Experienced
in many cares
To
find out a friend is a traitor
In
what was in the deepest shadows
That’s
my fate
[My] heart is in no way condemned
But to be condemned by others
To bring comfort to [my] fellows
That’s my fate
O
Death, shorten these bitter days
May
they at last come to an end for me
Or
give [me] the fulfillment of my desires
This
is not a good fate
Song IV[1]
The
Vilija[2],
parent of our streams
[Its]
bottom has an angry and clouded face
Beautiful
Litwinka, who is scooping water from it
Has
a pure heart more beautiful[3]
than a berry
The
Vilija, in the beautiful Kaunas Valley
Flows
among the tulips and narcissus
More
beautiful than the roses and than the tulips of the Vilija
[1] Song IV recounts the story of Litwinka and Niemiec,
also a love tragedy.
[2] The Vilija flows west past Vilnius to join the Neman
at Kaunas.
[3] Or “redder”
[4] The word translated as “around” is Ukrainian in
origin.
[5] Literally “young people”
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