Hristo Botev

Hristo Botev (1848-1876)
Botev is briliant author and revolutionary. He was born in the town Kalofer and his father is the teacher Botio Petkov. He was a student in Odesa. Hristo Botev emigrated to Romania in 1867. He was a teacher in Aleksandria and Izmail from 1869 until 1871. He published the newspapers ''Alarm clock'', ''Flag'' and ''New Bulgaria''. He died on 20 May 1876. He was killed in the war.

The Hanging of Vasil Levski

O my Mother, dear Motherland
Why weep you so mournfully, so plaintively?
And you, raven, cursed bird -
On whose grave croak you with such a dread?


Ah, I know - I know you're weeping, Mother
Because you are a dismal slave,
Because your holy voice, Mother
Is a helpless voice - a voice in the wilderness.

Weep! There, near the edge of Sofia town

Stretches - I saw it - a dismal gallows

And one of your sons, Bulgaria

Hangs from it with a terrible power.

The raven croaks dreadfully, ominously

Dogs and wolves howl in the fields,
Old people pray to God with fervor
Women weep, children cry.

Winter croons its evil song,
Gales sweep thistle across the field
And cold and frost and hopeless weeping
Heep sorrow on your heart.