Литературная газета
The lyrics were written by the poet and writer Yevgeny Grebyonka (Ukrainian: Yevhen Hrebinka) who was of Ukrainian origin. The first publication of the poem was in Hrebinka's own Russian translation in "Literaturnaya Gazeta" on 17 January 1843. A song using these lyrics is attested already in the 1870s, but its melody is not known.