Jan Twardowski
Untitled
*
Dogmatists are making noises in Latin
moralists are droning over the little trough of human conscience
apologists are creaking – crucified on the cross of faith
preachers are repairing a loudspeaker so as to be heard better
philosophers are grumbling about St Thomas, already filed
with the old yearbooks of saints in the archive of Paradise
martyrs are counting up blows to their faces
the pumpkin of sin has at last fallen on the heads of sticklers
organists are licking sounds –
believers have split into warring camps
And only in the plain open land
in the breath of a herb –
on your knees admiring the sky-drifts
can you still find Silence
Jan Twardowski is a priest who lives in Warsaw. Though hardly known abroad, his work is very popular in Poland, where he is probably the best known of Polish poets.
Sarah Lawson is a writer and translator (from French, Spanish and Dutch) who was born in Indianapolis and educated at Indiana University and at Glasgow University, where she took a PhD in English in 1971. She now lives in London.
Malgorzata Koraszewska holds a degree in sociology from the University of Warsaw and a diploma from the University of Lund. She lived for many years in Sweden and England, but has now returned to Poland. She translates, chiefly non-fictional works, from English into Polish.
These two translators have collaborated on the translation of many of Twardowski’s poems; some of their versions appeared in MPT 11 and MPT 13
Sarah Lawson is a writer and translator (from French, Spanish and Dutch) who was born in Indianapolis and educated at Indiana University and at Glasgow University, where she took a PhD in English in 1971. She now lives in London.
Malgorzata Koraszewska holds a degree in sociology from the University of Warsaw and a diploma from the University of Lund. She lived for many years in Sweden and England, but has now returned to Poland. She translates, chiefly non-fictional works, from English into Polish.
These two translators have collaborated on the translation of many of Twardowski’s poems; some of their versions appeared in MPT 11 and MPT 13
Translated by Sarah Lawson, Malgorzata Koraszewska
Page(s) 180
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