3.4. Dialogues of Mykyta Stovpnyk and Sozont

This is Myhailo Vasylevyches and his companions first stop on the road to the “Eye Of The Abyss” in the town of Cherniakhiv and they encounter the local priest.

In Ukrainian:

–“ Але ж, панотче, – сказав Созонт. – Ми вбогі перегрини, не завдавайте собі такого клопоту”.

– “Як прийшли до мого двору, то це вже і є клопіт. – сказав урочисто панотець. – Я гостей на так не приймаю і не відпускаю.

In English:

- “But Father,” Sozont said, “We are simple pilgrims. Do not fuss over

us.”

• “I do not accept guests without fuss,” the priest proclaimed ceremoniously. “Once you have stepped into my yard, I will fuss.”

As we can see the highlighted words like “перегрини” and “клопіт” are old Ukrainian words part of an old Ukrainian dialect that are no longer used, so Olga Rudakevych translated ''перегрини'' as “pilgrims” and “клопіт” as “fuss”, because nowadays people don't say “клопіт”, they say “шум”.

Some songs sung by the priests in the novel:

In Ukrainian:

• - Розверглися пекельні ворота – уста богохульні,

- Щоб нещадно церкву твою проковтнути,

- Але ти істинний у нас є, царю-женише,

- Божественною силою отих загорож.

- Серцем розбитим тебе молимо,

- Скоро її від усіх налягань покажи,

- ї-бо чесну ти викупив кров’ю

In English:

- The gates of hell were thrown open

- These blasphemous lips

- Mercilessly to swallow thy church,

- But thou art our true one, lord-bridegroom

- By the heavenly power of these bulwarks.

- With broken heart we implore thee,

- Reveal her promptly free from defilement

More character dialogues in the novel:

In Ukrainian:

– Кожен грішник живе поза собою, – сказав Созонт. – Або злочинець.

– Але я не хочу бути ані злочинцем, ані грішником! – вигукнув Павло.

– Чи ж сподіваєшся на поміч святого Микити? – спитав я.

– Це те, що мені залишається, – сподіватися, – мовив Павло.

In English translation:

“-All sinners live outside of themselves,” said Sozont. “And evildoers.”

“-But I do not wish to be a sinner, nor an evildoer!” Pavlo exclaimed.

“-Do you expect St. Mykyta to aid you?” I inquired.

“-That is what is left for me—to hope,” Pavlo replied.

As we can see here Olga Rudakevych translated ''злочинець'' in this dialogue as “evildoer” because in this part it refers to the fight between good and evil like between God and the Devil. And “поміч” as “aid” because “поміч” is an old Ukrainian word that is rarely used nowadays, people usually say “допомога” now, and “злочинець” as “criminal”.

More examples from the novel:

In Ukrainian:

-За твоїм божественним хотінням

-Постановив ти, Господи, вмирати.

-Душу ж раби твоєї,

-Що тепер від тіла розлучилася,

-Помилуй, молим тебе, Спасе.

-І, зневаживши всі її зогрішення,

-У селах праведних, заради вільної своєї страсті,

-Як добрий, прийми.

In English translation:

-According to Your Divine will, Lord

-Death was established.

-Have Mercy on the soul of Your servant

-Which has separated from its body

-We beseech You, Savior.

-And disregard all her transgressions,

-And through Your redemptive suffering

-As One who is good, receive her

-Among the righteous.

Here Olga Rudakevych translated ''молим'' as “beseech” because it refers to the bible language, also ''спасе'' as “savior”.