BEHIND THE DANUBE, A COSSACK RODE: Їхав козак за Дунай

BEHIND THE DANUBE, A COSSACK RODE

By Semen Klymovskiy ( a floklore variant)

(Їхав козак за Дунай)

‘hind the Danube, a Cossack rode,

Said: - buy, lassie, I should go!

You, my dear horse, black-raven,

Run, play on a go!

Oh, young Cossack, please, do bide,

Your sweet lassie sadly cries,

How can you leave me alone,

Just think of it, oh!

Do not twist your hands, white,

Do not consume your bright eyes,

From the war, just wait for me,

With glory back to thee!

I do not want any wealth,

Only you, darling, in health,

Be you healthy, well and strong,

All the rest, be gone!

Translated from Ukrainian into English by Ivan Petryshyn

http://poetyka.uazone.net/love06.html