"I went to the banks
Of the swift little river,
I sought for a spot
Which was silent and lonely 380
Amid the green rushes
That grow by the bank.
"And on the grey stone
I sat down, sick and weary,
And leaning my head
On my hands, I lamented,
Poor sorrowing orphan.
And loudly I called
On the names of my parents:
'Oh, come, little Father, 390
My tender protector!
Oh, look at the daughter
You cherished and loved!'
"In vain do I call him!
The loved one has left me;
The guest without lord,
Without race, without kindred,
Named Death, has appeared,
And has called him away.
"And wildly I summon 400
My mother, my mother!
The boisterous wind cries,
The distant hills answer,
But mother is dead,
She can hear me no longer!
"You grieved day and night,
And you prayed for me always,
But never, beloved,
Shall I see you again;
You cannot turn back now, 410
And I may not follow.
"A pathway so strange,
So unknown, you have chosen,
The beasts cannot find it,
The winds cannot reach it,
My voice will be lost
In the terrible distance….
"My loving protectors,
If you could but see me!
Could know what your daughter 420
Must suffer without you!
Could learn of the people
To whom you have left her!
"By night bathed in tears,
And by day weak and trembling,
I bow like the grass
To the wind, but in secret
A heart full of fury
Is gnawing my breast!"
CHAPTER VI
AN UNLUCKY YEAR
"Strange stars played that year
On the face of the Heavens;
And some said, 'The Lord rides
Abroad, and His angels
With long flaming brooms sweep
The floor of the Heavens
In front of his carriage.'
But others were frightened,—
They said, 'It is rather
The Antichrist coming! 10
It signals misfortune!'
And they read it truly.
A terrible year came,
A terrible famine,
When brother denied
To his brother a morsel.
And then I remembered
The wolf that was hungry,
For I was like her,
Craving food for my children. 20
Now Mother-in-law found
A new superstition:
She said to the neighbours
That I was the reason
Of all the misfortune;
And why? I had caused it
By changing my shirt
On the day before Christmas!
Well, I escaped lightly,
For I had a husband 30
To shield and protect me,
But one woman, having
Offended, was beaten
To death by the people.
To play with the starving
Is dangerous, my friends.
"The famine was scarcely
At end, when another
Misfortune befell us—
The dreaded recruiting. 40
But I was not troubled
By that, because Phílip
Was safe: one already
Had served of his people.
One night I sat working,
My husband, his brothers,
The family, all had
Been out since the morning.
My Father-in-law
Had been called to take part 50
In the communal meeting.
The women were standing
And chatting with neighbours.
But I was exhausted,
For then I was heavy
With child. I was ailing,
And hourly expected
My time. When the children
Were fed and asleep
I lay down on the oven. 60
The women came home soon
And called for their suppers;
But Father-in-law
Had not come, so we waited.
He came, tired and gloomy:
'Eh, wife, we are ruined!
I'm weary with running,
But nothing can save us:
They've taken the eldest—
Now give them the youngest! 70
I've counted the years
To a day—I have proved them;
They listen to nothing.
They want to take Phílip!
I prayed to the commune—
But what is it worth?
I ran to the bailiff;
He swore he was sorry,
But couldn't assist us.
I went to the clerk then; 80
You might just as well
Set to work with a hatchet
To chop out the shadows
Up there, on the ceiling,
As try to get truth
Out of that little rascal!
He's bought. They are all bought,—
Not one of them honest!
If only he knew it—
The Governor—he'd teach them! 90
If he would but order
The commune to show him
The lists of the volost,
And see how they cheat us!'
The mother and daughters
Are groaning and crying;
But I! … I am cold….
I am burning in fever! …
My thoughts … I have no thoughts!
I think I am dreaming! 100
My fatherless children
Are standing before me,
And crying with hunger.
The family, frowning,
Looks coldly upon them….
At home they are 'noisy,'
At play they are 'clumsy,'
At table they're 'gluttons'!
And somebody threatens
To punish my children— 110
They slap them and pinch them!
Be silent, you mother!
You wife of a soldier!"