Cinderella and the frog princess,
Kotygoroshko and the ugly duckling
Left third-rateness behind,
In humiliations they waited out their recognition.

A primitive comic yokel,
A laughingstock for the urban “advanced,”
Shocks and takes the breath away
From masks, suddenly thrown off.

Having turned out an intellectual
With a depth of wisdom,
An exemplary ideal
Of beauty and courage.

(To the blogger Dmytro Kravchenko)