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EDITOR, MISS MILDRED MILANOWICZ— 151 Hopkins Avenue Jersey City 6, New Jersey On the Ruins A Dramatic Poem by LESYA UKRAYINKA (Larysa Kosach-Kvitka) Translated from the Ukrainian by DR. PERCIVAL CUNDY All Rights Reserved During the first Babylonian Captivity. The wide plain of the Jordan». On the horizon are Mounts Moriah and Zion, whose peaks glitter in the silvery moonlight. In the valley and on the mounts loom the ruins of the villages and towns around Jerusalem. Here and there fires are flickering, perhaps from ruined homes where the people are still living. People are wandering over the plain. They have come from various parts, some from Judea, some from Sama ria. Some have built themselves shelters out of stones taken from the ruins and reeds from the Jordan; others have kindled small fires, at which they are warming themselves or preparing food; still oth ers are digging holes and burying the bones of those who fell on this recent battlefield. Sounds of smothered weeping, suppressed sighing and whispering are heard from those who are not asleep, but the majority are sleeping, some in roofless huts, some simply in the open field, covered with rags, face downward to avoid the moonlight. The sleepers resemble corpses and thereby make the scene more dreary — like a field after battle still covered with the bodies of the slain. At one side are three figures: a wourian, a maid en, and a little girl, who are sitting gloomily beside an extinguished fire. The woman rocks a child in her arms, the maiden is spinning wool, the little girl is weaving a basket out of reeds. TIRZAH, the prophetess (coming from the ruins towards the three) My sisters, peace to you! WOMAN: To thee be peace! Yea, peace to all the peace of death. TIRZAH: Why so? God lives, and we still live. VOMAN: In ruins, yes! TIRZAH: Give not thy little son thy tears to drink, Feed him not with the milk of bitter loss. WOMAN: Where shall abandoned ones find other fqod ? TIRZAH: Why do ye call yourselves abandoned ones? MAIDEN: ]^y brother is in far-off Ninevah. LITTLE GIRL: Two years my father is in Babylon. TIRZAH: But ye are three, and have a babe with you. None are abandoned who st^l have themselves. Rekindle fire before the morning comes, So shall ye have more light to do your work. MAIDEN (lays the spindle down): Our work is all for naught. Who will there be To wear these garments if I still spin on? My brother is a soldier in Assyria’s host, Enslaving others, he’ll die as a slave. For whom have I to care? TIRZAH: Care for thyself, Then thou’lt be free. Before the enemy Say not: Who’ll give me clothes to wear? Lest thy foes say: Come, I have clothes for thee. (The maiden takes up her spindle and begins to spin again) TIRZAH (to little girl, who listlessly has dropped her hands): Why sittest thou? Hast finished all thy task? tITTLE GIRL: What’s there to finish here? My playmates weave These baskets and in them they carry earth To heap the grave-mounds o’er their fathers slain, Who fell in battle fighting for God’s House. But there remains for me not e’en a mound! My father is in Babylon. They say He's working there to build a shrine to Baal. THE UYL-NA WELCOMES YOU TO PHILADELPHIA -The Philadelphia Convention Committee cordially invite you to attend the annual convention of the Ukrainian Youth’s League of North America. This three day event will be held at the Benja min Franklin Hotel, Philadelphia, Pa., during the Labor Day Week end, which will cover Saturday, Sunday and Monday, August 30, 31 an September 1, 1947. Plans are being formulated to house all the delegates and guests under one roof. The hotel management will cooperate in every way to make your stay as pleasant and comfortable as pos sible. However, it is not too early to make your hotel reservation now. Business sessions will be con ducted during the day on Satur day and Monday. The discussions during these sessions will be of a sierious nature and will be of great interest to the delegates and guests. Our American youth of Ukrainian extraction will have an opportunity to exchange ideas to further a better understanding of those having a background- si milar to their own. At the busi ness sessions on Monday the con vention will be climaxed with the election of national officers for the ensuing year. As in former years, the Ban quet and Ball on Sunday evening will be the highlight of the con- vefition’s social activities. This affair will be held in the Crystal Ballroom of the hotel which has £ seating capacity of over one thousand persons. For Sunday afternoon, the committee has planned an un usual feature which will be known as the “Parade of Talent.” This event will be a competitive affair between Ukrainian choral and dance groups from various cities. Music critics will judge the presentations and prizes will be awarded. There will also be a Welcome Dance which will be held on Sat urday evening at the Ukrainian Hall, at 847 N. Franklin Street. Undoubtedly, your prime in terest at the moment is “What will this convention cost me?” 1 he Philadelphia Convention Committee is pleased to announce that a flat rate of ten dollars will admit you to all activities. This includes your tickets to the Wel come Dance, the Banquet and Ball, the Parade of Talent, and also entitles you to receive a copy of the Year Book, Conven tion Badge and it will cover your registration fee as well. We know your stay in Phila delphia will be a memorable one and are looking forward with pleasure to seeing you over the Labor Day Weekend. РЬіЦ. Convention Comm. If you think before you act, you can act very much more ef ficiently and get very much more work done. Live clean. Fight hard. Think for yourself. William S. Knudsen. TIRZAH: Build thou thyself a new house in this place. Care for a dwelling, not for funeral mounds, That thou be not a stranger in thy land. * Say not: Who will to me a shelter give? Lest thy foe say: I’ll find a roof for thee. Weave rather for a hut, bear stones and clay, And build a shelter — chilly nights draw near. (The little girl swiftly begins to work again) TIRZAH: (to the woman) How is it that thy f^re no longer fyurns? WOMAN: And wherefore should it burn ? A woman c^res In her own dwelling for the household fire. But where’s my dwelling? In the open field? My husband’s settled in far-off Phenice, He seeks for riches in a foreign land. . . For whom, then, should I tend a fire here? TIRZAH (pointing to the infant): For him and for thyself. In open field Light up a fire for thy little child, Make warmth and seek for food, lest at thy dry And withered breasts thy little one should wail, Lest it from hunger tremble in thy arms, Lest thou shouldst weep in utter helplessness, And lest the foe should say: Come unto me! (The woman begins to stir up the fire; after a moment it blaz es up and casts a cheerful light on the three at work again) (To be continued)
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