“Pan Kanovsky” is a type of the insolence of power in the days of feudalism in the Ukraine. Then great “pans” or lords had their harems as much as any Turk. This particular landlord who owned the town of Bohuslav is a semi-historical personage. Many incidents centre round him. He is once said to have met an old woman picking up fallen wood in his domain. He ordered her to climb a tree and call “Cuckoo.” When she did so, he fired at her and brought her to the ground. Another little habit of his was to stick a needle and thread in the lapel of his coat and ask each peasant whom he met: “Have you needle and thread?” (i.e. the means to mend your clothes). If they said “No,” as of course they did, he proceeded to beat them soundly for being improvident creatures.
[16]. Pava: pea-hen.
[17]. Haspid: Basilisk and Haspid were serpents.
[18]. Chort: a swamp-devil.
[19]. Meassiatz: crescent, or month.
[20]. The Hetman Mazeppa, who was himself a Kobzar, composed this song among others. The story goes that when he was an old man he visited an Ukrainian official, set in high places, named Kotchubei. When he played on the kobza and sang of the ancient glories of the Ukraine, Kotchubei’s young daughter, like Desdemona, listened entranced, and finally asked him to marry her. He refused, saying that he was too old, but nevertheless she fled to him, bringing tragedy on her house. Ultimately she went insane, when Mazeppa took refuge with the Turks after the battle of Poltava.
[21]. “Tchyka-Bird” is the poetical name for the Ukraine. The plaintive cry of this bird—“ki-hi”—makes the hearer feel that the Tchyka, or “Mother,” so devoted a parent, is full of woe. She is here compared to unhappy Ukraine.
[22]. The Tartars played the same part in Ukrainian history as the Indians in America. They established their kingdom in the Crimea and time after time invaded Ukraine, pillaging it, and selling the inhabitants in Turkish slave markets. Later, they intermarried largely with the Ukrainians.
[23]. Many legends centre around the Cossack Bida (or Bighda), an Ukrainian Prince, whose real name was Dmitro Vishnivetzki. He it was who established “Seech”—the ancient stronghold of the Cossacks. He became famous for his raids on the Turks. The verses above given were written of one of his most noted exploits, if tradition is to be believed. He was captured by the Turks. Told that he was to marry the Sultan’s daughter he emphatically declined the honour, saying that her religion was distasteful to him. Now on the walls of Constantinople there were huge iron hooks and the Sultan commanded his soldiers to hang Bida from these by the ribs. By a ruse his servant came near him and managed to bring him a bow and arrow, as directed. When the Sultan came to see if he had had a change of heart the Prince raised his weapon and killed the Sultan, his wife, and his daughter.
[24]. Tchyka-bird: the poetical name of Ukraina.