Урок - перформанс «Voices of Freedom»

Students enter the classroom. Complete silence. Then they hear quiet instrumental or heartbeat sound. At first just one word is seen on the screen of the board: “Human”… Next, the following sentences begin emerging on the screen.

• “You’re not a crowd”

• “You’re a voice”

• “You’re a human being”

The teacher is keeping silence. Pause…

The class is divided into two groups each of which is given a fragment of Vasyl’s poem. Each group has to translate the verse into English both literally and literary.

For instance:

Ти знаєш, що ти — людина?

Ти знаєш про це чи ні?

Усмішка твоя — єдина,

Мука твоя — єдина,

Очі твої — одні.

Більше тебе не буде

Завтра на цій землі

Інші ходитимуть люди,

Інші кохатимуть люди -

Добрі, ласкаві й злі.

Сьогодні усе для тебе —

Озера, гаї, степи.

І жити спішити треба,

Кохати спішити треба —

Гляди ж не проспи!

Бо ти на землі — людина, І хочеш того чи ні —

Усмішка твоя — єдина,

Мука твоя — єдина,

Очі твої — одні.

Do you know that you are a person?

You know that, don't you?

Your smile is the only one,

Your suffering is the only one,

Your eyes are the only one too.

Never again you'll be here.

Tomorrow on this earth

Others will walk here,

Others will love here —

Kinder, nicer or worse.

Today everything is for you here —

Lakes, and valleys, and steppes.

Hurry with life, my fellow,

Hurry with love, my fellow,

Look, haven't you overslept?

Because on this Earth — you're a person,

Is that clear to you?

Your smile is the only one here,

Your suffering is the only one here, Your eyes are the only one too.

• Which version is stronger emotionally and why?

• What is lost / added in translation?

• Can you improve one line?

• Which phrases does literal translation give relevance to?

Task:

Simonenko's Instagram or TED Talk

Students are given three minutes to come up with ideas before they feed back them to the class.