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The Czechoslovak Review/Volume 4/Slovak Rhapsody

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The Czechoslovak Review, volume 4, no. 5 (1919)
edited by Jaroslav František Smetánka
Slovak Rhapsody
by Karel Dostál-Lutinov, translated by Paul Selver
The Economic Outlook
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Karel Dostál-LutinovJaroslav František Smetánka4669996The Czechoslovak Review, volume 4, no. 5 — Slovak Rhapsody1919Paul Selver
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Slovak Rhapsody

Translated from the Czech by P. Selver.
By KAREL DOSTÁL LUTINOV.

In Moravia’s golden epochBeneath the sceptre of SvatoplukWe were of one body.
For centuries the half of our bodyShackled beneath the yoke was deadened.
Like rock-welded Prometheus,Thou, Slovakia, didst hangWelded to thy heaven-reaching Tatra,Crucified.
Accursed be our dissension!Accursed be intolerance of sonsand father’s unfaith!Accursed be vikingry and unfaith of self,unfaith of kindred, of speech and of spirit!Accursed be foreigness and vaingloryof decking our raiment with foreign tinsels!After centuries we are our own again—but ever at war.
The untamed Mongol,who ages agoneslaughtered and burned and shatiered our realmand with arrogant heel trampled on Metod’s tomb,To-day again slaughters and burnsour Carpathian home!
And again we are severing hallowed stems,again are wraglingand trampling upon our heritagewhich Cyril and Metod implantedand we rend one the othersorer than foe and murderer can!
After centuries fused into oneby the grace of God who forgave us,wantonly we squanderdestiny, life!
O Slovakia, redeemedby age-long serfdom and sorrow,let not thy dearest treasure be seized on:Thine ancient faith, thy dulcet speech,Christendom’s courses!Thou art not of Arpad, art not of Stepan,—Metod thy father!
Whatsoever they bring unto thee for thy jewels,cast away as baubles, trumpery glass!
From sound roots of thy deep faith,from the stock of Jesse, shall spring forth a stem,shall spring forth a tree full of golden fruits,beneath which we all shall rest.1919.

 This work is a translation and has a separate copyright status to the applicable copyright protections of the original content.

Original:

This work was published before January 1, 1930, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

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Translation:

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1930.

The longest-living author of this work died in 1970, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 54 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.

Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse

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