Triggered by somebody's post on 4chan /pol/:
http://boards.4chan.org/pol/thread/230196352#230197959
Today's history lesson.
Did Ukraine teach President Trump how to deal with Turkey?
The MSM frequently complains about the "rudeness" of President Trump, especially in his recent letter to Erdogan. Ha! That's nothing compared to what the Ukrainian Cossacks did to the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire back in the day - talk about hate mail!
To make a long story short, the Cossacks and Turks periodically fought each other for supremacy. In 1676, the Sultan sent the Cossacks a letter demanding submission to his rule. The Cossacks replied and were immortalized in a painting (see related pic). From Wikipedia ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reply_of_the_Zaporozhian_Cossacks#/media/File:Ilja_Jefimowitsch_Repin_-_Reply_of_the_Zaporozhian_Cossacks_-_Yorck.jpg
):
The Sultan's letter:
Sultan Mehmed IV to the Zaporozhian Cossacks
As the Sultan; son of Muhammad; brother of the sun and moon; grandson and viceroy of God; ruler of the kingdoms of Macedonia, Babylon, Jerusalem, Upper and Lower Egypt; emperor of emperors; sovereign of sovereigns; extraordinary knight, never defeated; steadfast guardian of the tomb of Jesus Christ; trustee chosen by God Himself; the hope and comfort of Muslims; confounder and great defender of Christians — I command you, the Zaporogian Cossacks, to submit to me voluntarily and without any resistance, and to desist from troubling me with your attacks.
–Turkish Sultan Mehmed IV
The Zaporozhian Cossacks' reply:
Zaporozhian Cossacks to the Turkish Sultan
O sultan, Turkish devil and damned devil’s kith and kin, secretary to Lucifer himself, Greetings! What the devil kind of knight are you, that can’t slay a hedgehog with your naked arse? The devil excretes, and your army eats. You will not, you son of a bitch, make subjects of Christian sons; we’ve no fear of your army, by land and by sea we will battle with thee, fuck your mother.
You Babylonian scullion, Macedonian wheelwright, brewer of Jerusalem, goat-fucker of Alexandria, swineherd of Greater and Lesser Egypt, pig of Armenia, Podolian thief, catamite of Tartary, hangman of Kamyanets, and fool of all the world and underworld, an idiot before God, grandson of the Serpent, and the crick in our dick. Pig’s snout, mare’s arse, slaughterhouse cur, unchristened brow, screw your own mother!
So the Zaporozhians declare, you lowlife. You won’t even be herding pigs for the Christians. Now we’ll conclude, for we don’t know the date and don’t own a calendar; the moon’s in the sky, the year with the Lord, the day’s the same over here as it is over there; for this kiss our arse!
Koshovyi Otaman Ivan Sirko, with the whole Zaporozhian Host.
Supposedly, the Zaporozhian Cossacks' insults rhyme in their native language and "the original is quite close to the translation," according to a commenter at
https://thevelvetrocket.com/2015/04/07/painting-of-the-day-reply-of-the-zaporozhian-cossacks-to-sultan-mehmed-iv-of-the-ottoman-empire/
Also from the above Wikipedia citation: "Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks to Sultan Mehmed IV of the Ottoman Empire, also known as Cossacks of Saporog Are Drafting a Manifesto ..., is a painting by Russian[1] artist Ilya Repin. The 2.03 m (6 foot 7 inch) by 3.58 m (11 foot 9 inch) canvas was started in 1880 and finished in 1891. Repin recorded the years of work along the lower edge of the canvas. Alexander III bought the painting for 35,000 rubles, at the time the greatest sum ever paid for a Russian painting. Since then, the canvas has been exhibited in the State Russian Museum in Saint Petersburg."