Ukrainian shchedrivka (New Year’s carol)
Read by: Honored Artist of Ukraine Mykhailo Voichuk
Hey there, good master of the house,
Your yard is like paradise itself!
You have sleek grey oxen,
Golden ploughs that shine,
Courtyards built of cedar wood,
And tables made of guelder rose.
On them — fine linen cloths,
And dishes woven of reed.
Hey there, good master of the house,
Your fields are like paradise itself!
Your lands stretch wide as forests,
Your harvests flow like the Danube —
Your rye glows red as embers,
Your wheat — the pride of kings,
Your oats as strong as bison manes,
Your barley gleams like gold.
Hey there, good master of the house,
Your stables are like paradise itself!
Your horses are all of Turkish breed,
Your weapons — fit for marksmen,
Your oxen sturdy as barns,
Your cows broad as ramparts,
Your sheep blanket the mountains,
And in the hills — log huts without number.
Hey there, good master of the house,
Your chests are like paradise itself!
Your trunks are bound with iron,
Inside — bright red gold untold,
You have coats of sable fur,
Ermine fit for kings,
Your robes — noble as a lord’s,
Your kontushes — lined with velvet fur.
Hey there, good master of the house,
May God bless you this Jordan Day,
With holy water and Heaven’s Queen,
With your whole home and all your wealth,
With your faithful wife,
With your loyal household,
With your sons — like falcons,
And daughters — like blooming flowers.Master of the house, like a king,
May God bless you and all your kin,
Your prosperous home,
Your fields and meadows,
Your neighbors and your noble friends,
And Christ the Lord above —
Grant you health and many years!
God grant it!
