivan Luhovsky lives close to the Poles, the noble lords —
He will deal with the Poles, the noble lords,
He will count us, the Cossacks, as nothing!”
Then Khmelnytsky quietly said:
“Hey, Cossacks, children, comrades!
If you do not wish for Ivan Luhovsky,
I have Pavlo Teterenko.”
“We do not wish for Pavlo Teterenko!”
“Then tell me,” said he, “whom do you desire?”
“We desire Yurash Khmelnychenko.”
“But,” said he, “my Yurash Khmelnychenko
Is only twelve years of age,
He is still small in body and not mature in mind.”
“We shall seat twelve persons beside him,” they said,
“They will teach him with good deeds;
He shall rule among us, the Cossacks,
And give us order.”
Then the Cossacks indeed took care,
Laid down the mace and the standard,
Appointed Yurash Khmelnychenko as hetman,
And from various muskets they fired salutes —
Congratulated Khmelnychenko as hetman.
Then Khmelnytsky, having given his blessing to his son,
Went home and said to him:
“See, my son!
If you walk a little along the Tashlyk River,
Play a little upon the drums and pipes,
Then you shall find your father alive.
But if you walk long along the Tashlyk River,
Play much upon the drums and pipes,
Then you shall not find your father alive.”
Then Yurash, the young hetman,
Walked long along the Tashlyk River,
Played upon the drums and pipes,
Returned home —
And did not find his father alive.
Then he ordered that a grave be dug
In the Shtomyn court,
Upon a high hill.
Then the Cossacks dug the earth with their pikes,
Carried out the soil in their caps,
And buried Khmelnytsky.
From various muskets they fired volleys —
Performed the funeral for Khmelnytsky.
Then, as long as the Cossacks heard
The old head of Khmelnytsky,
So long they regarded Yurash Khmelnychenko as hetman.
But when they no longer heard
The old head of Khmelnytsky,
They no longer regarded Yurash as hetman:“Hey, Yurash Khmelnychenko, young hetman!
It would not be fitting for you to rule over us, the Cossacks;
It would be fitting for you
To sweep our Cossack barracks clean!”
