Arise

  Arise Oh youthful forces
  The time is well past nigh!
  Prepare to tread the pathway
  Of peace and ideals high

  For now the dawn is breaking
  We soon shall see the sun
  As Nature wakens, smiling
  The birth of spring's begun

  Now flow the songs so joyous
  New banners are unfurled
  Oh, what a happy feeling
  Spring brings into the world

  Arise, alert and ready
  Forget past slights, instead
  With new inspired vigour
  We'll forge ahead, ahead

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            Sail On My Vessel

  Sail on, my vessel, on your way
  Washed by the foaming spray,
  Towards that shore I'm dreaming of
  Where beauty dwells and love

  Sail on to where all humankind
  Peace and contentment find,
  Where only truth and love prevail
  And hate and evil fail

  My journey may be long and grave
  And fierce the stormy wave
  But in my soul there glows a light
  A dawning future bright

  I pray but for a friendly breeze
  Across these troubled seas
  To bear me safely to that shore
  Where I may grieve no more

  At times, forgetting strife and fear
  I dream that I am near
  That precious and intended shore
  That I am sailing for

  Sail on, my trusty craft, sail on
  The sea of life upon
  My sail is strong and strong my mast
  To reach my goal at last

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                    Led By The Lord

  Led by the Lord, we're Heaven bound
  Where mansions fair the Lord's preparing
  For earthly sorrows joys profound
  With other souls we will be sharing

  Chorus: Led by His hand
  Into this glorious wonderland

  His holy, loving hand will dry
  Our tears of suffering and sorrow,
  Give peace and joy for you and I
  In paradise for our tomorrow

  Our wonderland, where Heavens sing
  And glorify all God's creation,
  With Heaven's beauty blossoming
  And life is filled with jubilation

  There we will raise our voice in song
  In praise of God and Truth eternal
  In paradise we shall belong
  Christ's loving family franternal

  
              Translation by Tim Samorodin

                
                   In The Struggle For Freedom

  In struggle for freedom, with love burning bright
  You fell, faith and honor defending
  You followed the dawn's ever beckoning light
  In struggle uneven contending
  Through tempest and fury, midst evil and hate
  You taught only loving, forgiving,
  You fearlessly faced all the trials of fate
  In suffering ending your living

  You suffered the wrath of tyrannical rule
  In chains and in prisons sojourning,
  From whip and from lash suffered punishment cruel
  For mercy divine ever yearning
  Siberian exile in hostile terrain
  In plight most unbearably trying,
  While you prayed "Forgive them, again and again,
  As heroes in martyrdom dying

  May you rest in peace, noble heroes and friends,
  From earthly turmoil free forever
  Your struggle for freedom goes on, never ends
  We're carrying on your endeavour
  For all you have suffered for peace and for love,
  We cherish your memory sacred,
  We cherish your faith in the victory of
  Your brotherly love over hatred

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                           Translation by Tim Samorodin

                          Our Ancestors' Pathway

  Our ancestors travelled a pathway distressing
  As exiles in prisons their lives to endure
  Despite evil doers forever oppressing,
  Their faith in the power of love was secure

  For brotherhood, fredom and love, all embracing,
  They fearlessly carried their cross to the end
  In patience and firmness their suffering facing,
  With faith in Christ as their saviour and friend

  And all through the ages of struggle unrending
  Against all the forces of evil, they still
  Continued to offer their love, and defending
  The sacred commandment of: "Thou Shalt Not Kill!"

  Their faith has continued to our generation
  That banner remains to this day undefiled
  The welfare of any regime, any nation
  Is not worth the life of an innocent child

  The seeds must soon ripen, our father's were sowing
  The reaper shall gather the harvest again
  To winnow and sift, and the choice to be flowing
  Into God's granary, purest of grain

  All this will be followed by triumph and gladness
  Of Christ, the redeemer and saviour divine
  Gone will be passions of greed, worldly madness,
  Love, peace and joy in our hearts we'll enshrine

  There will be no tears in the world nor depression
  No slavery, poverty crime or despair,
  And gone will be prisons, corruption, oppression
  But love, peace and joy in the world everywhere

  Then Christ will be King over all of creation
  And God's law with justice will rule every mind,
  Then love universal shall bless every nation,
  And joy will be boundless in all humankind

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                                     Translation by Tim Samorodin

                   Night Is Dark And Stormy

  Night is dark and stormy, waves are leaping,
  To disturb the calmness of the deep
  And I hear the sound of bitter weeping.
  'Tis my faithful friends in sorrow weep

  With a prayer from shore where I'm a stranger,
  I shall launch my vessel and embark,
  Though my wary heart is sensing danger,
  And my way ahead looks grim and dark

  With a song of hope and jubilation,
  To the sound of waves that leap and roar,
  I shall leave this murky desolation
  For a free-er and a brighter shore

