"Praise to the hero Bringing the nation Peace and salvation! "That which will surely 20 Banish the night He[60] has awarded-- Freedom and Light! "Praise to the hero Bringing the nation Peace and salvation! "Blessings from Heaven, Grace from above, Rained on the battle, Conquered by Love. 30 "Little we ask Thee-- Grant us, O Lord, Strength to be honest, Fearing Thy word! "Brotherly living, Sharing in part, That is the roadway Straight to the heart. "Turn from that teaching Tender and wise-- 40 Cowards and traitors Soon will arise. "People of Russia, Banish the night! You have been granted That which is needful-- Freedom and Light!" The deacon was poor As the poorest of peasants: A mean little cottage 50 Like two narrow cages, The one with an oven Which smoked, and the other For use in the summer,-- Such was his abode. No horse he possessed And no cow. He had once had A dog and a cat, But they'd both of them left him. His sons put him safely 60 To bed, snoring loudly; Then Savushka opened A book, while his brother Went out, and away To the fields and the forest. A broad-shouldered youth Was this Grisha; his face, though, Was terribly thin. In the clerical college The students got little 70 To eat. Sometimes Grisha Would lie the whole night Without sleep; only longing For morning and breakfast,-- The coarse piece of bread And the glassful of sbeeten.[61] The village was poor And the food there was scanty, But still, the two brothers Grew certainly plumper 80 When home for the holidays-- Thanks to the peasants. The boys would repay them By all in their power, By work, or by doing Their little commissions In town. Though the deacon Was proud of his children, He never had given Much thought to their feeding. 90 Himself, the poor deacon, Was endlessly hungry, His principal thought Was the manner of getting The next piece of food. He was rather light-minded And vexed himself little; But Dyomna, his wife, Had been different entirely: She worried and counted, 100 So God took her soon. The whole of her life She by salt[62] had been troubled: If bread has run short One can ask of the neighbours; But salt, which means money, Is hard to obtain. The village with Dyomna Had shared its bread freely; And long, long ago 110 Would her two little children Have lain in the churchyard If not for the peasants.