By Docutoloka, an association of young artists for the joint creation of modern Ukrainian art and its presentation in the world.
1.25.2015
Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine

Snow bent bamboo,
As if the world around him
Overturned.
–Matsuo Basho 

The original Basho, as per David Landis Barnhill’s translation (2004), is:

withered and bent over,
the whole world upside down:
bamboo in snow

萎れ伏すや世はさかさまの雪の竹
shiore fusu ya/ yo wa sakasama no / yuki no take

Written in 寛文7年, Basho age 24.
Most probably he had been to the funeral of a friend’s child. The poor parents are devastated and bend like the bamboo in snow.

Source: Docutoloka
About Docutoloka:
“Dokutoloka” – an association of young artists for the joint creation of modern Ukrainian art and its presentation in the world.

Toloka is an old Ukrainian tradition. The village would organize it to perform urgent work that required a lot of people – harvesting, logging, the construction of buildings, creation of a common grazing pasture for livestock, and more. Sometimes Toloka is used for public works (building churches, schools, reading rooms, roads, etc.). Villagers participated in the toloka, that is, they worked tolokoyu (meaning: cooperatively, together), voluntarily and for free, and without requiring payment for their work. Usually, a toloka ended in festivities – dancing and singing.

We mourn with Ukraine.