Ambassador Chuah Teong Ban joined his fellow Ambassadors in Kyiv to recite poems to commemorate the 201st anniversary of Taras Shevchenko, the foremost Ukrainian poet and writer at the National Museum of Ukraine devoted to his life on 10 March 2015 in Kyiv, Ukraine. The event was organized by the curator of the museum. About 200 guests from the diplomatic corps, senior Ukrainian government officials, cultural and literature circles witnessed the cultural programme. Around 50 local media and other internet services covered the event leading to substantial media coverage, which were widely broadcasted on top national TV channels during prime-time.
Ambassador Chuah made his creative contribution by reciting one of the most famous Taras Shevchenko’s poem “As if You Know” expressing the hardship of Ukrainian peasants in 19th century during serfdom period. According to the curator of the museum, it was the first ever translation of Shevchenko’s works into Bahasa Malaysia. The participation of Ambassador Chuah certainly augured well with the efforts to deepen and enrich the cultural ties between Malaysia and Ukraine. Towards this end, the museum management planned to exhibit the Bahasa Malaysia translation of the poem.
The abstract of the poem in Bahasa Malaysia as follows:
SEANDAINYA KAU TAHU
Tuan tanah sekelian, Seandainya kau tahu
Di mana kami mengharungi kesengsaraan hidup
Kau tak dapat gubahkan elegimu
Dan hanya demimu, kau puji-pujikan Tuhan
Kau ejek – ejekkan tangisan kami.
Ku tak tahu kenapa ketenangan pondokku
di pinggir kebun, kau bagaikannya syurga.
Ku pernah sengsara di pondokku
Di situlah mulanya titisan air mataku
Titisan air mata pertamaku! Aku tak tahu
Kenapa segala kecelakaan wujud di pondokku
Apa lagi yang ku belum alami.
Namun kau masih memanggilnya syurga!
Embassy of Malaysia, Kyiv |
