Krayina ditei

"Usyake misto i mistechko v zemli kozakiv bahati meshkancyamy, nadto z malenkymy ditmy. U koznomu misti bezlich ditei, i vsi vony vmiyut chytaty, navit syroty. Vdiv i syrit v cii krayini duze bahato, cholovikiv yihnih povbyvano u bezperervnyh viinah. Ale v nyh ye harnyi zvychai: vony odruzuyut svoyih ditei zovsim yunymy, i z ciyeyi prychyny vony chyslennishi vid zir nebesnyh ta pisku morskoho".
(Podorozni notatky Pavla Alepskoho, XVII st.)

Z-nad bilyh sorochok – podoba kryl.
Shche zovsim yuna krov. Naimenshi ljudy
Ziishly u son zemli i tlin mohyl,
Povitrya skolyhnuvshy, mov preljudy.
Vony mov mak, yih more zvidusyudy
Ide v cei dim, v cei vytoptanyi dil.
Z yakyh smertei, z yakoyi tmy i poludy,
Z yakyh kohan, z yakyh zabytyh til? –

Z nimyh poboyishch i z huchnyh pobid!
Sama ljubov zip’yalas nevtolyma
v ochah nochei! I zasvit – u pohid,
I ranni vdovy z inshymy ochyma
Zavmerli, az movchat, az nache shyma
Lyahla na nyh. I yanholskyi polit
V syritskim nebi z kvitamy suhymy.
I sto voron, shcho kryache yim uslid.

Do koho vy, do choho vy, de sto kalik prochovhaly.
De pali nache myli u trishchynah do dna.
Ubohymy dorohamy natishytes nedovho vy,
Anhelyky-voloshky, bludna sarana.
Koljuchky pustyrni, baistryuchky psaltyrni,
Poterchata hyrni, yahnyata yasyrni.
Ta luchshe b vy v derevah nenarodzenni spaly,
Ta luchshe b vy lystkamy na chornu hlynu vpaly.

Ale povik ne vyshchezne trava
Na zharyshchah. Vony kvituyut ryasno,
Choch bil, i strah, i yazva morova,
I sil-kamin kryvavyt yuni yasna,
I syvyi popil obmitaye nebo,
I rikam perelamano hrebty,
I zhirkle svitlo pleshche promeneve –
Yim tut cvisty. I v zemlju cyu lyahty.

(Korabel ditei vyrushaye richkoyu
U sorochkah naibilishyh vsi niby heruvymy.
Cya zemlya zbatohovana vmiye buty vichnoyu,
Navit pali prorostayut sadzancyamy zyvymy)... (ves kuplet – 3)