Testament
When I die,
let me rest, let me lie
amidst Ukraine’s broad steppes.
Let me see
the endless fields and steep slopes
I hold so dear.
Let me hear
the Dnipro’s great roar.
And when the blood
of Ukraine’s foes flows
into the blue waters of the sea,
that’s when I’ll forget
the fields and hills
and leave it all
and pray to God.
Until then, I know no God.
So bury me, rise up,
and break your chains.
Water your freedom
with the blood of oppressors.
And then remember me
with gentle whispers
and kind words
in the great family
of the newly free.
poem by Taras Shevchenko (25 December 1845), translated by Alexander J. Motyl
Submitted by Mihai Cucereavii
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My Testament
When I am dead, bury me
In my beloved Ukraine,
My tomb upon a grave mound high
Amid the spreading plain,
So that the fields, the boundless steppes,
The Dnieper's plunging shore
My eyes could see, my ears could hear
The mighty river roar.
When from Ukraine the Dnieper bears
Into the deep blue sea
The blood of foes ... then will I leave
These hills and fertile fields --
I'll leave them all and fly away
To the abode of God,
And then I'll pray .... But till that day
I nothing know of God.
Oh bury me, then rise ye up
And break your heavy chains
And water with the tyrants' blood
The freedom you have gained.
And in the great new family,
The family of the free,
With softly spoken, kindly word
Remember also me.
poem by Taras Shevchenko (25 December 1845), translated by John Weir
Submitted by Mihai Cucereavii
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My Testament (Zapovit)
When I die, bury me
On a grave mound
Amid the wide-wide steppe
In my beloved Ukraine,
In a place from where the wide-tilled fields
And the Dnipro and its steep banks
Can be seen and
Its roaring rapids heard.
When it carries off
The enemy’s blood from Ukraine
To the deep blue sea… I’ll leave
The tilled fields and mountains -
I’ll leave everything behind and ascend
To pray to God
Himself… but till then
I don’t know God.
Bury me and arise, break your chains
And sprinkle your freedom
With the enemy’s evil blood.
And don’t forget to remember me
In the great family,
In a family new and free,
With a kind and quiet word.
poem by Taras Shevchenko (25 December 1845), translated by Michael M. Naydan
Submitted by Mihai Cucereavii
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The Testament
Dig my grave and raise my barrow
By the Dnieper-side
In Ukraina, my own land,
A fair land and wide.
I will lie and watch the cornfields,
Listen through the years
To the river voices roaring,
Roaring in my ears.
When I hear the call
Of the racing flood,
Loud with hated blood,
I will leave them all,
Fields and hills; and force my way
Right up to the Throne
Where God sits alone;
Clasp His feet and pray...
But till that day
What is God to me?
Bury me, be done with me,
Rise and break your chain,
Water your new liberty
With blood for rain.
Then, in the mighty family
Of all men that are free,
May be sometimes, very softly
You will speak of me?
poem by Taras Shevchenko (25 December 1845), translated by T. L. Voynich
Submitted by Mihai Cucereavii
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Please, Pray for Ukraine
His dreams for power are colored dark red,
He wants to bound all with an iron chain,
The hopes, the promises, beliefs, all dead,
Please, pray for world peace, please, pray for Ukraine.
Ugly death walks on the streets of Kyiv,
Now all around is only fear and pain,
It happens but is too hard to believe,
Please, pray for world peace, please, pray for Ukraine.
Nobody knows what might tomorrow bring,
How many tears we will hide in the rain,
If snowdrops will rise again in the Spring,
Please, pray for world peace, please, pray for Ukraine.
The love and grace of God with us remain,
Please, pray for world peace, please, pray for Ukraine.
poem by Marius Alexandru (February 2022)
Submitted by anonym
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Freedom Is Never Free
They tell me
'Freedom is never free.'
I know that-
More than most realize.
Freedom cost us more
Than we should have to give.
Freedom cost us blood.
It cost us the lives
Of our fathers,
Our sons,
Our brothers.
But while freedom is never free,
Remember-
It has been bought at great price,
And so is a thing of great value.
We must defend it,
From those who would take it away.
The defense of our freedoms
Will cost us-
More than we wish to pay.
But we must pay, to defend,
For if we try to make freedom free,
We forget-
True freedom is never free.
poem by James Grengs
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Remember Thee!
