Кобзар

by Taras Shevchenko

З-поміж безлічі книг, з якими має справу історія світової літератури, поодиноко виділяються ті, що ввібрали в себе науку віків і мають для народу значення заповітне . До таких належить «Кобзар», книга, яку народ український поставив на перше місце серед успадкованих з минулого національних духовних скарбів. Дивовижна доля цієї книги. Поезії, що входять до неї, складались на тернистих дорогах поетового життя, писались то в мандрах, то в казематах, мережились при світлі білих ночей Півночі і в пісках закаспійських пустель, під самотнім сонцем вигнання. Книга формувалася поступово, рік за роком, формувало її саме поетове життя, і все найістотніше із цього життя, з вели

Genres: Poetry, Ukraine, Classics, Ukrainian Literature, Fiction, 19th Century, School

790 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1840

About the author

See also:
Тарас Шевченко (Ukrainian)

Taras Shevchenko was a prominent Ukrainian poet, writer, artist, public and political figure, as well as folklorist and ethnographer. His literary heritage is regarded to be the foundation of modern Ukrainian literature. Shevchenko is also known for many masterpieces as a painter and an illustrator.

He was a member of the Sts Cyril and Methodius Brotherhood and an academician of the Imperial Academy of Arts.

Shevchenko has had a unique place in Ukrainian cultural history and in world literature. Through his writings he laid the foundations for the creation of a fully functional modern Ukrainian literature. His poetry contributed greatly to the growth of Ukrainian national consciousness, and his influence on various facets of Ukrainian intellectual, literary, and national life is still felt to this day.


[https://www.goodreads.com/award/show/... Shevchenko National Prize]

Reviews

[Vladys Kovsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Testament (1845)

My wish is to die and be buried
With a view of a boundless plane -
My beloved Ukraine

With a view of the steep banks of Dnieper
Where roar of the mighty is heard
Waters carrying blood.

When you bury me, get up to fight.
Drop restraint, show no mercy, shed blood
Blood of enemies - winning us freedom
With no freedom I do not need God

In a family loving and caring,
Ukraine's family growing and free

Think of me


Заповіт

Як умру, то поховайте
Мене на могилі
Серед степу широкого
На Вкраїні милій,
Щоб лани широкополі,
І Дніпро, і кручі
Було видно, було чути,
Як реве ревучий.
Як понесе з України
У синєє море
Кров ворожу... отойді я
І лани і гори —
Все покину, і полину
До самого Бога
Молитися... а до того
Я не знаю Бога.
Поховайте та вставайте,
Кайдани порвіте
І вражою злою кров’ю
Волю окропіте.
І мене в сем’ї великій,
В сем’ї вольній, новій,
Не забудьте пом’янути
Незлим тихим словом.

(1845)

[Brodolomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romantičarske brige, što stoje „na papiru kao crna jata”, sa željom da ih vetar razveje po stepskom obzorju. Ali ne stepe ukrajinske stvarnosti, već stepe idealne, izgubljene, nikada-ne-postojeće istorije i geografije, tamo gde je Dnjepar more, a gde su visoke, tamne gore humke kozaka. A to otvara nepodnošljivo pitanje, implicitno prisutno u svim romantizacijama, izraženo stihom: „Zar je samo tamo lepo gde nema nas?”

[AiK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Это очень большой сборник поэзии, и писать рецензии довольно сложно, поскольку можно написать отдельную рецензию на каждое стихотворение и поэму, и они все разные и многогранные. Все творчество подчинено основным идеям – верности народу, любви к родине (действительно, очень много стихов со словами любви к Украине), ненависти к гнету и произволу. Прочтение этой книги сподвигло меня на изучение биографии самого поэта. Для меня было новостью, что он был из крепостных крестьян. Сама его жизнь полна драматизма - и то, как он учился живописи, и то, как при посредстве художников Брюллова, Венецианова, поэта Жуковского и других, его выкупали из крепостничества. То, что Тарас Шевченко был в ссылке в Казахстане, мне было известно. Но за что? Белинский считал, что из-за двух пасквилей на императора и императрицу. В ссылке ему было запрещено рисовать, можно ли придумать что-то более жестокое для творца? Шевченко считается основоположником современного литературного украинского языка. Конечно, в эти дни знакомство с творчеством Тараса Шевченко было наполненным особенным смыслом.

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jul 13, 745pm ~~ Review asap. Wonderful introduction to this poet's life and work!

Jul 14, 2pm ~~ This book showed up at Project Gutenberg on July 9, 2022. At the time I was reading a World War One title by Dorothy Canfield Fisher, Home Fires In France, and had been thinking about the people of Ukraine going through the same sort of experiences that Canfield wrote about. So I decided this would be the next book to read.

First of all, of course now it is not 'the Ukraine', it is simply Ukraine. But this edition was published in 1922, so the phrase was what was used at the time. The word Ukraine means borderlands, according to the translator of the book, which I suppose might account for that 'the' we of a certain age grew up hearing.

I was impressed with the arrangement of the book. Alexander Jardine Hunter of Canada was the man responsible for bringing this book to creation. He translated the poems, added drawings by the poet (who was an artist as well) and biographical sketches to outline the poet's life, and then published it himself. I understand this is not a complete collection of the poet's work, but it is a lovely introduction to Shevchenko as well as to Ukrainian customs. In a short section at the beginning of the book, Hunter explains how TS compared his work to the intricate embroidery done by Ukrainian women. Hunter has illustrations of this work throughout the book. As he says:
"The decorations and illustrations in this book are meant to show something of Ukrainian art. . . .It is a favorite device of Ukrainian book-makers to decorate their pages with miniature landscapes and little figures."

