In the Akkerman steppe – Adam Mickiewicz

My companions from the journey through the Crimea

I float like in a sea on green waves.
The carriage looks like a donkey jumping on a wave
Of boundless meadows that beat, rustling, on the shore,
Of islands – atolls with flowers and grass.

Dusk… There is no path, in the sky – no hill,
Vain as in the heavens a star as a guide.
What shines there in the clouds like a coal in a sponge?
In Akkermanon the Dniester, the pale lighthouse shines…

It’s quiet… Let’s stop, but… I hear a butterfly
Struggling in the grass, wet with cold dew,
Insensibly moving the fluttering stalks;

A snake slithers… It’s-so-peaceful-now
I could hear her voice calling out from the dirt…
But hand! Who to call? There is no one on the road at night…

Added by: Gerra Orivera

translation by: Miron Radu Paraschivescu

Source. Adam Mickiewicz is considered the greatest Polish writer. He was a fighter for Poland’s independence in the 19th century, but he stood in solidarity with all oppressed peoples, including ROMANS. The Pasoptist revolutionaries were inspired by Mickiewicz.