To Šafařík

This dedication to Šafařík was used as the preface to the poem the Heretic in which Shevchenko glorifies Jan Hus. It expresses, better than any other poem, the spirit with which the poet entered the Society of Saints Cyril and Methodius and his dreams of a union of the Slavs in which all would be truly free. It is interesting that this preface is a direct answer to Pushkin’s poem, To the Slanderers of Russia, in which he expressed his assurance that the future of the Slavs lay in submitting to the domination of Russia.

Pavel J. Šafařík (1795-1861) was one of the brilliant leaders of the movement for a Slav brotherhood following the ideas of Jan Kollár. He had published a History of the Slavic Languages and Literatures and a very valuable work on Slavonic Antiquities, so that his name was well known to the entire group of young men at Kiev.

+To Šafařík+

Evil neighbors burned the dwelling, It was new and modern, Of a neighbor. Then well warmed, They lay down in slumber, But they quite forgot the ashes By the wind were scattered; On the crossroads lay the ashes. Under them there smouldered A lone spark of that great fire, Smouldered, did not perish, Waited kindling, as th’ avenger Waits for the right season, For the hour. So it smouldered, Smouldered and it waited There upon the traversed crossroads, And began to perish.

The Germans once destroyed by fire The mighty house and then they scattered The Slavic family far and wide, And stealthily they sent into it The cursed snake of family feuds. There poured out freely streams of blood, The fire they extinguished, And then the Germans parcelled out The place and the poor orphans. The children of the Slavs grew up, All bound in fetters heavy. In their slavery forgetting They were in the world. But amid the burnt out embers Smouldered on the spark Of their brotherhood and waited Firm courageous hands again-- So it waited. For the fire You saw hidden deeply With your bold, courageous spirit And your eye like eagle’s. Seer, you caught the glimpse of freedom, Freedom, and of truth! And the Slav wide-scattered family Sunk in dark and slavery, You collected all together, Yes, and e’en the corpses And those Slavs no longer. Then you Mounted on the debris, Stood upon the crowded crossroads As Ezekiel. ’Twas a marvel--all the corpses Rose, their eyes they opened. Brothers clasped the hands of brothers And they promised loudly Oaths of quiet love and friendship Ever and forever! Into one great sea there gathered All the Slavic rivers.

Glory be to you, O wise man, Czech and Slav together, That you did not leave to perish In the German swampland All our truth! Your mighty ocean Of the Slavs, reviving, Will be full again, ’tis certain And the boat goes sailing. With its mighty sails wide spreading And a helmsman noble It will sail on a free ocean O’er the boundless waves. Glory to you, Šafařík, Ever and for ever! That you called into one ocean All the Slavic rivers! Welcome in your mighty glory My poor, lowly tribute That is neither wise nor mighty, To that Czech renowned, To the martyr great and holy, Hus the well revered. Take it, father, I will humbly Pray to God Almighty That the Slavs may be hereafter Worthy friends and brothers, Sons of that same light of truth, Heretics forever, Like that noble heretic, Who at Constance suffered! May they give true peace to mortals, Glory too forever!