This approach, at least in my opinion, makes the book more moving than a mere collection of poems would have been. As a matter of fact, I just ordered a copy of this edition because I really want to read it 'in real life' and not just on a computer screen. If I ever had a book budget it is shot to pieces anyway so why not? lol

I had never heard of Taras Shevchenko before seeing this title, but he was and still is almost larger than life in Ukraine. I must quote Wiki about him:
. . . also known as Kobzar Taras, or simply Kobzar (a kobzar is a bard in Ukrainian culture), was a Ukrainian poet, writer, artist, public and political figure, folklorist and ethnographer. His literary heritage is regarded to be the foundation of modern Ukrainian literature and, to a large extent, the modern Ukrainian language though it is different from the language of his poems. Shevchenko is also known for his many masterpieces as a painter and an illustrator.

He was a fellow of the Imperial Academy of Arts. Though he had never been the member of the Brotherhood of Saints Cyril and Methodius, in 1847 Shevchenko was politically convicted for explicitly promoting the independence of Ukraine, writing poems in the Ukrainian language and ridiculing members of the Russian Imperial House. Contrary to the members of the society who did not understand that their activity led to the idea of the independent Ukraine, according to the secret police, he was the champion of independence.

You might wonder how a serf came to be a member of the Imperial Academy. Remember that the serfs were owned by the nobility. When TS was eleven years old he was orphaned and sent here and there to work. At age fourteen his village and all of its people became the property of the son of the former owner, who had just died. Shevchenko was sent to be a court servant for his new master. Well, it is all quite complex and detailed, so here is the link for Wiki's article about him if anyone is truly interested. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taras_S...

The point is he loved the country of Ukraine even before it was an independent country. He loved it and never stopped dreaming of the day its people would be free of the oppression by the Czarist regime. There are beautiful poems here that should be read aloud, with feeling. Try not to cry while you read. I could not always manage that, especially in the selections from the poet's time in exile. The Czar himself, when sending Shevchenko to prison in Siberia, said he was not to have access to pen and paper. But Siberia is a long way from the palace of the Czar, and our poet at times was able to have the tools he needed to express himself.

I am so glad I noticed this book at Gutenberg. When my print copy comes I will cherish it and read its verse aloud again to send the people of Ukraine some positive energy. It is all I can do to help them right now.


One last quote from Wiki:
Dogged by terrible misfortune in love and life, the poet died seven days before the 1861 emancipation of serfs was announced. His works and life are revered by Ukrainians throughout the world and his impact on Ukrainian literature is immense.

He was buried in St. Petersburg in March 1861, but because of his poem My Testament, his friends arranged in May of that year to take his body home to Ukraine. Here is the poem.

When I die, remember, lay me
Lowly in the silent tomb,
Where the prairie stretches free,
Sweet Ukraine, my cherished home.

There, ’mid meadows’ grassy sward,
Dnieper’s waters pouring
May be seen and may be heard,
Mighty in their roaring.

When from Ukraine waters bear
Rolling to the sea so far
Foeman’s blood, no longer there
Stay I where my ashes are.

Grass and hills I’ll leave and fly.
Unto throne of God I’ll go,
There in heaven to pray on high,
But, till then, no God I know.

Standing then about my grave,
Make ye haste, your fetters tear!
Sprinkled with the foeman’s blood
Then shall rise your freedom fair.

