Treasury of Ukrainian Love: Poems, Quotations & Proverbs (English and Ukrainian Edition) [Hardcover]

Helene Turkewicz-Sanko (Editor, Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0781805171 | ISBN-13: 978-0781805179 | Publication Date: May 1, 1997

A selection of Ukrainian poetry in both their original language and translated into English. Also included are a number of quotations and proverbs from famous Ukrainian writers. This book of charming and beautiful poems is a must for anyone interested in or an immigrant from the Ukraine. Anyone interested in original and novel poetry should also add this book to their library.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The Cossack And The Maiden by Levko Borovykovs'kyi
Dear Green Periwinkle by Marusia Churai
A Girl's Fingers by Ivan Drach
Scheherazade by Mykhailo Drai-khmara
Heart Of A Woman by Ivan Franko
Here Is The Little Footpath by Ivan Franko
Yes, You Are My True Love by Ivan Franko
The Odorant Acacias Were In Bloom by Vasyl' Grendzha-dons'kyi
Two Little Crowns by Yakiv Holovats'kyi
That Was Not Your Daughter Who Stood There by Ivan Honcharenko
My Lemko Woman by Mykola Horbal'
She Sings by Boris Hrinchenko
The Cossack Was Heading For The River by Semen Klymovs'kyi
Love Her! by Vitalii Korotych
Marusia Churai by Lina Kostenko
White Symphony by Lina Kostenko
Sunlight Is Failing by Ivan Kotliarevs'kyi
The Winds Are Blowing, Stormy Winds Are Raging by Ivan Kotliarevs'kyi
Why Do I Love You? by Roman Kudlyk
The Wave by Oleksandr Oles'
You Didn't Come by Oleksandr Oles'
The Silvery Princess by Vasyl' Pachovs'kyi
Late Nightingales by Maksym Ryl's'kyi
To A Primrose by Markiian Shashkevych
The Church Warden by Taras Shevchenko
Meditation: Forceful Wind by Taras Shevchenko
The Poplar by Taras Shevchenko
To Maria by Volodymyr Sosiura
Tears by Mykhailo Staryts'kyi
The Ballad Of The Guelder-rose Twig by Iryna Stasiv-kalynets
What Love! by Vasyl' Stus
How Could I Live by Pavlo Tychyna
You Know How The Linden Tree Whispers by Pavlo Tychyna
Mavka's Bequest by Lesia Ukrainka
Mavka's Quest by Lesia Ukrainka
Black Eyebrows, Ebony Eyes by Anonymous
The Lament Of Yaroslavna by Anonymous
Misery Is In This World by Anonymous
O My Young Maiden, The Grove Is Full Of Hubbub by Anonymous
O Voluptuous Venus by Anonymous
O, In The Sour Cherry Tree Orchard by Anonymous
On This Side A Mountain by Anonymous
Silently, Silently The River Flows by Anonymous
Why Didn't You Come? by Anonymous
Under The Sour Cherry Tree, Under The Sweet Cherry Tree by Yosyp
To The Nightingale by Viktor Zabila
--Table of Poems

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Hippocrene Books (May 1, 1997)
• Language: English, Ukrainian
• ISBN-10: 0781805171
• ISBN-13: 978-0781805179
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #972,755 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Eastern European
  • #15 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Mythology > Folklore
  • #16 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Love Poems

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sure to Capture Your Heart (Love--Ukrainian style): Poems, Proverbs, and Quotations by Ukraine's Finest Literary Figures, January 2, 2010

By 

Yaroslava Benko "Mandrivnyk" (Arlington Heights, IL - USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Treasury of Ukrainian Love: Poems, Quotations & Proverbs (English and Ukrainian Edition) (Hardcover)

Treasury of Ukrainian Love Poems, Quotations & Proverbs is part of the Treasury of Love Series (African, Arabic, Czech, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Jewish, Polish, Roman, Russian, Spanish, and Ukrainian)--and, the treasure begins with the cover, which showcases blue and yellow (the colors of the Ukrainian flag). The spine is blue with gold leaf lettering of the title; the front cover features blue lettering against a yellow background over which is shown an illustration, "Ukrainian Wedding Costumes. Bride and Groom, Hutzul (Hutsul) Region" by Slava Gerulak, courtesy of the Ukrainian National Women's League of America, Inc. Those who have visited Soyuzivka (the year-round Ukrainian resort in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York), will immediately recognize the name of Slava Gerulak as the Ukrainian artist whose fountain sculpture "Mayana" welcomes all at the front entrance. I've posted 162 images of things Ukrainian and Ukrainian life in America, including photos of the Mayana sculpture (images 60 and 61)--you'll be able to see them/it when you visit my review of Ukrainians in America (1996 edition--ISBN 0822519550) by Dr. Myron Kuropas. From the Product Information page, click on "see all 162 customer images" on the left side.

Although the cover states that the works are edited and translated by Helene Turkewicz-Sanko (as many of them are), each piece lists the person who, in fact, translated each particular poem; other translators include: C. H. Andrusyshen and Watson Kirkconnell; John Weir; Gladys Evans; Walter May; D. S. Struk; Martha Bohachevsky-Chomiak; Jaropolk Lassowsky; and, Bohdan Yasen.

The original Ukrainian poetry presented is outstanding; however, I found a number of the English translations to be less than inspiring--although they give the gist of the poetry, nevertheless, they don't convey the rhyme, mood, or meter. In fairness, although Ukrainian isn't an easy language to translate, nonetheless, I was reminded of high school Latin classes where translating words/sentences/phrases was accomplished, but, at times, resulted in either loss of or diminutiveness of key elements such as nuance, alliteration, ambiance, and rhythm.

