Viačeslav Vladimirovič to Jurij' Dolgorukij, 1151

From Viačeslav Vladimirovič to Jurij Dolgorukij, 1151

9.

азъ єсмь брате тобѣ мъного мълвилъ. и Изѧславоу ѡбѣма вама. не пролиита крови христьіаньскы. ни погоубита Роусьскы землѣ того ва єсмь боронѧ и не правилъ себе ѡже мѧ переѡбидила и пьрвоє и дроугоє. и бещьстьє на мене єста положила. а пълкы имѣѭ а силѫ имѣѭ. и богъ ми далъ. но ıазъ Роуськыѧ дѣлıа землѣ. и христıанъ дѣлıа. того вьсего не помѧнѫлъ. нъ и єще то вамъ єсмь. ıавилъ. ѡже Изѧславъ ѣда битъ сѧ. съ Игорьмъ тако. мълвить. ıазъ Кыєва не собѣ ищѫ. нъ ѡно ѡтьць мои Вѧчьславъ. братъ старѣи. а тому єго ищѫ. а то ти мълвить битъ сѧ ѣда а и богъ ємоу помоглъ. а ѡнъ же Кыєвъ собѣ. и єще над тѣмь. и Тоуровъ и Пиньскъ оу мене ѿѧлъ. то ти Изѧславъ мѧ тѣмь приѡбидилъ. а ты пакы брате поѣда Переѧславлю съ Изѧславъмь. битъ сѧ. тако же мълвиши. азъ Кыєва не собѣ ищѫ. ѡно оу мене братъ старѣи Вѧчьславъ. ıако и ѡтьць мънѣ а тому єго ищѫ. а богъ ти помоглъ. а ты же Кыєвъ собѣ. и єще надъ тѣмь Пересопьницѭ и Дорогобоужь єси оу мене ѿѧлъ а ты мѧ тако переѡбидилъ а мънѣ єси Вышегородъ ѡдинъ далъ. ıа же того вьсего не правилъ. Роусьскыѧ дѣлıа землѣ. и христьіанъ дѣлıа и єще ваю єсмь оустѧгывалъ. а вы мене не слоушаєта тоти ни мънѣ єста не оуправила єже рекъша нъ богови то ми єси мълвилъ. противоу моложьшемоу не могѫ сѧ поклонити се же Изѧславъ аче и двоича стѫпилъ слова своего се же нынѣ добывъ Кыєва. и поклонилъ ми сѧ. и чьсть на мънѣ положилъ и Кыєвѣ мѧ посадилъ и ѡтьцьмь мѧ назъвалъ. а ıа єго сынъмь. дажь єси реклъ моложьшемоу сѧ не поклонѭ. да се ıазъ тебе старѣи. єсмь. не малъмьъ нъ мъногъмь. азъ оуже. бородатъ а ты сѧ єси родилъ. пакы ли хочеши на моє старишиньство поѣхати ıако то єси поѣхалъ. да богъ за вьсимь (429—430).

Translation
Brother, I have been telling a lot to you and Iziaslav, to both of you, "Do not spill the blood of Christians, do not destroy the Russian land." When forbidding this to you, I did not pay attention that you both offended greatly, the first time and the second time, and dishonoured me. I have troops and I have power because God has given me. But for the sake of the Russian land and for the sake of Christians, I did not mention all this, and even more, I let you know what Iziaslav said when leaving for a fight with Igor, "I am seeking Kiev for myself, but there is my father Viacheslav, my elder brother, and I am seeking it for him." And as he said this when leaving for a fight, God helpt him. And he got Kiev for himself, but moreover he took Turov and Pinsk from me. So Iziaslav offended me greatly with that. And you also say, "Brother, go to Pereyaslavl to fight with Iziaslav." And then you say, "I am not seeking Kiev for myself. There is my elder brother Viacheslav, he is as a father to me, and I am seeking it for him." And God helpt you. And you got Kiev for yourself, but moreover you took Peresopnitsa and Dorogobuzh from me. And you offended me so much, and gave me only Vyshgorod. And I did not pay attention to that for the sake of the Russian land and the Christians, and in addition, I held you back. And you do not listen to me, though it is not me that you did not please but you did not please God, as it is said. And you told me this: "I cannot bow to the younger." But Iziaslav, although he broke his promises twice, now, having obtained Kiev, he bowed to me, and I was honoured and he seated me on the throne in Kiev, and he called me “father” and I called him “son”. And as you said, "I shall not bow to the younger”, yet I am much older than you. I had a beard when you were born. If you want to seek my seniority as you have come, then let God's will be in all things.