Then shall spring a kinship great,
This a family new and free.
Sometimes in your glorious state,
Gently, kindly, speak of me.

~~~ The Testament by Taras Shevchenko

[Uroš Đurković · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taras Ševčenko je ukrajinski nacionalni pesnik i jedna od najprepoznatljivijih i najslavljenijih figura ukrajinske kulture. Međutim, njegov značaj se tu ne završava – već je Ševčenko izuzetan autor u evropskim okvirima, posebno u okvirima romantizma, gde mu je mesto uz najveće pesnike. Čitanje „Kobzara” posebno u tom svetlu obogaćuje – na jednom mestu prisutne su gotovo sve romantičarske opsesije: slobodoljubivost, patriotizam, borba protiv potlačenosti, socijalne teme, glorifikacija nacionalne istorije, folklorni motivi i negovanje narodnog duha (sam kobzar je ukrajinski narodni pevač – nalik našem guslaru), muzika, saživljenost sa prirodom, motiv detinjstva i mladosti, menjanje pesničkog metra, prisustvo narativizacije u poeziji i konstituisanje ispovednog lirskog subjekta. A ono što Ševčenkovo delo čini istinski posebnim jeste što je u njemu, kao retko kod kog pisca, srž nacionalnog romantizma, koji ipak ima tračke svog samoprevazilaženja i okretanja ka nekoj novoj indivudializaciji lirskog sveta. To blago kretanje je zanimljivo skoro kao i ubedljivost kojom pokriva spektar najreprezentativnijih romantičarskih tema, ali nije dovršeno, niti se, uostalom i može dovršiti. Ono je divan poziv na sagovorništvo sa svim stvaraocima koji će pisati nakon njega – jer, kao što je to slučaj sa svim centralnim figurama neke kulture, njegovo delo se svojim značajem nameće kao nezaobliazno, na način na koji svako ko, na primer, napiše bilo kakav stihić na slovenačkom, hteo-ne-hteo komunicira sa Prešernom, ili na mađarskom – sa Petefijem.

Ipak, o Ševčenkovoj relevantnosti svedoči i to da ova mreža nadovezivanja može da se uspostavi i u drugim nacionalnim književnostima i to ne samo zbog panslovenskog duha (obratiti pažnju na pesmu „Podražavanje srpskom” (55), koja se upravo odnosi na srpsku tradiciju), već i zbog niza tipoloških sličnosti. I ne samo što bi naši romantičari mogli biti odlični Ševčenkovi sagovornici (posebno Branko i Đura, koji je poput Tarasa i slikar, a nešto manje i Zmaj i Laza), već mi je sve vreme u glavi moguća paralela između Blejka i Ševčenka. Luiz Glik je u govoru za Nobela izdvojila da je pesma „Mali crni dečak” jedna od dve njene omiljene. To jeste veličanstvena pesma i beskrajno tužna, a Ševčenko ovako piše o jednom mladom biću:

„Ne obuzme žalost mene
znajte, zbog te moje zlatne
drage sreće promašene.
Al nekad mi takve patnje
stegnu dušu – da mi kane
suza, kad pre nekim selom
dečka sretnem neveselog.
Kao da je strgnut s grane,
ispod plota, sam, u bedi,
u košulji staroj sedi.
Čini mi se da to ja sam,
da je to dečaštvo moje.
Da detetu koje stasa
samo ropstvo suđeno je.
Čini mi se ko pod kaznom
da on živi, i da prazno
proći će mu mlada leta,
i da neće znati gde će
sred širokog ovog sveta –
i lutaće svud, zbog hleba,
i, da bi ga tuge spasli,
da se kako bilo skrasi,
u kasarnu poslaće ga.”
1849. Preveo Ljubomir Simović

Kako to i biva sa velikim pesnicima i ovde se lična biografija slila na pesničko stvaranje. Ukoliko se prati Ševčenkov neveliki i burni život, poezija postaje iako već neposredna, još bliža. I koliko god vam romantičarski senzibilitet bio dalek (meni nije preterano blizak), zaiskriće nešto posebno u vama. Kako i treba.

Posebno treba pohvaliti izuzetan prevod zbirke, posebno Desanku Maksimović i Ljubomira Simovića. Tema pesnika koji prevode pesnike treba da u našoj kulturi zavređuje još mnogo pažnje i to prvenstveno jer prevod pesme predstavlja samosvojno delo, koje nije ni sasvim prevod ni sasvim originalno, a sve to zajedno. Tako pesma nije više samo Ševčenkova, već i Desankina ili Simovićeva. To najočiglednije upada u oči kada pročitate dodatak zbirke – u pitanju su stariji prevodi nekih od pesama, u kojima je utisak sasvim izmenjen.

Rukovodilac celog poduhvata, autor izbora, proznih prevoda i napomena bio je Petar Mitropan, čija je sa supruga Jovana Hrvaćanin, takođe prevela neke Ševčenkove pesme, kao i Desankin suprug – Sergej Slastikov. Nadam se da će doći trenutak kad ćemo prevodioce ceniti onoliko koliko zaslužuju. A zaslužuju beskrajnu zahvalnost.

Za kraj, još jedna pesma, takođe u Simovićevom prevodu. Ko hoće, ovde može videti i Disove trave i još svašta. Čudesni stihovi i odličan prevod:

U PROGONSTVU

Talasni sneni, nebesa mrka:
a kraj obale tu i tamo
kao pijana šušti trska
i bez vetra se svija sama.

Bože! Hoću li dugo, i tužno
biti u tamnici ovoj bez brave
kraj mora ovog ravnodušnog
bol da bolujem? Ćute trave,

i kao žive se njišu i slažu
požutele, izmeđ stepskih vidika,
istinu neće da mi kažu,
a nemam više koga da pitam.
1848.

[Michael Ronn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard about Shevchenko through the Bookish goodreads group. I liked the poem they featured there, so I decided to check this out, and I was glad that I did.

I've read that no other person symbolizes the Ukrainian history and consciousness like Shevchenko. I haven't read other Ukrainian work, but I think it's a pretty apt statement. These poems are all at once happy, joyful, sad, and pensive. And he reminds me of a lot of Walt Whitman---but less optimistic.

I've read a lot of translated poetry, and this is probably one of the better translations I've read in a long time. It's fresh, very clear, and I feel that it captures the poet's voice and emotion very well. The translator really should be commended.

The poems are imagistic and do a lot with just a few words. I really felt that I could see what was happening, and Shevchenko's imagery is really great.

