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by Larisa Petrivna Kosach-Kvitka (1871 - 1913), as Lesya Ukrainka

Contra spem spero!
Language: Ukrainian (Українська) 
Het'te, dumy, vy, chmary osinni!
To ž tepera vesna zolota!
Čy to tak u žalju, v holosinni
Promynut' molodiï lita?

Ni, ja choču kriz' sl'ozy smijatys',
Sered lycha spivaty pisni,
Bez nadiï taky spodivatys',
Žyty choču! Het' dumy sumni!

JA na vbohim sumnim perelozi
Budu sijat' barvysti kvitky,
Budu sijat' kvitky na morozi,
Budu lyt' na nych sl'ozy hirki.

I vid sliz tych harjačych roztane
Ta kora l'odovaja, micna,
Može, kvity zijdut' – i nastane
Šče j dlja mene vesela vesna.

JA na horu krutu krem’januju
Budu kamin' važkyj pidijmat'
I, [nesučy vahu]1 tu strašnuju,
Budu pisnju veselu spivat'.

V dovhu, temnuju ničku nevydnu
Ne stulju ni na chvyl'ku očej,
Vse šukatymu zirku providnu,
Jasnu vladarku temnych nočej.

Tak! ja budu kriz' sl'ozy smijatys',
Sered lycha spivaty pisni,
Bez nadiï taky spodivatys',
Budu žyty! Het' dumy sumni!

Available sung texts:   ← What is this?

•   Y. Stepovyi 

Y. Stepovyi sets stanzas 1-3, 5-7

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Stepovyi: "вагу несучи"

Show a transliteration: DIN | GOST

Note on Transliterations

Show untransliterated (original) text

Text Authorship:

  • by Larisa Petrivna Kosach-Kvitka (1871 - 1913), as Lesya Ukrainka, "Contra spem spero!" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by Yakiv Stepanovich Stepovyi (1883 - 1921), "Цонтра спем сперо!", stanzas 1-3,5-7 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2022-03-15
Line count: 28
Word count: 138

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