Vera Rich

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Ms. Rich has graciously permitted the inclusion of many examples of her work on this A Belarus Miscellany Web site.

All poems are copyright by Vera Rich. Most of the Web pages include Belarusian-language versions of the poems (or links to them).

Notes:

• To view the poems, click on the title in the left (English) column. Usually, both Belarusian and English versions are on the same page. In a few cases, you need to click on the poem's title in the "Title (Belarusian)" column to view the Belarusian language version (or else follow the link on the English language version of the poem). Not all poems will fit side-by-side (legibly) on a Web page.
• Most of these Belarusian language versions, whether in Cyrillic or Lacinka, are in Unicode (UTF-8) font encoding. Note that the Belarusian language version may not be the same revision as the English translation; poets – like many other artists – are often constantly revising their work (often publishing several versions of a particular poem). . . .

Title (English)	Title (Belarusian)	Author	Languages
"A Little Small House. . ."	"Домік маленькі. . ."	Anatol Viarcinski	English & Belarusian
"A new century. . ."	"Новы век. . ."	Nil Hilevič	English & Belarusian
"A Prayer" title also as: "O God Almighty!", etc.	"Малітва"	Natalla Arsiennieva	English & Belarusian
"Above the white down of the cherries. . ."	"Па-над белым пухам вішняў. . ."	Maksim Bahdanovič	English & Belarusian
"And, Say, Who Goes There?"	"А Хто Там Ідзе?"	Yanka Kupała	English & Belarusian
"Around"	"Навакол..."	Alies' Harun	English & Belarusian
"Autumn Song"	"Восенскі Спеў"	Alies' Harun	English & Belarusian
"Chernobyl"	"Чарнобыль"	Volha Ipatava (Olga Ipatova)	English & Belarusian
"The Child, the Hedgehog, and the Snake"	"Дзіця, Вожык і Змяя"	a fable by Kandrat Krapiva	English & Belarusian
"Christ is Risen"	"Хрыстос Васкрос"	Yanka Kupała	English & Belarusian
"Come, We Shall March in Joint Endeavor"	aka: Беларускі нацыянальны гімн: "Ваяцкі Марш"	Kraucou Makar	English & Belarusian
"Easter Eve - on the Way to Church" [excerpt from The New Land]	. . .Новая Зямля	Jakub Kolas	English & Belarusian
"The Faith of a Byelorussian"	"Вера Беларуса"	Ciotka (Alaiza Pashkievič)	English & Belarusian
"Far off afield. . ."	"Далёка ў полі. . ."	Nil Hilevič	English & Belarusian
"Grandpa and Grandma"	"Dzied i Baba"	a fable by Kandrat Krapiva	English & Belarusian
"The Gravemound"	"Курган"	Yanka Kupała	English & Belarusian
"A Green Cloud in the Market-Place"	"Зялёнае воблака"	Janka Sipakoŭ	English & Belarusian
"Happiness"	"Шчасце"	Natalla Arsiennieva	English & Belarusian
"Heritage"	"Спадчына"	Yanka Kupala	English & Belarusian
"If I Had Wings"	"Каб Крылы..."	Natalla Arsiennieva	English & Belarusian
"If We Had the Heart of Vikings. . ."	"Каб сэрцы Вікінгаў Мы Мелі""	Natalla Arsiennieva	English & Belarusian
"In the Night Fields They Sing. . . ."	"Начлежнікі пяюць"	Zmitrok Biadula	English & Belarusian
"In the Night Pasture"	"Ha Начлезе"	Larysa Hienijush	English & Belarusian
excerpt from "In the Village"	"3 верша у Вёсцы"	Maksim Bahdanovič	English & Belarusian
"It was not Mother who waved me goodbye. . ."	"Nie maci ǔ instytut pravodziła mianie. . ."	Volha Ipatava	English & Belarusian
"The Manitu" an excerpt from The Cardinal Points	"Маніту" ("El Manitu") Накірункі Свету (Los Puntos Cardinales)	Karlos Sherman	Spanish, English, & Belarusian
"The Musician"	"Грайка"	Ciotka (Alaiza Pashkievič)	English & Belarusian
"My Native Land"	"Мой Родны Край"	Natalla Arsiennieva	English & Belarusian
"The Nettle"	"Крапіва"	Kandrat Krapiva	English & Belarusian
"New Year's Eve"	"У Навагодні Вечар"	Natalla Arsiennieva	English & Belarusian
"O Bielarus', My Briar-Rose Cherished. . ."	"О, Беларусь, Мая Шыпшына"	Uladzimir Dubouka	English & Belarusian
"The Owl, the Ass, and the Sun"	"Сава, Асёл ды Сонца"	a fable by Kandrat Krapiva	English & Belarusian
"O Spring. . ."	"Вясна. . ."	Jakub Kolas	English & Belarusian
"Play then, play. . ."	"Зайграй, зайграй, хлопча малы..."	Paŭluk Bahrym	English & Belarusian
"The Ram with the Diploma"	"Дыпламаваны Баран"	a fable by Kandrat Krapiva	English & Belarusian
"Requiem for Every Fourth One"	"Рэквіем па Кожным Чацвёртым"	Anatol Viarcinski	English & Belarusian
"Song of the Bells" an excerpt from Symon Muzyka, Book 1	"Песня аб званох"	Jakub Kolas	English & Belarusian
"Song Walked in the Wood"	"Лесам Песня Ішла..."	Nil Hilevič	English & Belarusian
"Straw Gold"	"Zołata Sałomy"	Ryhor Siemashkievič	English & Belarusian
"Sultry Weather"	"У прыпар"	Alies' Harun	English & Belarusian
Four "Triolets"	. . ."Трыялет"	Maksim Bahdanovič	English & Belarusian
"To People"	"Людзям"	Alies' Harun	English & Belarusian
"To Young Poets"	"Маладым Паэтам"	Natalla Arsiennieva	English & Belarusian
"Under the Blue Sky"	"Пад Сінім Небам"	Natalla Arsiennieva	English & Belarusian
"Venus the Star" (aka "Romance")	"Зорка Венера"	Maksim Bahdanovič	English & Belarusian
"The Weaver-Women of Słucak"	"Слуцкія Ткачыхі"	Maksim Bahdanovič	English & Belarusian
"A Winter Tale"	"Зімовая Казка"	Zmitrok Biadula	English & Belarusian
"A Winter's Tale"	"Зімняя Казка"	Michaś Klimkovič	English & Belarusian
"The Wolf" [excerpt from The New Land	"Воўк" Новая Зямля, ХVІІ	Jakub Kolas	English & Belarusian
"Young Belarus"	"Маладая Беларусь"	Yanka Kupała	English & Belarusian




