Poems

Considered a "Christian Socrates" by one critic and a "hieroglyph stylist" by another, Cyprian Norwid was more unanimously recognized, however, as one of the most vital figures in Polish letters whose verse is as idiosyncratic as it is profound. Traveling against the currents of the philosophy of his day, Norwid was a historicist with deep insight into the codes and ripples in the society around him. This engaging bilingual collection, selected and translated from the Polish by Danuta Borchardt, includes many of Norwid's revered poems, including Vademecum. True to its Latin summons, "go with me," the epic poem invites the reader to accompany Norwid on a journey though many lands and timeless question, seeking truth. We witness Norwid decrying the tight-fisted city folk of London, befriending Frédéric Chopin – whom he meets during his travels, and lamenting the death of a friend. Lyrical, moving and often biting, this collection gives an evocative glimpse into the world of an extraordinary poet.One of the greatest world poets of the nineteenth century. —Roman Jakobson

He carried his soul around with him as if it were some kind of numismatic rarity, unknown to anyone, unwanted, useless . . . He resembled a stone salvaged from some marvelous edifice, which somewhere, sometime had burnt down completely. —Jósef Tokarzewicz

Hen ventures to describe what is indescribable, and . . . he succeeds —Joanna Janecka Of the things of this world only two will remain, Two only: poetry and goodness . . . and nothing else... —Cyprian Norwid

Poignant . . . flows onto the page with a melodic rush, conveyed in Borchardt’s nuanced rhymes and assonances . . . Off the page leaps surprise after surprise. —The Arts Fuse

One of Europe's greatest poets and thinkers. We are all deeply indebted to him. . . . Norwid left an opus from which shines the light that lets us more deeply penetrate the truth of our being as human persons . . . He insistently reminds us that without heroism humanity ceases to be itself. Cyprian Norwid was the man of hope. —Pope John Paul IICyprian Norwid (1821-1883), poet, playwright, novelist, thinker, and visual artist, was virtually unknown during his lifetime. His poetry, filled with aphorisms and multi-layered metaphor, is largely free of the melodic tone typical of Romantic poetry. When the occupying powers censored all writing in the Polish language, Norwid went into exile, moving through Europe and America. He died in a hostel in Ivry.

Following a career in psychiatry, Danuta Borchardt began translating the novels of Witold Gombrowicz. Her Ferdydurke received the National Translation Award in 2001, her Cosmos was awarded a NEA fellowship, and her Pornografia won the prestigious Found-in-Translation Award in 2010. Borchardt's short fiction has regularly appeared in Exquisite Corpse.I

VADE-MECUM

Their hands swollen from clapping,
Bored by chants, people called for action;
Shapely bay trees heaved sighs,
While their limbs sensed bolts of lightning.

My Country was laureled and dark
With no place allotted, nor hour
For unexpected births,
When the Finger-of-God loomed above me;
Without giving account of worlds it creates,
It ordered me to live in life’s desert!

That is why from you...o! laurels, I took
No single leaf, nor its tiniest tooth,
Except a cool shade perhaps, above my brow
(Not due to you, but – to sun’s passing . . .).
I took nothing from you, o! you giants,
Except for roads overrun with wormwood, lichen, and cowbane,
Except for earth scorched with curses and tedium
I went all alone and wander on alone.