Олег Шумей

Заснули мальви бiля хати

Їх мiсяць вийшов колихати

I тiльки мати не засне, мати не засне

Жде вона мене

I тiльки мати не засне, мати не засне

Жде вона мене

О, мамо рiдна, ти мене не жди

Менi в наш дiм нiколи не прийти

З мойого серця мальва проросла

I кров’ю зацвiла!

Не плач же, мамо, ти ж бо не одна

Богато мальв розсiяла вiйна

Вони шепочуть до тебе восени:

«Засни, засни, засни, засни…»

У матерiв є любi дiти

А у моєї – тiльки квiти

Самотнi квiти пiд вiкном, квiти пiд вiкном

Заснули вже давно

Самотнi квiти пiд вiкном, квiти пiд вiкном

Заснули вже давно

Як зiйде сонце – вийди на порiг

I люди вклоняться тобi до нiг

Пройдися полем – мальви буйних лук

Торкнуться твоїх рук!

Життя, як пiсня, що не вiдзвенить

Я в мальвi знов для тебе буду жить

Якщо ж я ласку не встигну принести

Прости, прости, прости, прости

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Mallows

Around the house the mallows, sleeping,

Are cradled in the moon’s safekeeping

And only mother not asleep, mother not yet sleeping

Keeping watch for me

And only mother not asleep, mother not yet sleeping

Keeping watch for me

Oh, darling mother, do not wait for me

Our home is lost to me and ever more will be

From my heart a mallow’s tender bud

Has blossomed all in blood.

Mother, don’t cry, don’t think you’re all alone

So many mallow seeds this war has sown

When autumn comes, you’ll hear them as they weep:

“Oh sleep, oh sleep, oh sleep, oh sleep…”

A mother has children and adores them

But mine has flowers, nothing more than

Lonely flowers, there they grow, under the window,

Asleep from long ago

Lonely flowers, there they grow, under the window,

Asleep from long ago

Soon as the sun’s up step outside the door

And all will greet you, bowing to the floor

Walk on – the mallows of our lush and lovely land

Will softly stroke your hand.

Life like a song that will not fade away

And in the mallow I’ll be with you every day

And if I don’t have time to bring a kiss

Forgive, forgive, forgive, forgive.

(translated by Richard Coombes

Richard Coombes Language Services

© Richard Coombes 2025)

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Mallows have a special place in Ukrainian culture. They symbolise love for the motherland, and, according to Ukrainian folklore, the kindly souls of ancestors settle on the mallow flowers and protect the inhabitants of a house.