I'm not a huge fan of long poems, and there are quite a few of them here. But that's a personal preference and it by no means diminishes their quality. But it does feel like he rambles on a bit sometimes.

All in all, there were a handful of poems that I really enjoyed and that became a part if my spirit, and for that, the book was worth reading. I would highly recommend it if you like poetry in translation.

[Olga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taras Shevchenko.
The most important poet for every Ukrainian, the symbol of the country.
He was a child prodigy born a slave of a Russian landlord. He obtained freedom because his talent of an artist could not be ignored. The poetry that he wrote in Ukrainian is so powerful that his legacy is considered a foundaition for the modern Ukrainian literature and the modern Ukrainian language. Being a patriot and the the participant of the Ukrainian National movement, he spent fourteen years in exile in Russia. His thoghts, prayers and hopes were always with the beloved Ukraine where he came back after his death.

My thinking, my thoughts,
it’s so hard with you.
Why do you stand on the page
in grim rows? Why
didn’t the wind blow you apart
across the steppe like specks
of grain. Why didn’t woe
rock you past rest
like your kids?
Because disaster birthed you for laughs,
drizzled out tears . . . Why didn’t they dunk you?
Take you out to sea, scrub you out in a field?
You didn’t ask people, “what’s hurting in me.”
Didn’t ask “why curse fate,
why’s the world weary.” Didn’t say
“there’s no point,” while grinning.

My blossoms, my kids!
Why did I love you and mind you?
Will the heart drain over the whole globe’s curve
as I did with you? Maybe you can guess.
Maybe you’ll find yourself
a young girl’s sympathy, her umber eyes
to cry over your lines—
I don’t want to anymore.
A single tear from burnt umber eyes,
and—goddamn!
My thoughts, my poems,
it’s so hard with you.

Over brown eyes, black
brows . . . the soul splintered and laughed,
pouring over with speech,
brimmed as if capable
over inky nights, over
a green embroidered grove,
over tender lovers.
Over steppe and gravemounds
across Ukraine,
the heart wilted not wanting
to sing abroad.
Didn’t want to in snow,
in pine forests, with Kozak hordes
and hetmen’s staff and banner
gathered for summits.
Let Kozak ghosts
in Ukraine soar wide, gleeful
from country to country.
Like freedom evolving,
Dnipro’s sweeping—ocean,
steppe and steppe, rapids roar,
and gravemounds—mountains.

. . .

[Czarny Pies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ce petit livre que l’on a publié pour vendre à la boutique de musée Taras Shevchenko de Toronto à 1614 sur la rue Bloor offre une très belle introduction à ce grand poète et peintre Ukrainien. Le volume contient 50 de ses poèmes accompagnés de traductions anglaises. On inclut aussi des versions françaises pour 46 des 50. On trouve aussi des belles reproductions en couleurs de 19 de ses tableaux. Kozbar vaut bien son prix de $40.00 CDN.
À mon avis Kobzar est meilleur que les « Selected Works » de Progress Publishers de Moscou qui est sorti en 1979. Les qualités littéraires des traductions et en anglais et en français sont meilleures dans le livre canadien. Il faut cependant que les deux livres présentent de façon fort différente la pensée de Shevchenko. Dans le livre russe les commentaires antisémites et des appels aux Ukrainiens de massacrer les Polonais sont omniprésentes. Dans le livre canadien, on inclut très peu de poèmes ou l’on peut voir le coté xénophobe de Shevchenko. Les traductions dans le livre dans l’impression que Shevchenko était athée et partisan de la lutte des prolétaires. Les traductions canadiennes nous donnent un Shevchenko croyant et romantique. En bref, on peut dire que le livre canadien est beaucoup plus doux et plait davantage.
Le plus grand problème avec Kozbar est Shevchenko écrivait uniquement sur l’Ukraine et pour les Ukrainiens. L’opinion général est qu’il n’existe aucun lien entre l’œuvre de Shevchenko et la littérature mondiale. Les éditeurs ne prétendent pas le contraire.

[Віктор Максименко · Rating 5 out of 5]

АВТЕНТИЧНЕ видання без ЦЕНЗУРИ царату і радянщини !
Ось один із варіантів цензури і фальсифікації, коли заміною всього одного слова з поета робили атеїста: - в оригіналі: " ...немає Бога на землі, хіба що на небі...", а в радянському варіанті: "...немає Бога на землі, немає й на небі..."

[Max Nemtsov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Давно хотел перечитать, но только сейчас собрался. Это книга, с которой я вырос, она у нас в семье была примерно всегда, как тома русской классики, во всяком случае - задолго до моего рождения, как хорошо видно по датам. В детстве я ее очень любил - там были картинки (включая и картинки самого Шевченко). Тогда я не очень понимал про переводы, а сейчас заглянул - батюшки, там же натурально кто-есть-кто русской поэзии. Этот солидный том "Кобзаря" собирал Александр Дейч (и писал вступло, понятно) - и это в полном смысле слова шедевр советского книгоиздания (19 рублей, умопомрачительная цена). Том издан ОГИЗом, но отпечатан - внимание - "Военным издательством Министерства Вооруженных Сил Союза ССР под наблюдением редактора капитана Заводчикова". ...Очень им дорожу, он пережил переезд с другого конца страны.

[Yuliia Tsyba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Одні сприймають Шевченка, як святого, як когось, про кого тільки пошепки і тільки хороше.
Іншим, Шевченко набрид ще в школі, і тепер вони десятою дорогою обходять полиці з Кобзарем, а станцію метро, Тараса Шевченка, проїжджають з заплющеними очима😆

З часів Революції Гідності, Шевченко по-новому відкрився для багатьох, а особливо для молоді.
