King of Glory Mural, Spokane, WA, Pat Marvenko Smith
…
Научи прятаться от тебя
и настигать добычу ведь ты – первый охотник
введи в искушение врагов наших
но избави от сострадания ловчего и его волка
посей страх как сеятель в диком поле
дай разорвать должников наших
потому что это и твои долги
наши кости и мясо тают от лица твоего огня
рухни вверх если веришь
опустоши все
***
(Translated by Denis Pinchuk & Bohdan Bondarchuk)
Teach us to hide from you
and catch the prey, for you are the original hunter
lead our foes into temptation
but deliver us from mercy of the huntsman and his wolf
sow fear like a sower in the wild fields
let us tear our debtors to pieces
for these are your debts, too
our flesh and bones melt facing your fire
cave in and out if you believe
lay waste to everything
_______________
Dmitriy Shandra
Review by Dave Mehler
It’s simultaneously fascinating and heart-wrenching to consider how Dmitriy is conflating and subverting the text of what’s traditionally referred to as the Lord’s Prayer from Matthew 6: 9-13:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on Earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory
forever and ever. Amen.
It acts as very powerful and effective Juvenalian (as opposed to Horatian) satire and commentary on the situation in Ukraine, both against the war itself, the Russians, and on God for permitting it. If I were British, I would use the term gob-smacked to describe my reaction to this pithy little IED? Not being British I’m not sure I’m using this right, but I think so.