HARVARD UKRAINIAN STUDIES - See also - Harvard University

POŁACKTS EARLY VERSE 85Pokora na wóz Cierpień wysadzona,I pod niej Pokój, cora z niej spłodzona.Cichość, Stateczność ciągną wmiasto koni.Bojaźń kieruje i postrachem goni.Wiara, Nadzieja, i Miłość przy bokuNie odstępują od jej wozu kroku.Pokój z Dostatkiem jednomyślnościUżyty za wóz, Woźnicą Miłości,Za assystenty Prawdę, Pilność mająI Sprawiedliwość, które przy nich stoją.Para tu cudnych koni tu usługuje:Zgoda, Pożytek, któż ich nie lubuje? 28The text closes with a description of the fates of the vicious and the virtuous;the former descend to perdition while the latter pass over to eternaldelight. The poet writes:A gdy już przyjdzie ostatni dzień świata,Tam i złym i dobrym odda się zapłata.Pyszni bogacze, zazdrosny wojennyPójdą do wiecznej na zgubę Gehenny.Ubóstwo, zasię. Pokój i PokoraNa wieczną roskosz do rajskiego dwora. 29The text of "Czasu odmiana i różność" as presented here is a confusingjumble of themes and motifs whose exact interpretation is problematic.Details in the manuscript, the testimony of contemporary iconography, aswell as evidence in the text itself unite to help us understand the meaning ofthis verse. In the manuscript itself the text is divided into stanzas of unequallength (quatrains and sextets), providing the basis for a thematic breakdownthat could also be connected with an individual plate or engraving. Thethemes of the virtues and the vices and the fates of those who follow either28Poverty in the carriage of Want with her daughter/Humility, sick and weak dragsalong./Infirmity catches up, Weakness here proceeds./Patience and Submission tend theaxles./Humility in the carriage of Sufferings sits/and near her Peace, daughter born fromher./Tranquility, Stability pull instead of horses./Timidity drives with deadly fear./Faith,Hope, and Charity at the side/not even one pace fall behind./Peace with the Abundance ofunanimity/[is] used [as] the carriage, the coachman of Love/has Truth [and] Industry forassistants/And Justice, which stand near them./A pair of wonderful horses attend:/ Concord,Benefit, who does not delight in them?29And when finally the last day of the world comes,/ there the good and evil will receive theirreward./The proud rich and envious warrior/will go to Gehenna to eternal destruction./ButPoverty, Peace, and Humility/ [will go] to the heavenly court for eternal delight.