Speaks Vasili, son of Buslayevich,
Hark now to me, my henchmen, my valiant ones:
A high commandment has been laid upon me:
We should fare forth to Jerusalem town:
There to pray in the holy of holies,
There to draw near to our dear Lord's sepulcher,
And to bathe in Jordan River.
And forth fared he to Salem City,
Forth fared he with his valiant henchmen,
And when he stood facing the hill of Sion,
Spake Vasili, son of Buslayevich,
"Hark now to me, my henchmen, my valiant ones,
Let us go up to the hill of Sion,"
And Vasili found there a little dry bone.
The little dry bone began to kick
Where he stood, on the hill of Sion,
And the little dry bone spoke to him
In a human voice:
"Not so, Vasili son of Buslayevich,
For thou shalt lie beside me
For evermore on the hill of Sion."
Spat out Vasili, and strode away from it,
And these were his own words:
"It was sleeping and had a dream!"
And when they came to Jerusalem
And had prayed in the holy of holies,
And drawn near to the Lord's sepulchre,
They began to bathe in Jordan.
Vasili, son of Buslayevich,
Bathed with naked body.
And thus spoke the river-maiden:
"Hark to me, Vasili, son of Buslayevich;
Whoso bathes here with naked body
Shall not live to depart from us."
Again they rode, of Buslayevich:
"Hearken to me, my henchmen, my valiant ones,
Let us go up to the hill of Sion,
Let us look at the little dry bone."
But there lay in its place a white-hot stone.
And spake Vasili, son of Buslayevich:
"Hearken to me now, my henchmen, my valiant ones,
let us leap (our horses) over the white-hot stone."
And they started leaping over the white-hot stone;
The henchmen first,
But he, Vasili, son of Buslayevich,
He leapt after them,
And he fell on the white-hot stone,
And broke his wild you head,
And lay there forever more.
|