Remember thee! yes, while there's life in this heart,
It shall never forget thee, all lorn as thou art;
More dear in thy sorrow, thy gloom, and thy showers,
Than the rest of the world in their sunniest hours.
Wert thou all that I wish thee, great, glorious, and free,
First flower of the earth, and first gem of the sea,
I might hail thee with prouder, with happier brow,
But oh! could I love thee more deeply tha now?
No, thy chains as they rankle, thy blood as it runs,
But make thee more painfully dear to thy sons --
Whose hearts, like the young of the desert-bird's nest,
Drink love in each life-drop that flows from thy breast.
poem by Thomas Moore
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Ukraine is now on the front line of the war — global war — of freedom against tyranny. The war the free world didn't want to admit existed. It cannot be ignored any longer. Brave Ukrainians are fighting like hell and dying right now to remind us not to take liberty for granted. Putin, like every dictator before him, underestimated the free will of free people. They deserve every weapon, every resource to win this war. Because they're fighting for us. Not only for the whole and free Ukraine. ... This is not chess. This is not a battle between opposite colors, but of opposite values. Freedom, life and love versus tyranny, death and hatred. This is not chess. But sometimes things are black and white. Sometimes you have to fight for what you believe. Or you lose it. This is not chess. There are no draws, no compromises in our battle with true evil. It's win or lose. And so we must fight. And so we must win. Slava Ukraini! Glory to Ukraine. Glory to freedom.
quote by Garry Kasparov
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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Sonnet: Song in Memory of the Kargil-heros
O youthful soldiers of the Kargil-war!
Though some are dead, you now live in our heart;
What valor you display’d in hills afar!
By climbing mountain-sides steep with great art.
O glorious soldiers of Mother India!
Slept you eternally to make us sleep;
Shedding your blood in Himalaya;
The valley’s waters have turned blood-red, deep.
O mighty sons of sacred Indian soil
Our Mother India is proud of you all;
We cannot forget your sacrifice/ toil
By dying, you’ve preserved our frontier wall.
No more will our foes try getting across;
Your brothers too are ever-ready because.
7-25-2000
poem by John Celes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The Blood of My Brethren
The blood of my brethren
Flows like river to the sea
Painting my eyes red
Turning my thoughts to death
I mourn with great torment
For my fallen brethren
My tears fall so steadily
They wed with the sea
Just as the blood of the lost
So now you know
Why the water around
My emerald isle is so
For the souls of my brethren
And the great sea before you
Have joined in pain and in blood
The blood of my brethren flows
Even today with the sea
As does it flow deep
Within me
poem by Cody Moore
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Freedom Ain't Another Word for Nothin Left to Lose
And as I go forth on the next boxcar
The blues I have is greater than the star
That shines in the north sky
The one that shines so no more may die
So follow the old drinking gourd
Because because the old man swore
The way to freedom it shall show
To leave your plow to leave your rake and hoe
To cross over Jordan and to go
Way down to and over to Jericho
To the north to Cleveland
To that great Canadian Land
Down over and up and around
Find their way watch the hound
Use the rivers to get around
And try to make It all the way
Stay in the safe house all the day
The drinking gourd will tell us the way
Let us swing down and hop a ride
Let us sing and sway in time
Let us leave our farm and leave our fields
Freedom is how we deal
Every man shall be
Free to go and free to leave
Apartheid in our land shall be no more
As shall be the company store
Or be oppressed by wicked chains
Be interned impoverished be a slave
Be discriminated against
Run now break the fence,
Of oppression of fighting of hate
Because all men and women can be great
To help there land all be free
Great god almighty lead freedom ring
Let freedom ring here and there
Here and there and everywhere
From the poorest town to the rich city’s
From all north and down even in Mississippi
Let freedom ring everywhere
Let it go from farm and field
Let it ring in the skyscraper where
They will here it once again wield
The power wield the hope
To topple over all those
Who are sanding in there way
All those who did say
Freedom shalln’t be here
There everywhere
Not limited to those with money
Not limited to those with 20
Billion of anything
But all of us let freedom ring
Freedom is ring
Can you hear it singing?
