Gallery
Leading the literature section is the poem "Vēji ar Staļina vārdu", Stalin's name upon the winds.
“Stalin's Name Upon the Winds”
About the author
Poet Fricis Rokpelnis (1909–1969) was born into a poor family in Kurzeme (Courland). Upon the first Soviet occupation in 1940, Rokpelnis worked closely with the Soviet regime, becoming one of its most visible collaborators to come from the Latvian literary circle—including co-authoring the Latvian SSR anthem, its lyrics his war-time poem. He became a member of the Soviet Communist Party in 1947 and subsequently held a number of high administrative posts. He also served as a deputy in the Soviet and Latvian SSSR parliaments.
The poet Jānis Rokpelnis is his son.
Vēji ar Staļina vārdu
Rokpelnis takes the usual poetic liberties with phrase order and grammar. Any shortcomings in the translation are ours. The marching proletariat are from a Soviet era children's book.
| Vēji ar Staļina vārdu | |
| Latgales ezeros iededza nakts | |
| zvaigznes ar mirdzumu spēju, | |
| senmūžu tumsa, lai nespētu rakt | |
| ceļu, ko staigāja vēji. | |
| Pilsētas modās, un šalca ik ciems | |
| varenas rītdienas dārdos: | |
| vēji tai naktī pār ezeriem | |
| atnesa Staļina vārdu. | |
| Palos ka Daugavas ūdeņi nāk, | |
| lauzdami ceļu uz grīvu, | |
| tauta ar Staļinu izgāja sākt | |
| gaitu uz nākotni brīvu. | |
| Velti kāp, tumsa, tev dragātai grimt, | |
| cīņa, vēl varenāk dārdi! | |
| Uzvaras spēkā mūs mācīja dzimt | |
| vēji ar Staļina vārdu. | |
| Debesis signāla ugunīs zied, | |
| ciematu drupas redz kūpam. | |
| Kaujā par dzimteni strēlnieki iet | |
| Staļina vārdu uz lūpām. | |
| Staļinu sirdī — un tēraudā kalts | |
| naidnieku dragā un ārdi, | |
| pasaulē visā lai brīvi reiz šalc | |
| vēji ar Staļina vārdu. | |
| Stalin's Name Upon the Winds | |
| In Latgale's lakes the evening stars | |
| ignite in a fierce shining, illuminating an | |
| ancient darkness, such that one could not dig | |
| the road, upon which the winds strode. | |
| Cities wake, and every hamlet soughs | |
| with the heroic morning rumblings: | |
| That night, over the lakes, the winds | |
| had brought the name of Stalin. | |
| Just as when the waters of the Daugava heave | |
| the ice, breaking a path to the river mouth, | |
| the people, one with Stalin, emerge to launch | |
| their trek to a future of freedom. | |
| Darkness, you climb in vain, you—shattered, to sink, | |
| the struggle resounds e'en more heroic! | |
| In the might of victory, we were taught to be born | |
| by winds which bore the name of Stalin. | |
| The heavens bloom in signal fire, | |
| we behold the smoking ruins of villages. | |
| Riflemen go to battle for the land of their birth, | |
| carrying Stalin's name upon their lips. | |
| In the heart of Stalin—and chiseled in steel | |
| The enemy is vanquished and smashed, | |
| Across the whole world, all at once, let | |
| the winds roar with the name of Stalin. | |
—FRICIS ROKPELNIS |
Excerpts:
- "Vēji ar Staļina vārdu" (Stalin's Name Upon the Winds) — FRICIS ROKPELNIS
- "Latvijas padomju literatūra un māksla evakuācijā" (Latvia's Soviet literature and art in evacuation) — ANDREJS UPĪTS
- "Latvju zīle Kremļa tornī" (O Latvian Tit in Kremlin Tower) — JĀNIS SUDRABKALNS
- "Latvijai" (For Latvia) — ANDREJS BALODIS
- "Tulkota Literatūra" (Literature in Translation) — MEINHARDS RUDZĪTIS