As an example from the book, compare the opening quatrain from the poem, Two Little Crowns: Popid haiem zelenen'kym, chysta richka teche, na yavori zelenen'kym, solovii shchebeche. The English translation given in this book reads: A green grove, a clear brook, on the green maple tree, a singing nightingale. The original Ukrainian version rhymes lines one and three and lines two and four; the English translation, however, doesn't rhyme any of those lines. A possible translation could have been: Along the grove green, a clear river flows, on the maple green, a nightingale sings--am sure there could be better translations, but this example at least rhymes lines one and three. As an example of how critical a translation is, I've included a comment below this review for your comparison and study--it's two renditions of the same poem. After reading this review, make sure to click on comment.

An illustration of possible losses incurred during translation is given by Orysia Paszczak Tracz (a columnist for The Ukrainian Weekly) when she states in one of her columns, "things get lost in the translation--how more melodic does `vinok malynovyi' sound than `the raspberry wreath.'" However, the Ukrainian poetry showcased in this book is outstanding, and it isn't fair to judge a book based on translations by others, for there are sure to be people who will purchase this booklet based solely on its Ukrainian content.

As you open and close the covers, your eyes will feast on front and back endpapers made of mulberry papers, which herald the luscious love literature within.

The description `bilingual love poetry from Hippocrene' is, in a way, a misnomer--for poetry is but one element of the treasures awaiting you when you open this miniature booklet--also sure to be savored are sayings, quotations, maxims, and proverbs--not to mention a transliteration chart.

There are two ways to easily locate poems, proverbs, authors, and quotations within the pages of this treasury: 1) The Editorial Review lists the contents of this book (scroll to that section from the Product Information page); or, 2) Click on "click to look inside," which appears above the image (top, left side) on the Product Information page. To facilitate a search from within the book itself, the Table of Contents in the front lists the authors and titles in chronological order, and the Index of Authors in the rear lists authors in alphabetical order (with dates and page numbers).

Thirty-eight of some of the finest Ukrainian authors portray love in poetic form for your relish and indulgence, including: Ivan Kotliarevsky, Ivan Franko, Olha Kobylianska, Lesia Ukrainka, Ivan Drach, Taras Shevchenko, and Vasyl Stus. The original Ukrainian poetry is presented on the left side of each page, the English translation lies along the right side. Eighty-eight proverbs and sayings and eight maxims and quotations, along with a transliteration chart complete the treasury.

Poetry showcased in this book includes samples from various categories--The Ukrainian Romantic Movement: Taras Shevchenko; Populism in Russian-ruled Ukraine: Mykhailo Starytsky; Populism in Western Ukrainian: Ivan Franko; Ukrainian Modernism of the late 19th and early 20th century: Lesia Ukrainka and Olha Kobylianska; Ukrainian Cultural Renaissance of the 1920s: Pavlo Tychyna; Ukrainian Neoclassicists: Mykhailo Drai-Khmara and Maksym Rylsky; and, The Shistdesiatnyky (The Sixtiers): Lina Kostenko and Ivan Drach. For detailed information (including photos) on these and many more literary figures, please visit the Encyclopedia of Ukraine.

Five stars plus for love showcased in sundry sizes, shapes, and styles by artistic authors--Ukrainian style!

Note: For supplemental information on Ukrainian authors, please read my reviews of books about or by authors either mentioned or not mentioned in this book--my reviews are of the following: A Study of Vasyl' Stefanyk: The Pain at the Heart of Existence by D. S. Struk; Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors by Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky (book); and Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (DVD).

There are other reviews by authors not mentioned in Treasury of Ukrainian Love Poems, Quotations & Proverbs, which you may wish to read. For those titles, please visit my profile page and scroll through the list of reviews. Also, from my profile page, click on the Listmania! Lists tab to see materials sorted by category. And, for detailed information on the authors, Ukrainian literature, history, and culture, please visit the website of the Encyclopedia of Ukraine.

Addendum: Readers, you're invited to visit each of my reviews--most of them have photos that I took in Ukraine (over 600)--you'll learn lots about Ukraine and Ukrainians. The image gallery shows smaller photos, which are out of sequence. The preferable way is to see each review through my profile page since photos that are germane to that particular book/VHS/DVD are posted there with notes and are in sequential order.

To visit my reviews: click on my pseudonym, Mandrivnyk, to get to my profile page; click on the tab called review; scroll to the bottom of the section, and click on see all reviews; click on each title, and on the left-hand side, click on see all images. The thumbnail images at the top of the page show whether photos have notes; roll your mouse over the image to find notes posted.

Also, you're invited to visit my Listmania lists, which have materials sorted by subject matter.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bueatiful love poems, March 11, 2010

By 

E. Hill (Jacksonville, Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Treasury of Ukrainian Love: Poems, Quotations & Proverbs (English and Ukrainian Edition) (Hardcover)

This book has a lot of really great poems by authors such as Ivan Franko. It is a really wonderful book. The poems and translations are beautiful.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars treasury of ukrainian love poems, quotations, proverbs in ukrainian and english, September 27, 2009

By 

L. Ellen Byramji "Love to read" (Boonton Twp NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Treasury of Ukrainian Love: Poems, Quotations & Proverbs (English and Ukrainian Edition) (Hardcover)

I thoroughly enjoyed it as it brought back many memories, and introduced me to many
things I had forgotten and not known. The translations were quite well done. I did not
agree with the translation as a whole, but for the most part as I said well done.It is
not an easy language to translate.