U vsyakoho svoya dolya
I sviy shlyach shyrokyi:
Toy muruye, toy ruynuye,
Toy nesytym okom
Za kray svita zazyraye, –
Chy nema krayiny,
Shchob zaharbat' i z soboyu
Vzyat' u domovynu.
Toy tuzamy obyraye
Svata v yoho chati,
A toy nyshkom u kutochku
Hostryt' niz na brata.
A toy, tychyi ta tverezyi,
Bohoboyazlyvyi,
Yak kishechka, pidkradet'sya,
Vyzde neshchaslyvyi
U tebe chas ta y zapustyt'
Pazuri v pechinky, –
I ne blahay: ne vymolyat'
Ni dity, ni zinka.
A toy, shchedryi ta rozkoshnyi,
Vse chramy muruye;
Ta otechestvo tak lyubyt',
Tak za nym bidkuye,
Tak iz yoho, serdeshnoho,
Krov, yak vodu, tochyt'!..
A bratiya movchyt' sobi,
Vytrishchyvshy ochi!

I nema tomu pochynu,
I krayu nemaye!
Nichto yoho ne dodbaye
I ne rozruynuye... I vse to te...
Dushe moya, Choho ty sumuyesh?
Dushe moya ubohaya, Choho marne plachesh,
Choho tobi shkoda? chiba ty ne bachysh,
Chiba ty ne chuyesh lyuds'koho plachu?
To hlyan, podyvysya; a ya polechu
Vysoko, vysoko za syniyi chmary;
Nemaye tam vlasti, nemaye tam kary,
Tam smichu lyuds'koho i plachu ne chut'.

Pryspiv:
O lyudy! lyudy neboraky!
Nashcho zdalysya vam cari?
Nashcho zdalysya vam psari?
Vy z taky lyudy, ne sobaky! (ves' kuplet – 2)

On hlyan, – u tim rayi, shcho ty pokydayesh,
Latanu svytynu z kaliky znimayut',
Z shkuroyu znimayut', bo nichym obut'
Knyazat nedoroslych; a on rozpynayut'
Vdovu za podushne, a syna kuyut',
Yedynoho syna, yedynu dytynu,
Yedynu nadiyu! v viys'ko oddayut'!
Bo yoho, bach, trochy! a onde pid tynom
Opuchla dytyna, holodneye mre,
A maty pshenycyu na panshchyni zne.

A ya stoyu, pochylyvshys',
Dumayu, hadayu,
Yak to tyazko toy nasushchnyi
Lyudy zaroblyayut'.
Ot i bratiya sypnula
U senat pysaty
Ta pidpysuvat' – ta draty
I z bat'ka, i brata.
A mez nymy i zemlyachky
De-de prohlyadayut'.
Po-moskovs'kiy tak i rizut',
Smiyut'sya ta layut'
Bat'kiv svoyich, shcho zmalechku
Cvenkat' ne navchyly
Po-nimec'kiy, – a to teper
I kysny v chornylach!
P’yavky! p’yavky! moze, bat'ko
Ostatnyu korovu
Zydam prodav, poky vyvchyv
Moskovs'koyi movy.
Ukrayino! Ukrayino!
Oce tvoyi dity,
Tvoyi kvity molodiyi,
Chornylom polyti,
Moskovs'koyu blekotoyu
V nimec'kych teplycyach
Zahlusheni!.. Plach, Ukrayno!
Bezditna vdovyce!

Chocha lezachoho y ne byut',
To i polezaty ne dayut'
Ledachomu. Tebe z, o suko!
I my sami, i nashi vnuky,
I myrom lyudy proklenut'!
Ne proklenut', a tilky plyunut'
Na tych oddoyenych shchenyat,
Shcho ty shchenyla.
Muko! Muko!
O skorb moya, moya pechal!
Chy ty mynesh koly? Chy psamy
Cari z ministramy-rabamy
Tebe, o lyutu, zac'kuyut'!
Ne zac'kuyut'. A lyudy tycho,
Bez vsyakoho lychoho lycha
Carya do kata povedut'.

Pryspiv