Racism is still around
It can always be round
But it shall be no more
As the racism has in store a terrible end indeed
They will stop and think why must I say this and that
Why must I be mean to others, why must I begin to make a spat
What is the point what shall it be this is it they shall see
To clear there hate and clear there minds
Clear the mind not whipping the hides
No being driven by hate
They may never make it to the pearly gates
poem by Timothy Young
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Fields Of Gold
Youll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
Youll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we walk in the fields of gold
So she took her love
For to gaze awhile
Upon the fields of barley
In his arms she fell as her hair came down
Among the fields of gold
Will you stay with me, will you be my love
Among the fields of barley
Well forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we lie in the fields of gold
See the west wind move like a lover so
Upon the fields of barley
Feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth
Among the fields of gold
I never made promises lightly
And there have been some that Ive broken
But I swear in the days still left
Well walk in the fields of gold
Well walk in the fields of gold
Many years have passed since those summer days
Among the fields of barley
See the children run as the sun goes down
Among the fields of gold
Youll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You can tell the sun in his jealous sky
When we walked in the fields of gold
When we walked in the fields of gold
When we walked in the fields of gold
song performed by by Sting
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Gigantic daughter of the West,
Gigantic daughter of the West,
We drink to thee across the flood,
We know thee most, we love thee best,
For art thou not of British blood?
Should war's mad blast again be blown,
Permit not thou the tyrant powers
To fight thy mother here alone,
But let thy broadsides roar with ours.
Hands all round!
God the tyrant's cause confound!
To our great kinsmen of the West, my friends,
And the great name of England, round and round.
'O rise, our strong Atlantic sons,
When war against our freedom springs!
O speak to Europe through your guns!
They can be understood by kings.
You must not mix our Queen with those
That wish to keep their people fools;
Our freedom's foemen are her foes,
She comprehends the race she rules.
Hands all round!
God the tyrant's cause confound!
To our dear kinsmen of the West, my friends,
And the great cause of Freedom, round and round.'
poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson
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Blood Bound
Countdown, descending down to zero
Bursting into flames
Can't you see the coming of a hero
On this enchanting day
So stand up and be counted
In the solar glance in the desert sand
No longer the hunted
United we are 'til the day we fall
A chain unbreakable
Every link is allied to our mighty vow
We're Blood Bound - We aim for the sun
The luminous moon will take us high over ground
We're Blood Bound - Collecting the stars
We hold a power that is greater than all
We're Blood Bound
Watch out, the heathen's all around us
Always watch you back
We've got a lust for freedom
Whatever they say we know we'll stay
We are indestructible
And no matter what happens we will rise above
We're Blood Bound - We aim for the sun
The luminous moon will take us high over ground
We're Blood Bound - Collecting the stars
We hold a power that is greater than all
We're Blood Bound
Look into my eyes
Tell me what is hidden deep inside
Chains about to break
It's the everlasting freedom for us all
We're Blood Bound - We aim for the sun
The luminous moon will take us high over ground
We're Blood Bound - Collecting the stars
We hold a power together
We're Blood Bound - We aim for the sun
The luminous moon will take us high over ground
We're Blood Bound - Collecting the stars
We hold a power together - Blood Bound
Power forever - Blood Bound
Power - We're Blood Bound
song performed by by Hammerfall
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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New Earth
Ghost whispers in the canyon
Granite walls like times art
Voice of eternal angels
Winds, the metaphor of soul
Drink by the river of life
Music comes out of the solitude
Out of the places of spirit
Blood as mystical as time
Feel the ragged stones
Feel the dawn like birth
Circles of children’s angels
Turquoise like peyote of blue joy
Visions where jewels pray
Cactus and red sunsets
Rest in clay valleys of stars
Scorpions in ancient caves
Rattlesnakes in the Apache sun
Ghost towns
Old wagon wheels in dreams
Back into star fields
Back into freedom
The future like a dream catcher
Forward when the tribes meet
Dream and walk north
Eagles fly free
Hear the buffalo
Hear the song of the stars
Let your bones feel life
Rest in the new earth
poem by Joseph Narusiewicz
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Field Of Joy
let's wander slowly through the fields
slowly slowly through the fields
i touch the leaves that touch the sky
just you and i through fields of joy
all trouble slowly fades away
slowly slowly fades away
i hold your hand inside my hand
across the land through fields of joy
the sound of music that we hear
the blend of colors throug the air
all cities, mountains disappear from view
all truth and beauty near to me and you
with you through the fields
with you through the fields
with you through the fields
the fields of joy
let's wander slowly through the fields
slowly slowly through the fields
i know our love will never die
just you and i
through fields of joy
through fields of joy
song performed by by Lenny Kravitz
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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On the Field of Kulicovo
The river stretched. It flows, idly grieves,
And washes both banks.
