Dear God, calamity again! …
It was so peaceful, so serene.
He resolved to stand on the frontline.
Though he lived for the stage.
We but began to break the chains.
That bind our folk in slavery…
He exchanged his costume.
For a grenade launcher.
When halt! … Again the people’s blood.
Is streaming! All over our land.
He was killed on the battlefield.
Near Maiorsk in Donetsk Oblast.
Like rapacious dogs.
About a bone.
The royal thugs are.
At each other’s throat again.
In the very first days.
Of a full-scale invasion.
He joined the ranks of territorial defense.
And defended the Left Bank of Kyiv.
In April, he volunteered to go to the front.
As a private, gained the skills of a grenade launcher.
As part of the offensive operation.
Their unit was transferred to the hottest zone.
Instant heroic death.
Under enemy mortar shelling.
Cut short the life.
Of a courageous romantic…
He will be remembered by those.
Who had the good fortune.
To work with him on stage.
And those whom he taught.
He will be remembered by those.
To whom he conveyed the incomprehensible secrets.
Of creating a ballet image.
And grateful spectators.
He charmed them with his dance.
Bright and beautiful, romantic and heroic.
His impeccable skill and deep conviction.
Of every image he created on stage.
His earthly journey was too short.
But bright and honest.
It is with indescribable sadness.
Dear God, calamity again! …
Dear God, calamity again! …
Eternal glory to you, Hero.
A bright memory to you.
An unforgettable Artist.
A low, earthly bow to you.
A courageous Warrior.
And a beautiful sincere Man!
Dear God, calamity again! …
*Because my friend told me about Oleksandr Shapoval, a ballet soloist of the Taras Shevchenko National Opera of Ukraine, by an e-mail like this:
“And we have other sad news — Soloist of the National Opera Oleksandr Shapoval killed in battle with occupiers in Donetsk Oblast
How many defenders are already in the sky …
It’s so awful! I’m crying and praying …”
And I read other more articles about this sad news as follows:
news | National Opera of Ukraine
Oleksandr Shapoval Ukrainian ballet soloist killed in action in Donetsk – Euro Weekly News
Ukrainian ballet dancer Oleksandr Shapoval is killed on the battlefield | WFUV
Ukrainian National Opera ballet dancer Oleksandr Shapoval killed in combat (kyivindependent.com)
So I wrote this poem by the art like “Honka-dori(本歌取り)” in “Waka(和歌)”, which means borrowing some phrases of the other’s original poem to create a new poem for the gate to access to the world of the other’s original poem.
From what I borrow all phrases in this poem is “Calamity Again” written by Taras Shevchenko, English translation by John Weir, as follows:
Poem “Calamity Again” (Taras Shevchenko, English translation by John Weir) (storinka.org)
Here I have to add, according to the BBC news on 8 March, Artem Datsyshyn, 43, a former soloist at the National Opera of Ukraine, died in hospital almost three weeks after being injured in Russian shelling in Kyiv:
Ukrainian ballet star Artem Datsyshyn dies after Russian shelling – BBC News
**My friend shows you this poem also on the Ukrainian website for their children and others!
Please join them!
***Now you can hear my voice, singing this poem here.
