Anton Holovaty

Holovaty was a renown poet in his day. To his pen are dedicated a number of Ukrainian poems some which became folk songs in the Ukraine. It is known that Taras Shevchenko recorded a number and included them in his kobzar. (Oj Bozhe nash Bozhe) and some sources speculate that it is Holovaty's persona that influenced Shevchenko's choice of the term kobzar for his book of poems.

One of the most often quoted sections of Shevchenko's Kobzar were originally were about A. Holovaty but were edited and changed by Panteleimon Kulish.

Original:

*Nash chubatyj Holovatyj ne vmre, ne zahyne,
Ot de liudy nasha slava, Slava Ukrainy.




*
Our hairy Holovaty will not die, will not perish,
Here people is our glory, the Glory of Ukraine.


Changed to:

*Nasha duma, nasha pisnia, ne vmre ne zahyne,
Ot de liudy nasha slava, Slava Ukrainy.




*
Our duma, our song, will not die and perish
Here people is our glory, the Glory of Ukraine.



The lines were changed by Kulish possibly because of his possible disdain for Holovaty's support of the Russian Administration. Shevchenko on the other hand admired Holovaty such that he also drew a portrait of him.

Because of his noble education he was also well versed in music and was an accomplished bandura player.
 
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