A Ballad for the White Coat

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A BALLAD FOR THE WHITE COAT ----->>>>>

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Liubomir Vodenitcharov (1925-1992) occupies a special place in Bulgarian literature. Torn between the hard work and dedication of a medical doctor, the sensitive soul of a poet and the penetrating gaze of a satirist, he devoted all his energy, talent and skill to both his patients and literature. An avid traveler, his journeys took him across the seas and numerous countries. As a doctor, he was always at the service of those who needed his help: above all the humblest people, but also all others, including the family of Emperor Haile Selassie during his stay in Ethiopia. In the literary field, he dreamed of breaking down borders, and establishing direct contact with foreign writers he met along the way. I remember him trembling with excitement while awaiting the publication of his translation of the short stories of three Argentinean writers he had met on one of his trips.

His works were published in various collections, including Between the Heart and the Words, 1979, and The Sea, 1981, as well as in numerous national newspapers. The first prize that he won at the National Humor and Satire Competition in 1965 also brought him great joy and a certain degree of recognition, but never led him to compromise his ethical principles. When reading his manuscripts, it is clear that he made no attempt to please the official institutions of the totalitarian state in which he lived, or the publishing houses, which at that time were too preoccupied with the prevailing ideological climate. He was fond of his pen name, Cactus, which tacitly assigned him a solitary place in a rare and difficult literary genre. Some of his manuscripts were published posthumously in the poetry collections The White coat, 1999, and Riddles, 2008, as well as in the short story collection The Hymn, 2015.

No amount of eager anticipation or the joy of a new publication, or even the rejection of a manuscript could dissuade him from the path he had chosen as a writer. His career, the situations, and characters in his works are all deeply rooted in the 20th century, but the humanistic and universal ideas he passionately defended, as well as the flaws of mankind and society he denounced as a satirist, have earned him a place in the present and the future.

His poem A Ballad for the White Coat, written in 1964 and dedicated to healthcare workers, is a poignant masterpiece with particularly strong and far-sighted resonances that are highly relevant to the present day. There are countless poems in classical literature dedicated to the sea, spring, flowers or the starry sky. Yet how many writings are dedicated to these anonymous guards who watch over us and care for us day and night?

While the world was in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis during the summer of 2020, and people were applauding healthcare workers from their windows, the great French writer René de Ceccatty wrote:

“This beautiful poem [A Ballad for the White Coat] could be recited every evening to accompany the applause for the medical profession. It is so fitting in such a terrible situation. It is a message of hope!”

The editor

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A white coat with no distinguishing marks,
No decorations, no medals,
Devoted to fighting Death
Until his own death,
Giving his life, his flesh, and his spirit.

Next to his modest and unassuming attire,
All knightly armor pales,
And all the latest fashions are drab, tasteless, and insignificant.
A white coat perfectly suits a role fully embodied,
From the visionary professor to the nursing assistant –
All fighters on the frontline, dedicated to life.

Day and night,
Always kind-hearted and devoted,
A White Coat!

Liubomir Vodenitcharov
Burgas, 27.08.1964

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If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday.
Pearl S. Buck  

Behold a legacy of poems and short stories from yesteryear – and from the world of the white coat, which still has much to teach us. Donning the white coat deeply inspired the author, and the content of this book offers snapshots of his professional journey and literary creativity. These lifelong treasures reflect his unwavering commitment, compassion, and hope for the optimal well-being of all those he served, with a heart full of humility.
Janie Blough
English translation and editing

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