Written 16 November 1928 in Welland (copied by Steve Bornemisa, 21 November 1928)[Translation from Hungarian]
See a performance of Valedictory for Károly Kádi by Rusty McCarthy, based on the poem by Istvánné Dimand.
……………………..I
Our souls scream over this coffin,
Oh, how soon your life is ending,
You were so young and full of muscles,
Wearing only 38 years on your shoulders.
……………………..II
Please wake up for a last word Károly Kádi,
And see how much pain falls over your coffin,
Look how the souls of your family crying for you,
Oh, just turn your face-wards them, please do.
……………………..III
Oh, how could this happen, how could you die,
Nobody could hear your very last word, why?
Your faithful wife and your children who are small,
Crying and mourning over your fatal fall.
……………………..IV
My dear ones, this is what I deserved,
This is what the eternal Saint God decided,
Please stop crying, it cannot be otherwise,
This is my final word to say goodbye.
……………………..V
My sweet wife, Marcella Gödri,
Why your sweet heart has to suffer because of me?
I will no longer be a breadwinner for you,
But in the high heavens I will pray for you.
……………………..VI
Oh, what my lips could say to you,
To the ones clung on me like flowers,
Irma and József, the two naughty orphans,
May God stretch his arms to hold your hands.
……………………..VII
My sweet father József Kádi, if you hear,
That your dear son is dead and cold,
God bless you, I have to go,
Pray for me in this earthly life here.
……………………..VIII
My aunt, Lujza Kádi with your dear family,
Erzsebét Kádi also with your dear family,
Be your life the nest of happiness,
Let the abundant grace fall upon you from the skies.
……………………..IX
My dear aunt Ilona Kádi,
And the sweet family of Maria Kádi,
Send the news of my death to my dear father,
May the heavenly God comfort him further.
……………………..X
Terezia Kádi, my beloved aunt,
Plagues shall never reach you in this world,
I ask for blessing to your whole family
In your homes, bear the huge sorrow of me.
……………………..XI
My dear father-in-law, József Gödri,
Please take my farewell kiss,
For the good wife I got from you,
I go to the grave so I give her back to you.
……………………..XII
My sweet brother-in-law, Lajos Gödri,
I say goodbye to you on this mournful day,
With Maria Piszker and her little son,
Live long happily on this world.
……………………..XIII
Zsigmond Gödri, my dear brother-in-law,
May joy pour shine to your life,
Drop a tear for me if I deserve,
I pray for you in the heaven.
……………………..XIV
János Gosztola, my dear good friend,
Goodbye to you, I go now to the grave,
Live long happily with your dear family,
May God’s hand protect your heart and spirit.
……………………..XV
Istvan Bornemisza, my dear buddy,
On my last hour, you were beside me,
But because you were injured, you couldn’t help me,
May God protect you and your family.
……………………..XVI
All my fellow countrymen, all my relatives,
All my neighbours and all my guests,
You have the final word of my farewell.
May the heavenly Father bless you all.
……………………..XVII
My dear Jesus, take my soul with you,
You couldn’t be with me on my last hour,
Give my body peace in the harsh grave,
And give my sinful soul salvation in the heaven.
Published in Spirit of the Big Ditch: The Story of the Welland Canals in Pictures, Poems and Songs. Compiled, edited and annotated by Robert Ratcliffe Taylor. St. Catharines: The Historical Society of St. Catharines, 2024
Carol Tempelton, granddaughter of Károly Kádi, wrote:
This book is a tribute to the workers and it is amazing to see our grandfather’s eulogy translated and included in the book. Plus I listened to the song for Karoly Kadi, and it’s terrific! I found it on You Tube.
It’s interesting to me that we have not been able to track down the Godri family. I remember meeting Zigmond and Louis as a child. I know my mom had a cousin in Midland Ontario. I think his name was Charles Godri.
And Helen Bornemisa recently passed away, she was the daughter of Istvan Bornemisa.
I will keep looking for these cousins and their descendants.
The Historical Society of St. Catharines 