Ми пам'ятаємо Нігояна, який декламує "Борітеся поборете...", пам'ятаємо графіті на Грушевського, а ще, прекрасніший "Квантовий стрибок Шевченка".

Про Шеву заговорила молодь.
Його побачили не стрьомним і нудним дядьком в шапці й з вусами, а як революціонера.
І вийти на вулицю в футболці з Шевченком — це вже не задротство, а стильно.

І я, все більше і більше, відкриваю для себе Шевченка. Шевченка ліричного, Шевченка соціально-драматичного. "Катерина" - це ще та драма, яка не може не зачепити.
Але, найбільше, я люблю Шевченка революційного. Шевченка що надихає на боротьбу..

Вірш «Стоїть в селі Суботові» розказує про Богдана Хмельницького і часи Переяславської ради. Але, як же актуально і для теперішнього часу. Доки будуть сміятися з України?
«Так сміються ж з України
Стороннії люди!
Не смійтеся, чужі люде!
Церков-домовина
Розвалиться… і з-під неї
Встане Україна .
І розвіє тьму неволі,
Світ правди засвітить,
І помоляться на волі
Невольничі діти!..»

Шевченкові «Псалми Давидові», рвуть серце, бо сьогоднішня молитва України, вона така ж сама:
«Смирилася душа наша,
Жить тяжко в оковах!
Встань же, Боже, поможи нам
Встать на ката знову»

І моя улюблена поема - «Кавказ». Де в повній «красі», описана царська росія.
Тут і про скрєпи, і про мову, загарбницькі війни.
Шевченка хоч і називають пророком, але, навряд чи він мав екстрасенсорні здібності.
Просто, є речі незмінні, і звички у сусідньої країни такі ж, що і тоді.
Тому, читаючи «Кавказ», здається, що написано про теперішні часи.

Але, Шевченко нам лишає мотивуючі рядки.
З цими словами загинули наші найкращі українці, на Майдані і на війні.
Але, саме ці слова, також є одними з найбільш мотивуючих, щоб продовжувати боротьбу:
«І вам слава, сині гори,
Кригою окуті.
І вам, лицарі великі,
Богом не забуті.
Борітеся – поборете,
Вам бог помагає!
За вас правда, за вас сила
І воля святая!»

[Michael Haase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shevchenko's Kobzar is among those monumental creations that are produced in times of untold suffering, like Hugo's Les Miserables or Akhmatova's Requiem. It's a diamond in the dust, not only a work of art, enjoyable and moving in its own right, but a manifestation of an entire universe of ideas, feelings, values, and traditions. It represents a society once on the verge of destruction, preserving its identity so it can be reborn and prosper. As silly as it may sound, these aren't just simple poems but the souls of an entire population who once lived and sang before they were wiped off the face of the earth. It's almost indescribable the significance of such a text.

But the cultural-historical importance aside, these poems are profound and deeply touching, though dark and tempered by generations of violence, loneliness, and suffering. These are songs for a rainy day, when you're feeling beaten by the injustice of life. The same themes of separation, isolation, and oppression permeate throughout each lyric, creating a dense gloom which feels, although heart-wrenching, dampening and heavy. It's better not to read these poems in bulk.

Sadly, the English edition, translated by Peter Fedynsky, the only English translation I'm aware of, doesn't capture the melody or rhythm of the original. It sounds jarring and disjointed; it's vocabulary weird and obtuse. It's rubbish compared to the original Ukranian.

I liked them all, but these were some of my favorites:
A mist, a mist rolls through a valley (Туман, туман долиною)
An axe once lay behind God’s door (У бога за дверми лежала сокира)
Days go by, nights go by (Минають дні, минають ночі)
Days of youth have passed (Минули літа молодії)
Dream - She reaped wheat in serfdom
I delight my aging eyes
I count the days and nights in bondage (1850)
If there was someone I could sit with (Якби з ким сісти хліба з'їсти)
If you gentlemen, but knew (Якби ви пішли, паничі)
My mother did not pray for me (Не молилася за мене)
My thoughts, my thoughts (Думи мої, думи мої)
The owl (Сова)
The plague (Чума)
The snow is driven by the wind
Why is it so hard for me, so tedious (Чого мені тяжко, чого мені нудно)

[Sasha Ambroz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Вперше читаю Щоденник. Непереревершений, твір мистецтва сам по собі, окрім того, який це інсайт в голову та життя Шевченка.

[Іван Синєпалов · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ох і тяжко ж з «Кобзарем». Його точно треба ретельно вивчати ще у школі, аби мати уявлення про основу основ української культури, але водночас його вивчати у школі категорично не можна, бо дітям це чуже, незрозуміле.

Тож заведенція осучаснювати Шевченка – це річ правильна, але поряд із тим треба завжди мати на увазі і історичний контекст. Те, що совки зробили з нього сільського поета, – це біда, бо з цього ж, у тому числі, проростає і стереотип про українців як про селюків. А Шевченко ж був не просто містянином і митцем найвищого ґатунку, він іще й навіть за сьогоднішніми мірками мав неабияку освіту. Оці всі незліченні цитати та відсилки на Біблію, згадки про античних митців, мислителів, царів – вони ж ллються природно, невимушено.

Так само природно, як і туга за Україною. О, так, Шевченко – це таки співець журби. І через це, зокрема, дітям його слід видавати дозовано. Але журба ця зрозуміла. Навіть тоді, коли він у свої 34 роки з вірша у вірш скаржиться, що молодість уже проминула, це все одно звучить правдиво, бо на той час він уже встиг багато побачити й зробити (включно з першою редакцією «Кобзаря» та Кирило-Методіївським братством), а майбутнє не віщує нічого, окрім смерти на чужині.

