Can Anyone Help with a Ukrainian Poem about Christmas?
November 8th, 2016

Belle wrote to us asking for help with a Ukrainian poem that she would recite for Christmas in her youth. Here’s her email:

Hi,

When my relatives would gather for Christmas, 55+ years ago, we children would have to say poems, sing songs, play instruments, etc. after receiving our gifts and before we could open them.  I’m trying to find the entire version of a poem that I can only remember the first 4 lines of.  It was in the Ukrainian language, and best I can translate it goes something like this:

In the dark forest

Where there walks a sly fox

Grew a fir tree (Christmas Tree?)

And with it a rabbit lived.

or something like that.  Does it sound familiar and do you know where I might find the poem?

Thanks for any leads. 

Thanks,

Belle

If anyone can help with this poem, please comment below.

Thanks in advance!

Mama Lisa

This article was posted on Tuesday, November 8th, 2016 at 4:18 pm and is filed under Christmas, Countries & Cultures, Holidays Around the World, Languages, Poems, Poetry, Questions, Ukraine, Ukrainian. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

4 Responses to “Can Anyone Help with a Ukrainian Poem about Christmas?”

  1. B.Murphy-Bridge Says:
    November 16th, 2016 at 2:31 pm

    Came across your site looking for spanish lyrics to ‘The Wheels on the Bus’ : sent a request to my dear Ukrainian friend in Edmonton, Canada, he in turn got in touch with a friend who sent him these 2 links. She couldn’t find an older version.

    Hope it helps~ Barbara in Baja, Mexico ~

    http://www.poetryclub.com.ua/metrs_poem.php?poem=17178

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0RDx4AwM7M

  2. Lisa Says:
    November 16th, 2016 at 2:40 pm

    Thanks so much Barbara! Can you tell who the author is if possible? :) Mama Lisa

  3. Taras Says:
    December 10th, 2016 at 4:52 pm

    From the first link you can see (if you understand Ukrainian of course :) ) that the author is Ivan Nekhoda (1910-1963). This rhyme is very popular in Ukraine. Children are often taught to it.
    One more link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4X25yV8L1M

  4. Lisa Says:
    December 10th, 2016 at 8:59 pm

    Thanks for the info Taras!

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