  To that precious shore remembered dearly
  I cannot forget my Motherland
  Only there my soul will feel sincerely
  All the joy and peace I understand

  Only there, while here I fret and worry
  Missing all the joys I knew before
  Sail on home, my trusty vessel, hurry
  Mighty wave, oh carry me ashore
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                                Translation by Tim Samorodin

                  From The Beginning Of Time

  From the beginning of time to the lofty skyline
  Rose our British Columbia mountains
  Where midst summit and vale only winds used to wail
  Mighty rivers emerged from their fountains

  Ages passed as a dream, where a turbulent stream
  Through a valley it's torrent sends bounding,
  While beside it's steep shores, here among Doukhobors
  Of a hero a song is resounding

  Many years have gone hence since a forest immense,
  Was cut down by our settlers arriving
  On on those virgin fields, giving bountiful yields
  Fruitful orchards and gardens were thriving

  There in mountainside steep in profound, peaceful sleep
  Rests our hero and great mediator
  May his heavenly rest be eternally blessed,
  By our heavenly Lord and creator

  Noble leader, sleep sound in your slumber profound,
  As your life we all fondly remember
  May the world's petty woes not disturb your repose,
  Nor the sound of our song sad and tender

  Let us hear, leader brave, from beyond the cold grave,
  From the world of eternal awareness,
  How much longer we too must suffer like you
  Seeking peace, honor, justice and fairness

  And it seems, from on high comes a simple reply,
  "You were bought by the blood of your Saviour"
  Do not fear any strife, lead a righteous life
  And a neighbourly, loving behaviour

  Time will come, rest assured, all the strife you endured
  Will be only a dim recollection
  A a world born anew will be honoring you
  As a vanguard of new resurrection.
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                                    Translation by Tim Samorodin

 
                     How Delightful The Meadow

  How delightful is the meadow
  On this bright, warm day of spring
  In such fair and lovely weather
  Heart and soul begins to sing

  Lush green grass with flowers growing
  Sharing space with shrubs and trees
  And among them, gently blowing
  A caressing, playful breeze

  There's a silver brooklet spilling
  Through a deep and narrow vale,
  While on bough above is trilling
  His sweet notes, a nightingale
  
  As the azure sky is gleaming
  With benevolence above,
  The bright golden sun is beaming
  It's life-giving rays of love

  Fleecy clouds pass shadows fleeting
  On the land as though in play,
  And the earth responds in greeting
  Welcome, bright and friendly May!

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Translation by Tim Samarodin

  This poem was written and submitted to Iskra issue No. 1123,
  Feb 24 1967 by friend I.P. Antifayev, in honor of Ivan Sysoev
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                        To A Friend And Brother

  Ivan Sysoev, friend and brother
  You wished for us a lengthy life!
  But failed yourself, like many others
  To overcome life's mortal strife

  Your body's functions life surrendered,
  And your soul left for worlds remote
  And we as orphans sadly rendered
  Our fond farewells with songs you wrote

  Your songs revealed your inmost feeling
  Poetic talent you possessed
  To those who strive for peace appealing
  Love and equality professed

  You sang with contrite soul, deploring
  The lack of brotherhood and peace,
  Appealed to those who toil, imploring
  To seek from errant ways release

  Release from chains, that those in power
  Our moral liberty confine
  All unaware that any hour
  May their own fortunes redefine

  We feel a loss to know you're leaving
  But may our feeling be expressed
  Not with a sad but futile grieving
  To wish you, friend, a peaceful rest

  To all those near and dear remaining
  Advice or comfort we may give
  Our lives are under God's ordaining
  Under the will of God we live

  Let death control our body mortal
  Till earth accepts our lifeless clod
  And heaven opens up its portal
  Where soul will seek the face of God

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Translation by Tim Samorodin

As I Leave

  I shall not leave here like a wayward comet
  Not for that purpose am I here on earth
  I crave for peace and light of truth upon it
  To strive for brotherhood for all I'm worth

  I'm not a passing guest upon this planet
  Nor a mere plaything of capricious fate
  To disregard all evil as I scan it
  And leave for others to alleviate

  No, I shall not depart and leave no token
  Christ's teaching I will oft in life proclaim
  And let my voice God's truth broadcast unbroken
  To always keep the light of truth aflame

  To love as He loved all in truth embracing
  All laws devine with reverence and praise
  And to expose all falsehood we are facing
  To strive as He was striving all His days

  And as I leave, it is with joy and knowing
  My struggles in this earthy life shall be
  Replaced by peace and joy eternal, flowing
  Forever free from hate and treachery

  So let my hymns and verses be a token
  To all descendants to be read or sung
  That in my life for love and truth I've spoken
  Against deceit and hatred all life long

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Translation by Tim Samorodin
  

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