Мені взагалі дуже тяжко дається поезія, особливо поеми, і тут було точно так само. Але, наприклад, нестерпно довгі «Гайдамаки» стають значно кращими вже після прочитання, коли дізнаєшся, що Шевченко просто на віршовий лад переповів історію, яку йому колись розповідав дід. Він просто увічнив родинний переказ, і це значно цінніше, ніж якби він ту історію вигадав сам.

Хоча все найкраще із Шевченка я вже давно знаю (та і як не знати, коли все найкраще, хвала Алалгові, розтягли на цитати?), та все ж я радий, що нарешті прочитав його усього. Це треба було зробити.

[Mrs_Milsent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Закрию читацький рік Кобзарем.

Ніколи б не подумала, що при перечитуванні у дорослому віці вірші Шевченка викличуть стільки сліз.

[Pfredrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those studying Ukrainian history, reading Taras Shevchenko’s Kobzar (translated by Peter Fedynsky) is a definite must. Considered to be the “father of Ukrainian nationhood,” Shevchenko penned this collection of poems from the 1840s to the 1860s. Inspired by the nation-building efforts occurring in Russia at the time, Shevchenko looked back to the Ukrainian lands he grew up in and created poems centered on Ukraine and its people. Throughout his poems, Shevchenko vividly portrayed the Ukrainian people as distinct and separate from their Russian rulers—a concept that was immediately met with acclaim by the Ukrainians living within the Russian Empire. From that time on, the Kobzar has been widely read by Ukrainians, and Shevchenko has become a Ukrainian national hero, as evidenced by his image printed on Ukrainian money and his legacy lionized in statues across Ukraine.
Throughout the Kobzar, Shevchenko praises the beauty of Ukraine’s landscape, laments for the Cossack past, and criticizes the Muscovite rulers. While each work within the Kobzar offers great insight into how Shevchenko chose to define his concept of “Ukrainianess,” I felt that five of the poems included in this edition especially capture Shevchenko’s message. The first poem, “Kateryna,” reveals how Shevchenko wished to differentiate Ukrainians from Russians. Within the poem, Ukrainians are portrayed as victims of the Russians, as evidenced by the line “Muscovites are strangers, they will do you wrong” (pg. 14). In the poem “Dream,” Shevchenko shamelessly pokes fun at the reigning tsar and condemns past Russian rulers (like Peter the Great and Catherine the Great) for “crucifying Ukraine” (pgs. 131-133). “Night of the Taras” also helped me to grasp what Shevchenko portrayed as quintessentially Ukrainian concepts. For example, the poem is told from the prospective of a singing kobzar, and a longing for the Cossack past is highlighted with the lines of “‘The Hetmanate’ was long ago, Alas it won’t return!” At the same time, Ukraine’s history of being oppressed is revealed with the statement of “‘My destitute Ukraine, trampled by the Polacks! Ukraine, O my dear Ukraine” (pg. 9). In addition, I found two other poems, “Why is It so Hard for Me” (pgs. 134-35) and “A Dream” (pgs. 220-22) to also be useful in gaining an understanding of Shevchenko’s main message: the Ukrainian lands are beautiful, Ukrainians are a distinct nation, and the Ukrainian people have endured a history of being oppressed by foreigners following the collapse of Cossackdom.
Another great quality of Fedynsky’s version of the Kobzar is that I found it to be very easy to follow (revealing Fedynsky’s skill as a translator). Moreover, Fedynsky made extensive use of detailed footnotes. As a novice student of Ukrainian history, these footnotes were extremely useful as they clarified concepts and defined words in the poems that I was unfamiliar with. In addition, Fedynsky’s introduction section of the book (pgs. xiii-xxiii) was informative and concise, allowing me to learn about both the historical context of the poems and Shevchenko’s background—information that was useful to know before delving into the poems. Furthermore, this edition of the Kobzar also includes many of the artworks created by Shevchenko—a bonus that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Anyone desiring to understand Ukrainian history must read the Kobzar. Fedynsky’s edition of the collection is informative and easy to follow. For these reasons, I highly recommend The Complete Kobzar.

[Mykyta Kuzmenko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Дуже страшні вірші. Майже без надії. Багато ненависті і дуже мало любові.
Втім, події сьогодення вкотре додають смутку, печалі, розпачу, сліз та злості до українського світовідчуття.
А надія все та ж що і у Шевченка:
„І на оновленій землі
Врага не буде, супостата…“

[Andrii · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collection of Shevchenko most prominent poems, (one of them Dream of 1847 - for which Shevchenko was critisized by famous Russian philosopher Belinski, imprisoned and send to Eastern parts of Russia as soldier).
The collection consists of poems from 1837 till his death in 1861.
Generally, all the poems tell the sad story of Ukrainian people under the rule of Russian Empire, Polish landlords and crusades against Turkish empire. The heroes are generally condemned to failure, but still fighting with a credo of - Contra spem spero.
The mood and ambience are pessimistic and tragic, but realistic, as it were very hard times for Ukrainian country under the Russian occupation.
Still many of the poems are very relevant, as even now military conflict in the eastern part of Ukraine and occupation of Crimea shows that the fight for independence is not over.

