Calming the Storm

Taming The Storm

The shores are fading in the distance,
A boat serves them well and obeying
It floats towards blue all so blissful
A middle of the East it is being.

The speech of Apostles as they sail the sea,
Are quietly murmuring like brooks in a fold
They marvel at miracles that they all see
At all of the glorious acts of the Lord.

The world of the sea comes alive all around,
And God, the Messiah, it meets
And cries of the birds in the skies make a sound:
“Hosanna, our Lord, and the Christ!”

The waves are like hands of a Virgin, the Mary,
So lightly that small boat drove,
And sun is like mother that kisses the baby,
So gently it caresses Christ, our Lord.

He sleeps ahead of boat at top,
Head bowed at the stern,
As in the sleigh, the Lord, our God,
So humble lies just like poor kern.

Suddenly a wind has been picking,
Chasing the wave after wave,
The bottomless waters awaking,
With natural strength misbehave.

The sky so harshly has frowned
As lightnings are flashing from eyes
A terrible word came like thunder
My mandate – get Him crucified!

And waters from the deepest kyle,
Has spattered the boat with saliva.
And waves like the armies of vile,
Was ready to swallow alive.

“Oh, Lord, save us, from dying!
The boat is in deathly cadence” —
Apostles in fear are crying,
As depth in its roar triumphs.

King – Pilot rebelled from His sleep:
– “Where is your faith simple as rule?”
That fear you the waves wild and deep
And souls are filled with murmur?”

And then with His power appealed to the storm,
At Him, the entire world trembled:
Calm down, the wild waters, and waves take a turn
Calm down the wind – turn to amble!”

The silence has fell all around,
The wind became calm from the shame,
Got quiet and does not make a sound
And sea hardly breathes, all tamed.

And those who were sat in a boat,
Are asking each other: “Who is it?
Dictates to the nature within single thought,
So humble, the world one is claiming”.

The oars are playing and creaking so lonely,
Raking all water in circles,
Coming to an end of an uncalm journey,
A peacefulness now it is searching.

A moon has already arrived at the shore
And everywhere stars shine so bright
And shore meets them all with so pure
And solemn silence inside.

    The Holy Spirit Monastery. 2000.

The Ballad of the Vilna Martyrs

Dedicated to the suffering of martyrs Anthony, John, and Eustache (names in paganism are Kumets, Nezhilo, and Kruglets).

In Lithuania so ancient and wild,
Where the thorns and thistles have raised,
Where sacrifices were made to demons of vile,
Where the pagan ancient gods have been praised.

A priest-monk appeared out of the blue,
In a prayer and labour he truly believed,
The weeds he destroyed all way through,
An example of life of a saint he lived.

And in the good soil he sowed,
Not sparing all the sacred seeds,
With faith the harvest he brought,
Before sunrise he stood on his feet.

And the Orthodox Faith grew,
Attracting hearts from inside.