Vasyl’ Kocan, Slovakia
Translated by Brian Požun. Originally published in Rusyn, 5-6/2002.
I was, am and will be a Rusyn, I was born a Rusyn, I will not forget my honorable nation, I will remain its son.
I was, am and will be a Rusyn, I was born a Rusyn, I will not forget my honorable nation until the next census.
I was, am and will be a Rusyn, I was born a Rusyn, I will not forget my honorable nation, and I’ll keep being a Slovak.
I was, am and will be a Rusyn, I was born a Rusyn, I will not forget my honorable nation, but I’ll always drink whiskey.
I was, am and will be a Rusyn, I was born a Rusyn, and my children were Rusyns, so long as they were not exposed to Western culture.
I was, am and will be a Rusyn, I was born a Rusyn, I will not forget my honorable nation, but I will campaign for the Hungarian Coalition party in the next election.
I was, am and will be a Rusyn, I was born a Rusyn, I will not forget my honorable nation, but I will praise the histories of other nations.
I was, am and will be a Rusyn, I was born a Rusyn, I will not forget my honorable nation, but I will be a Rusyn-Ukrainian from time to time.
I was, am and will be a Rusyn, I was born a Rusyn, I will not forget my honorable nation, but I will still cry over my current problems.
I was, am and will be a Rusyn, I was born a Rusyn, I will not forget my honorable nation, but I do not know how I will survive in the European Union and NATO.
Originally printed in Outpost Dispatch, Volume 1, Issue 1, October 2003.