"Usyake misto y mistechko v zemli kozakiv bahati meshkancyamy, nadto z malenkymy dit'my. U koznomu misti bezlich ditey, i vsi vony vmiyut' chytaty, navit' syroty. Vdiv i syrit v ciy krayini duze bahato, cholovikiv yichnich povbyvano u bezperervnych viynach. Ale v nych ye harnyi zvychay: vony odruzuyut' svoyich ditey zovsim yunymy, i z ciyeyi prychyny vony chyslennishi vid zir nebesnych ta pisku mors'koho".
(Podorozni notatky Pavla Aleps'koho, XVII st.)

Z-nad bilych sorochok – podoba kryl.
Shche zovsim yuna krov. Naymenshi lyudy
Ziyshly u son zemli i tlin mohyl,
Povitrya skolychnuvshy, mov prelyudy.
Vony mov mak, yich more zvidusyudy
Ide v cey dim, v cey vytoptanyi dil.
Z yakych smertey, z yakoyi t'my y poludy,
Z yakych kochan, z yakych zabytych til? –

Z nimych poboyishch i z huchnych pobid!
Sama lyubov zip’yalas' nevtolyma
v ochach nochey! I zasvit – u pochid,
I ranni vdovy z inshymy ochyma
Zavmerli, az movchat', az nache schyma
Lyahla na nych. I yanhols'kyi polit
V syrits'kim nebi z kvitamy suchymy.
I sto voron, shcho kryache yim uslid.

Do koho vy, do choho vy, de sto kalik prochovhaly.
De pali nache myli u trishchynach do dna.
Ubohymy dorohamy natishytes' nedovho vy,
Anhelyky-voloshky, bludna sarana.
Kolyuchky pustyrni, baystryuchky psaltyrni,
Poterchata chyrni, yahnyata yasyrni.
Ta luchshe b vy v derevach nenarodzenni spaly,
Ta luchshe b vy lystkamy na chornu hlynu vpaly.

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

(Korabel ditey vyrushaye richkoyu
U sorochkach naybilishych vsi niby cheruvymy.
Cya zemlya zbatohovana vmiye buty vichnoyu,
Navit' pali prorostayut' sadzancyamy zyvymy)... (ves' kuplet – 3)