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Домік маленькі. . . Анатоль Вярцінскі Домік маленькі,               бачу я,         знеслі. А ў доміку гэтым               спявалі песні. А ў доміку гэтым               дзяцей нараджалі. А ў доміку гэтым               гасцей страчалі. А ў доміку гэтым,               у доміку гэтым утульна было               зімою і летам. Шкада мне да болю,               шкада да слёз доміка, што               пайшоў на знос. Не тое лепшае,               што навейшае, а тое лепшае,               што раднейшае. Не тое лепшае,               што вышэйшае, а тое лепшае,               што бліжэйшае, не тое лепшае,               што прыгажэйшае, а тое лепшае,               што даражэйшае... Той домік блізкі некаму быў. Той домік нізкі нехта любіў. 3 тым домікам звязаны нейчы лёс. Той домік пайшоў сягоння на знос...

A Little Small House. . . by Anatol Viarcinski A little small house,               I see,         was destroyed. And in this little house               men sang songs of joy. In this little house               a mother gave birth. In this little house               guests were welcomed with mirth. In this little house,               in this house, I say, Summer and winter               were cosy and gay. I grieve till I ache,               I grieve till tears flow For this little house               that has been levelled low. A thing is not better               because it is newer, A thing is the better               if nearer and truer. A thing is not better               because it stands taller, A thing is the better               If closer though smaller. A thing is not better               because it is fairer, A thing is the better               if dearer and rarer. And this little house               to someone was close This little low house               some man loved the most, With this little house               was someone's fate bound. And this house today               was razed to the ground.

[ 1967; 1993 ]

Notes:

• Source of the Belarusian version of the poem: Анталогія Беларускай Паэзіі: Вершы і паэмы, (1993), Том 3, c. 90. (Note: This 1993 printing of the Belarusian language version of the poem may not be the exact version used for the English translation made 30 years ago, since poets often revise their poems for subsequent publication.)

• The English translation of the poem was prepared by: Vera Rich ©1971 & 2007, and is included in Like Water, Like Fire: An Anthology of Byelorussian Poetry from 1828 to the Present Day, by Vera Rich, UNESCO, 1971. page 290, and is used by permission of the author.