Mary

After his return from imprisonment, Shevchenko planned to write a poem on the Blessed Virgin and equate her lot with the fate of Ukraine and the average Ukrainian peasant woman. To do this, he made certain studies in the apocryphal legends and read some of the more liberal books of the day.

As a result he produced this poem on unorthodox lines. He was bitterly attacked for it but his dominant mood is throughout reverence for his subject, and the preface is thoroughly in line with the traditional faith.

+Mary+

“Rejoice, for thou hast renewed all creatures.” (Akafist of the Blessed Virgin, l. 10)

I place my hope and consolation On Thee, my Heaven fair and bright, Upon Thy mercy without limit,-- I place my hope and consolation On Thee, O Mother ever holy, The holy Power of all saints, All-sinless and forever blest! I pray to Thee, I weep and sob; Look, holy Mother, down on them, Those prisoners who have been seized And who are blind; give them the strength Of Thine own martyred Son, that they May bear their cross and heavy fetters Unto the end, the bitter end. O worthy of all praise! I bless Thee, The holy Queen of earth and heaven; Hark to their groans, and send to them A worthy end, O ever worshipped; Without ill feeling, I will sing, When the poor villages are happy, Thy sacred fortune everywhere With quiet and with cheerful psalms. But now there’s tears and woe and weeping For each poor soul and, poor myself, I add to them the final mite.