Lesya Ukrainka - Сафо - English version

Леся Укра?нка

Над хвилями моря, на скел?,
Хороша д?вчина сидить,
В лавров?м в?нку вона ся?,
Сп?вецькую л?ру держить.

До п?сн? сво?? сумно?
На л?р? вона пригра?.
? з п?снею тою у серц?
Велика ?й туга вста?.

В т?й п?сн? згадала ? славу
Величну свою, красний св?т,
Лукавих людей, ? кохання,
? зраду, печаль сво?х л?т,

Над?? ? розпач… Д?вчина
З?рвала лавровий в?нець
? в хвилях шумливого моря
Знайшла сво?й п?сн? к?нець.

? Lesya Ukrainka, 1884, Kolodyazhne village, Ukraine



Sapho

Above the sea, on rocks so hard,
A charming girl sits in a crown.
A laurel diadem she wears,
And in a shine lyra’s sound drowns.

Her song is sad, the music flies,
Her wounds vibrate and then fall down.
She carries songs within her heart,
Sending melancholy around.

That song is full of glory bright,
Of people’s lies and world’s delight,
Her love in melody is packed,
As well as hopes and pain denied.

Oh hopes and losses! Girl so wild
Throws down her laurel to the sea,
Under the water falls her life
And songs full of fragility.

? Maryna Tchianova

(a modified English version created on 26.03.16)