In steppe, above light clay of cliffs
Rinks mourn in ranks.
O Russia! Dear wife! With clearness and pain
We see the lengthy way!
It sent an arrow of ancient Tartar reign -
In breast it lay.
The way through steppes and an incessant plight,
Through your, o Russia, lot!
And alien dark and dark of night
I fear not.
Let be the night. We'll ride and light in gloom
Camp-fires late.
The holy flag will flash in fume,
And Khan's steel blade ...
And endless battle! We only dream of peace
Through blood and dust ...
The mare of steppes flies on and flees,
And tramples the grass ...
There's no end! The miles and cliffs flash past
Stop crazy flood!
The frightened clouds go fast,
Sun sets in blood!
Sun sets in blood! Blood streams from heart away!
O cry, my heart ...
There's no peace! Through steppe the bay
Prolongs the flight!
poem by Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Blok
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Forget
Forget the suffering
You caused others.
Forget the suffering
Others caused you.
The waters run and run,
Springs sparkle and are done,
You walk the earth you are forgetting.
Sometimes you hear a distant refrain.
What does it mean, you ask, who is singing?
A childlike sun grows warm.
A grandson and a great-grandson are born.
You are led by the hand once again.
The names of the rivers remain with you.
How endless those rivers seem!
Your fields lie fallow,
The city towers are not as they were.
You stand at the threshold mute.
poem by Czeslaw Milosz
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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I Am the Wind
I am the Wind,
I am a personification of freedom.
The whole Earth presents my kingdom.
That only one can be my wife
whose soul is free,
who understands my life.
Trust me and I’ll show you what freedom is.
But…don’t be in a hurry, please.
My gift of freedom is eternity,
it comes together with paternity.
My breathing is the God’s touch.
Just close your eyes
and you will feel so much.
I will open to you my face,
I will show you the grace
of the waves in the oceans and fields
made by my tender and elusive breath.
I will walk up and down your dress,
I will leave on your lips a hot kiss,
I will show your heart how to fly,
In my timid hugs you will never die.
I am the Wind,
I am refractory and love freedom,
I am the wonderer,
the Wind of wisdom.
I am an experienced lover.
Together with birds I hover
and then turn into a crazy hurricane.
The strength and power are in my vein.
Yes, my mood is so changeable,
but for you I can be so loveable.
Why my beauty you turned red?
I am yours. Aren’t you glad?
Don’t turn away your head!
I don’t know the word ‘no’.
If you don’t like me I will go.
But…if you give me your hand
I will show you the whole Land,
I will teach you the troubles to withstand.
I will fill your heart with love and belief,
you’ll be able to walk on any relief,
you will know how the seeds to sift,
freedom will be my wedding gift.
I am the Wind.
I am a personification of freedom.
It flows in my veins.
It will forever be retained.
Larisa R (Odessa, Ukraine)
poem by Larisa Rzhepishevska
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The Blackwater In Flood
The Boggeragh hills white in January snow
In ancient Duhallow where the Blackwater flow
Through that old flat countryside by Derrinagree
On it's way through North Cork on it's way to the sea.
The Blackwater in flood it has a mighty roar
As it rumbles along to the Atlantic shore
It floods across the land like a great inland tide
And in water covers the fields of it's banks either side.
The Blackwater in flood is amazing to see
Awe inspiring that's how it did seem to me
As it rages through Dromtarriffe in flood waters of brown
Through the flat countryside on towards old Mallow Town.
The Blackwater in flood it inspires awe and fear
When it bursts it's banks tis not safe to go near
Swollen by heavy rains and the melting of snow
To human or beast mercy it does not show.
Memories of cold January of frost, snow, Wind and rain
And of the Blackwater in flood with me does remain
It submerges the fields like a great inland tide
As it rages it's way through the old countryside.
poem by Francis Duggan
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Remembrance Day
The battlefield, the smoke has cleared
Silence in sight, the blood lies deep
Look from the hills, the valley calls
Six hundred fall, a lost to all
Someday, somewhere, ever calling
One time, one life, ever falling
Chorus:
And will you remember
The flowers in the fields?
And will you remember
The loss of one so dear
And will you remember
Through the mist of lies?
Remember
Their spirit never dies
Remember
Out of the skies, and into the green
Fuelled by the lies, paid by soul
Soldire, hero, well uncle sam
He dont wanna know
Chorus
song performed by by Asia
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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