Most of the preceding poems are from the book-collection (by Vera Rich), Like Water, Like Fire (1971).

In addition, Ms. Rich has also translated, "My vyjdziem scylnymi radami:" "Come, We Shall March in Joint Endeavor," national anthem for the short-lived (but still exists in exile) Belarusan National Republic.

• Poem: "To Fr. Alexander Nadson (an acrostic quasi-villanelle)"   (2006)
• Poem: "On the Anniversary of the Słucak Uprising"   (1958)         [in English and Belarusian (Unicode UTF-8) versions]
• Biographical Sketch: "Vasil Bykaŭ: Belarusian Writer and Patriot"   (2003)
• Conference Presentation (essay): "Belarusian Poetry in Emigration, 1945-1990"   (Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum, London, 29-30 September, 2001; published 2003 (London) & 2004 (Miensk))
• Book Introduction & all poetry translations: ""Poems on Liberty. Reflections for Belarus" Translator's Notes"   (Dual-language, Belarusian-English collection of poetry) on the Pravapis Web site. Written: London 25.X.2003). Reprinted from "Poems on Liberty: Reflections for Belarus." - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, 2004. - 312 pp. Translation - Vera Rich. Editor - Alaksandra Makavik. Art Director - Hienadz Macur. Project Coordinator - Valancina Aksak. ISBN 0-929849-05-1.
• Electronic version (PDF) of Poems on Liberty: Reflections for Belarus, available as download from Radio Svaboda.
• CD-ROM Introduction (as well as poetry translations & other contributions): Introduction: Belarusian Literature in Translation   (Compilation: © National Commission of the Republic of Belarus for UNESCO, 2005. © Yanka Kupala Central Public Library (Minsk, Belarus), 2005.)

• Originally, this introduction (in an earlier form) was published as the Introduction to Like Water Like Fire (1971), but was extensively revised and updated in 2005 for this CD-ROM collection.
• Vera Rich's Open Letter (June 30, 2005), regarding this CD-ROM collection.

• Taras na Parnasie.   annotated and translated by Arnold McMillin and Vera Rich. The Journal of Byelorussian Studies, Vol. IV, No. 1, 1977.   Abstract of article only - at this Web location
• Book Review of the reprint of Zmitrok Biadula's Zydy na Bielarusi (Biadula's book was originally published in 1918; the re-published version was published in 1992). The book review appeared in the East European Jewish Affairs, Volume 22, Number 2, Winter 1992. The book review is appears on the Jews in Belarus Web site. Biadula's complete book is available there as well.
• Articles on the Index on Censorship Web site (apparently, no longer available there):

  • "Belarus: Nation in Search of a History: 1991 and all that"   (Index on Censorship; January, 1996).
  • "Soros Foundation director expelled as Lukashenka tightens his grip"   (Index on Censorship, 1997).
  • "News from nowhere: Belarus".     (Index on Censorship, November 12, 1999).