Walter Kish

Some months ago, I wrote a column about some of the colourful and interesting Ukrainian folk proverbs, sayings and phrases that I grew up with. My parents were not blessed with more than a rudimentary education when they were young and living in the “selo” back in Ukraine, but they absorbed a lot of the folk wisdom and idiom from their parents and other elders in their extended family. They brought this with them when they immigrated to Canada, and I inherited this treasure trove of expressions from them as I grew up.

I have probably received more feedback about that column than any other that I have written, as people related to me their recollections of how their parents used the same phrases. Often they would pass on to me phrases and expressions that I had not heard before. Some, such as “Nai tebe kachka kopne!” (May a duck kick you!) or “Chy ty z byka vpav?” (Have you fallen off an ox?) were pretty universally known. Others, such as “Yak rak svystne na hori”, seemed to be unique to a particular region or village.

Last year I had the good fortune of visiting my father’s village of Sokoliwka, which lies just down the road a little west of Brody in Lviv oblast, Ukraine. While there, I was presented with an interesting little booklet containing a collection of sayings that one of the locals, a certain Volodymyr Supraniwskiy, had gathered during his lifetime and published some time during the 1930’s. It provides a wonderful insight into all aspects of village life, values and thinking, and I would like to share some of them with you.

One favourite target was the local clergy. The villagers, like most Ukrainians, were deeply religious people, and had great respect for the church and role of the priest. However they were wise enough not to confuse the office with the individual fulfilling it, who often fell short of the ideal. As one saying went, “To ne pip, to kara Bozha!” (That’s not a priest, that’s God’s punishment on us!).

There were many sayings relating to the often difficult life of the poor peasant such as “Ni zhyty, ni vmeraty!” (Not enough to live, or to die!) and “Shchastya vysyt na tonenki nytci, a bida na hrubim motuzi” (Good luck hangs by a thread, but bad luck on a thick rope!). Or, “Tilko dvokh ye na sviti, durniy i khytriy – durniy robyt a khytriy yist” (There are only ignorant and clever people – the ignorant work, and the clever eat!). Another, relating to the boredom of village life was “Nai bude zle, aby nove!” (Let something bad happen, so long as it is something new!)

One, popular with the significant Jewish population of the village, was “I ty Khaim, I ya Khaim – robym, robym nits ne mayem!” (I am Khaim, you are Khaim – we work, we work, and have nothing!). They would also have said “Figu z makom” (Figs with poppyseeds). The most direct of this fatalistic variety was “Nyni cholovik zhyye, zavtra hniye” (Today, a man lives, tomorrow he rots!).

There are understandably a large number of sayings relating to drinking and drunkenness, that being a perennial feature of village life. Thus, “Pyaniy svichku ne zasvitym!” (A drunk can’t light a candle!). Another favourite was “Chy ty pyaniy, chy durniy!” (Are you drunk or just stupid!)

There were a wealth of expressions used to describe negative traits in people. Thus, of a thief, it was said “Maye dovhi ruky” (He has long arms). Of a young brat, a mother would say, “Kasha nasha, tativ borshch” (The kasha may be mine but the father made the borscht), implying of course that the evil nature came from the father’s side. A clever reply to being accused of ignorance was, “Ne takiy ya durniy yak ty mudriy!” (I am not as stupid as you are smart!). Of someone you could do without, it was said “Yoho treba yak didka v kosteli!” (We need him like a devil in a church!).

Finally there were many ways of expressing best wishes to someone. One I particularly like is “Khai bude taka husta pshynytsia, shcho ani vuzh ne prolize!” (May your wheat grow so thick that even a snake can’t get through it).

At one time, these sayings were the stuff of everyday life in the village. Like many aspects of our Ukrainian folk legacy they are now fading into history. I am grateful that there were people like Supranivskiy who made the effort to preserve this legacy for future generations.