[Einar Steinn Valgarðsson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Það er ekki alltaf auðvelt að þýða ljóð. Nú les ég hvorki úkraínsku né rússnesku en mér virðist mikið hafa tapast í þýðingu. Þýðandinn leggur meira upp úr nákvæmri merkingu orða og beinþýðingu en fagurfræði og formi. Fyrir vikið verður textinn flatneskjulegur, klisjukenndur og mikið um endurtekningar, hvert ljóð líkist öðru um of. Fyrst þessi umdeilanlega aðferð var valin hefði líka mátt grisja til, annars finnst lesanda sífellt tönnlast á því sama og á sama hátt í doðranti. Maður gat skynjað góð ljóð á bak við, en þetta spillti mikið fyrir. Ef ég ætla mér að njóta skáldskapar Shevchenkos, þá grunar mig að ég verði annað hvort að bíða eftir annari þýðingu eða lesa hann á frummálinu.

[Kseniia Nosulenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Напевно це я вперше прочитала Кобзаря від початку і до кінця. В Шевченка неймовірна мова. Є декілька основних тем, і всі вони переважно трагічні (несіть меми про журбу).

[Крюкокрест · Rating 2 out of 5]

Весьма провинциальная, с литературной точки зрения незамысловатая, вещь. Уровень ресентимента конечно невероятный. Половину сборника составляет поэма про девушку Екатерину, которую выгоняют из дома, исключают из семьи и травят вообще в каждом доме за... то что она влюбилась в русского (позиция автора же - поделом). Ну и в целом во всех нарративах чувствуется small dick energy. Наверное, крепостное происхождение автора сказывается?

При этом есть очаровательные части, описывающие колдовство, пейзажи и украинский быт. Запомнилась сцена, как дивчинка превращается в тополь. Подобных полуязыческих метафор а-ля "Слово о полку Игореве" встречается довольно много. Ну и могильная тематика козаков, погибших за свободу, сейчас в 2025 году читается по-особому внушительно.

[Andriy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taras Shevchenko

The Prophet
(Translated by Vera Rich)

As if to children righteous, good,
Loving his people, the Lord God
Sent on earth a prophet holy,
The good news of His love to preach,
The holy truth and right to teach.
And, like the Dnipro broadly rolling,
The prophet’s words flowed out and poured,
And into the heart deeply going
With fire invisible it thawed
The frozen soul. And with love glowing
Those whom he’d taught followed him, going
Everywhere, and their tears were flowing.
But wicked people! Ah, they tore and
Rent apart the holy glory
Of the Lord. Sacrificed to
Strange gods. Shunned the truth, disowned it,
And the holy man – woe unto you,
In the market-place they stoned him,
Therefore did the Lord Almighty,
As if fierce wild beasts did rightly,
Decree they should be fettered, chained
And in a dungeon deep restrained.
And you, O people fierce and stubborn,
Instead of prophet mild – above you,
He has decreed a tsar should reign.

[Late September – December 1848, Kosaral]

[Andrii Litvynchuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

База, ґрунт, фундамент. Шевченко мені подобався ще в школі, але лише в дорослому віці я оцінив його по-справжньому. Глибока ерудованість дала йому змогу створити перлини, в яких кожен точно знайде щось для себе. Єдине, що мені приїлося - це ритм віршування. Ямб чудовий і Шевченко повністю розкрив його можливості, але й вірші типу «Косар» були чудовими.
А інколи, в перервах між великими поемами, де очікуєш невеличкі вірші для перепочинку, Шевченко кидає тобі твої майбутні улюблені рядки:

Страшно впасти у кайдани,
Умирать в неволі,
А ще гірше - спати, спати,
І спати на волі,
І заснути навік-віки,
І сліду не кинуть
Ніякого: однаково -
Чи жив, чи загинув.

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written. My first encounter with Kobzar. It was wonderful reading ... highly recommended!

[Andrey Maksymenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Найшовсь-таки один козак
Із міліона свинопасів (с)

[Ніна Шкребтієнко · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Поховайте та вставайте, кайдани порвіте і вражою злою кров'ю волю окропіте". Батьку Тарасе, ми виконуємо твій заповіт. Ти би пишався своїм народом!

[Trounin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Как не воспринимай Шевченко, редкий читатель отметит красоту его поэтических строк. Скорее следует говорить про желание выразить себя посредством поэзии. Сборник «Кобзарь» создавался примерно в двухлетний срок, но Тарас не был первым, и до него малороссийские поэты о лучшей доле для своего края грезили. Это можно представить так, будто Шевченко оставался наедине с собой, брал в руки перо с бумагой, о судьбе Малороссии начиная стенать, он мог взирать на солнце, на голубизну неба, черноту ночи, общаться с луной, в горестных размышлениях продолжая печаль на рифмованные строки изливать. Что до рифмы — плохой из Шевченко образчик человека, способного ладные стихи сложить. Тут стоит говорить о желании украинского народа видеть больше, нежели было. В качестве доказательства можно «Кобзарь» на части разложить, хотя, понятно, у украинцев за народного поэта сердце от обиды заныло. Однако, получается тенденция такой, каким образом речь об Украине не заводи, обязательно увидишь судьбу к народу украинскому злой, словно украинцам никогда достоинства не суметь обрести.

(c) Trounin

[Anna Perepadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Я взагалі нічого не памʼятала зі школи, тому цікаво було перечитати. Але дуже сумно, бо я сумую за Україною, як і він, тому 4. Не люблю коли мені сумно

[Ostap Bender · Rating 4 out of 5]

A ‘Kobzar’ was a Ukrainian bard, often blind, who sang religious songs and national epics. It’s an appropriate title for Shevchenko’s work, which he first published in 1840, because his primary concern is with the freedom of his country. This is a beautiful edition, with a striking portrait of Shevchenko by Ivan Kramskoy on the cover, and with many sketches and works of art from Shevchenko’s own hand interspersed throughout, which is great because he was also quite an artist. There is also excellent introductory material and footnotes throughout, which really help to explain the historical and cultural references.

