THE VILLAGE TEACHER’S LESSON

This may not be the most essential of things,

but you, o child,

are called upon to defend with your tiny palms

the fragile little candle of the letter “Ï”,

and also,

stretched out on your tiptoes,

to protect the small crescent moon

of the letter “Є”,

which was carved out of the sky

along with a tiny bit of thread.

Because they say, o child,

that our language is like a nightingale’s song.

And they are right.

But remember,

that one day

the time may come,

when our language

will not be remembered

by even the smallest of nightingales.

That is why you cannot depend

only on nightingales

child.

Translated by Mark Andryczyk