The appearance of the Narodni Opovidaniya (Folk Sketches) of Marko
Vovchok in 1858 was an event in Ukrainian literature. It was the
penname of Maria Markovich (1834-1907) but she wrote in Ukrainian for
only a few years. Her stories of the hardships of serfdom, especially
on the women, were very powerful and were translated into Russian by
Turgenev and others of the leading authors. Shevchenko welcomed her
literary advent most warmly, for he saw in her his most talented prose
successor.
+To Marko Vovchok+
(_In memory of January 24, 1859_)
Some time ago beyond the Urals
I wandered and I prayed to God
That our dear truth would never perish,
That our dear word would never vanish.
My prayer was heard.
God sent to us
In you a mild and tender prophet,
A bitter scourge of all the greedy
And ruthless men.
My beacon star,
You are the holy star I wished for,
The youthful strength that I desired!
Shine on me, shed your warmth afar,
And now refresh my broken spirit,
My poor and shattered heart and power,
My hungry heart!
I live anew
And call to life from out the grave
Free thought that bides forever true,
Free thought forever.--My good fortune!
Our prophet! Yes! my darling daughter,
I dare to call my poems yours.