Josyfa Kühn 2x

In the eighteenth century in/near Lviv there lived a a nun and poet named Josyfa Kühn. The following century in Brody, Galicia, there lived a woman named Josyfa Kühn, the daughter of a German merchant (picture of her can be found in this article). The latter was my great-great grandmother. While the only connection between these two women is their name, I nevertheless feel a connection to the nun, who is famous for a series of poems she wrote about the outskirts of Lviv (written in German). Furthermore, she is known in Ukrainian pop culture due to the poem about her written by contemporary Ukrainian writer Yuriy Andrukhovych and the song using this text by the rock group Mertvyi Piven.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find an online version of the song, but here's the poem:

Йосифа Кун. Дух

Дозволь мені кружляти над тобою.

Я знав Йосифу Кун, я знав ще кількох жінок.

Песій Ринок вітав мене песім гавкотом,

А черниці з вулиці Сакраменток

Ховалися в нішах.

Ані разу не вигнав мене Макольондра,

Я завше мав гроші і розум.

Покажи своє місто. Я хочу

Йти за отими дівчатами

В сукнях червоних.

Я хочу дзвонити

З оцих телефонних кабін.

Я хочу набрати номер Йосифи Кун

І почути, як вона скаже:

"Дозволь мені кружляти над тобою". (2)