‘Farewell Forever, Unwashed Russia!’ by Mikhail Lermontov

Farewell forever, unwashed Russia!

O land of slaves, of masters cruel!

And you, blue-uniformed oppressors!

And you, meek nation whom they rule!

 

Beyond the Caucasus’ high ridges,

I may be safe from your viziers –

far from those eyes – unseen, all-seeing –

and far from their all-hearing ears.

 

by Михаил Юрьевич Лермонтов (Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov)

(1841)

translated by Guy Daniels, revised by Robert Chandler

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Fun fact: This poem wasn’t published until 1887 – over 40 years after Lermontov’s death (caused by being shot through the heart during a duel on 27 July 1841) during his second exile. It is possible he wrote this upon being told of his exile when he was ordered to leave St Petersburg within 48 hours. The ‘blue uniformed oppressors’ in the poem were the tsarist police of the time who wore distinctly coloured uniforms and would have played their part in ensuring he followed the exile order.

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Dic Dywyll by Mike Jenkins

I have banished God

further than the Antipodes

since my so-called accident.

He was the owner

of those mills of death,

his manager the old Cholera.

The preaching of Cheapjack remedies:

holding up heaven as a cure.

 

They took my eyes

and struck them

into cannon-balls.

My mask and its perpetual night

is known to the pit-ponies.

 

Crossing the Iron Bridge

I hear the river’s voice

bring tune to my ballads,

the hooves of canal-horses

count beats and pauses come

as I breathe the welcome wind

from the west and eventual sea.

 

Night arrives and they all

share my mask: punchy drunkards,

rousing rebels and laughing ones

who sup to conquer daytime.

 

My daughter is the blackbird

giving flames to the begging hearth

of our basement with her song;

and I am the owl, I turn

to face their sufferings,

call them out to chase away

the chimney’s shadows. Masters

I magic to mice

under the death’s-head moon.

 

by Mike Jenkins

from Invisible Times

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Fun fact: Richard Williams, better known as Dic Dywyll (Blind Dick) but also sometimes as Bardd Gwagedd (The Bard of Folly) was a renowned ballader in nineteenth century Merthyr, who was blinded working at the Crawshay ironworks. His daughter, Myfanwy, was immortalised in Joseph Parry‘s song.

This link gives you a little bit more information about Dic Dywyll if you’re interested: http://yba.llgc.org.uk/en/s-WILL-RID-1790.html