I have to say that as poetry goes, the collection is just ‘so-so’ because Shevchenko’s style is not very lyrical, and his themes are too repetitive. These include young maidens taking advantage of by rich lords, usually Russians, mothers being left alone by sons drafted into the Russian army, orphans who suffer tough lives, and acts of violence and revenge, such as burning houses down with people inside. Shevchenko also expresses his own personal bitterness for being a captive in a foreign land, and his longing to once again be in Ukraine. It also reflects his bitterness for the history of Ukraine, which was taken advantage of repeatedly by Russia and Poland. Sometimes in its history there are heroes and courageous men who fight to the death for independence, and at other times there are cowards or incompetents who caused irreparable harm. It gets to be too much of the same thing, and this is made worse by having the Complete Kobzar represented, that is, all of his writings from 1837 to 1861 (the last one just a month before he died, at age 47), including a few re-writes of previous poems. An abridged selection would have been better.

On the other hand, it was quite a history lesson, both for Ukraine and also for Shevchenko himself. This is what pulls it up for me. Some recurring themes in the history lesson: Ukraine losing its independence in 1654 when Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky signed the Pereyaslav Treaty with Russia. Ivan Mazepa allying with Sweden and fighting Peter the Great at Poltava in 1709, with the defeat leading to Russia’s rise to power. The Haidamaks rebellions in the mid-18th century against Polish nobility, Catholics, and Jews (which unfortunately leads to some anti-semitic comments from Shevchenko that, while not uncommon at all for 19th century literature, are hard to excuse). The brutal torture and execution of Ivan Gonta, one of the leaders of the 1768 uprising, following his being captured by Russian forces and being turned over to the Poles.

The list of grievances before and after Shevchenko’s life go on and on: Peter the Great forcing Ukrainian Kozaks to work on the construction of St. Petersburg under abysmal conditions, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths. Being drafted into the Russian Army, which meant a lifetime in the 18th century, and which was “reduced” to 25 years in 1793, and then to 12 years in 1855. Russians considering Ukrainian a dead language and trying to abolish it. Catherine the Great instituting sefdom by decree in 1783. Imprisonment of political prisoners (and Shevchenko) in the Petropavlovsky Fortress in St. Petersburg. And years later, the last of the Kobzars being summoned to a congress under Stalin and being shot, thus destroying Ukraine’s oral tradition.

Shevchenko’s own story is also striking. He was born in 1814 into a family of serfs, witnessing firsthand and experiencing misery as another person’s property. He left Ukraine with his owner in 1829 at age 15 (ponder the first part of that sentence), and was only freed when a group of intellectuals who recognized his talent befriended him and paid for him in 1838. He was not able to return to Ukraine until 1843, visiting his relatives, all of whom remained serfs. He had the audacity to participate in the Cyril and Methodius Brotherhood, which believed in public education, the abolition of serfdom, and the right of every Slavic nation to develop its own language and culture, which of course was deemed subversive by the czarist regime. His anti-Russian sentiment boiled over in his searing poem “Dream (A Comedy)” in 1844, which is one of my favorites. His personal criticism of Czar Nicolas I (the same repressive dude who cracked down on the Decembrists, censored Pushkin and Lermontov, and sent Dostoevsky to Siberia) and the Czarina Alexandra Feodorovna led to a decade-long exile from 1847 to 1857, a period in which he was also forbidden to write or draw. Clearly he was able to sneak by this at times, since the collection here includes poems in this interval, but the result was to significantly reduce his artistic output, which is a real shame. He was pardoned in 1857 and allowed to return to Ukraine in 1859, but was arrested shortly thereafter and forced back to St. Petersburg, where he would die a mere seven days before the emancipation of the serfs was announced. It’s such a sad life, one that moves you before you even crack open the book to read his words.

Bottom line, Shevchenko is considered Ukraine’s national poet for good reason, and what comes through here is his raw love for Ukraine, and his passion for freedom. It’s no wonder he’s on countless statues in Ukraine, as well as being on the 100 hryvnia banknote, which I just loved to see during my short travels there. Given the events of Ukraine, you can’t help but feel empathy for those trying to keep their country out of Putin’s hands while reading these poems from the 19th century. It’s timely for that reason, and timeless. The struggle goes on. Ще не вмерла Україна, И слава, и воля!

[Katarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Тарас Шевченко, символ українського народу.
Талановита людина, живописець та поет, що передав нам сторіччями вірші, що актуальні й зараз, пронизані історією, крізь революції, це наша спадщина й культура.
Для Мене Кобзар - це як Біблія Українця - має бути в кожному домі.
Погоджусь що в школах, до революції гідності, не всі слова буди так зрозумілі, як зараз.
Шевченко цитують, цей автор завжди з нами та живий.
Раджу ВСІМ