odchudzicsie
"I will walk away as a witness ..."
After Archbishop Karol Wojtyla of Krakow visited the Holy Land in 1965, he
addressed a poem to Jesus, including these words :
"I will walk away as a witness who testifies across the millennia.”
I will walk away as a witness who testifies across
After Archbishop Karol Wojtyla of Krakow visited the Holy Land in 1965, he
addressed a poem to Jesus, including these words :
"I will walk away as a witness who testifies across the millennia.”
Condolences to the People of Krakow and Poland from a friend in Scotland.
I have to say I have found the last few hours deeply moving. The Pope
represents a religion which is not my own, and which I sometimes question,
however as a man and a statesman I found him an immensely powerful and
extraordinary human being.
I had the privilege in Summer of 2002 of arriving in Krakow for my wedding, and
on arriving in the city found that the Pope had arrived a few hours after us
for a short visit to the city. Initially I was merely curious, and went with
my wife’s family, (and almost the whole population of Krakow) to line the route
from the airport into the city. The Pope passed in his cavalcade and I felt
happy to have seen the pope, but nothing special at that time.
That all changed over the next few days as I followed the Polish TV coverage
and saw a frail but charming, charismatic and sincere old man who had returned
`home` to bid his farewells to his friends, country and his own memories of the
city and country he loved.
I found myself totally transfixed to the TV as he sang along and joked with the
crowds each night from the balcony of the Bishop’s Palace, exchanging one
liners about retiring to Krakow, and leaving Rome behind.
He flew in a helicopter over the Tatra mountains, in Southern Poland where he
used to walk as a young man, and asked the pilot to fly low to wave to some
climbers they past on a mountain top.
He visited a remote monastery and at the end of the visit as the convoy was
driving off the Pope saw an old priest. He stopped the cars and the priest
jumped up on the running board of the popemobile as the pope opened the window
and the two warmly shook hands, they exchanged stories of when they used to
write poetry when they studied together.
I went to a meadow in the city of Krakow at Blonia where over 2 1/2 million
people !!! gathered together to celebrate a mass. The religious aspect I did
not understand and was alien to me but again the man’s strength and charisma
shone through on a blistering hot summers day.
Much has already been said and will be repeated about his political importance
in the fall of communism in Poland and across Eastern/Central Europe, I see him
in the same light as Mandela, and although I hadn’t made the connection I heard
one commentator tonight compare him to Gandhi, which I suppose is appropriate.
I have rambled on a bit, and if it all seems a wee bit sentimental I apologise,
but as I watch the coverage tonight many of the emotions and impressions from
that long weekend in Krakow come flooding back.
I even found myself lighting a candle for the pope tonight, I have never done
that before, but somehow felt I wanted to do what I could.
I have a photograph taken of a window display in a famous old Polish
photographers shop window which shows a photograph hanging in the window of my
wife who had modelled for the photographer, alongside an old photograph of a
young and handsome Karol Wojtyla taken many years ago, with Joanna standing
outside the shop looking in at the two images…another personal moment I can
cherish.
It is sad that the Catholic church and the world has lost one of the most
amazing souls, I am happy to have discovered, briefly the pope and the man
Karol Wojtyla. Tonight a light has gone out.
I am reminded of a quotation by Edmund Burke, which I repeat often as one of my
own personal mottos – “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil, is that
good men do nothing” John Paul was a great man who dedicated and devoted his
life to triumph over evil in all its guises, whether it be social, political,
poverty.
Tonight I don’t want to think of religion and politics or the Popes role as
head of the catholic church, my thoughts are with the man, who passed away with
a strength, courage, serenity and dignity which I find moving and very humbling.
I wish him peace.
David McGirr
Stirling
Scotland
Polish plays 101
Let me come to the rescue usenetposts and provide you with an introductory
course on Polish theater. First off however, let me tell you that Polish
literature is one of the richest in the world although I’ll understand
accusations of bias given that I am Polish. You may wish to know that our
culture was for many centuries our only means of survival as a nation therefore
many classical works (e.g., the aforementioned Trilogy) were created while
Poland did not exist as a country. But let me stick to plays only, especially
since so many of you had wrongfully listed poems, novels, and historical epics
on the so called list.
Let’s start with the Great Polish Trio who are:
Adam Mickiewicz
Zygmunt Krasinski and
Juliusz Slowacki
Their works include:
Adam Mickiewicz:”Dziady” („Forefathers’ Eve” , „Ksiegi Narodu Polskiego”.
By the way, „Pan Tadeusz”, whose excerpts are required to be learned by heart
in our schools, is one hell of a long poem but NOT a play.
Juliusz Slowacki:”Lilla Weneda”,”Mazepa, „Fantazy”, ”Sen srebrny
Salomei”, ”Maria Stuart” (or the beloved Scottish Mary
Stuart), ”Kordian”, ”Horsztynski” and of course „Balladyna”. Slowacki wrote 14
plays in all. I’m simply listing the most popular productions.
Zygmunt Krasinski: „Nie-Boska Komedia” and „Irydion” – he wrote mostly poems as
well, but these two are his unforgettable plays.
Cyprian Kamil Norwid, as the ones above, is part of the period of Romanticism.
His works include „Pierscien wielkiej damy”, ”Noc tysieczna
druga”, ”Kleopatra i Cezar”, ”Krakus”, „Za kulisami”. Unfortunately his genius
was only recognized after his premature death.
Now let’s move on to the remaining great Polish authors.
Aleksander Fredro – the master of Polish comedy and also known as the Polish
Molière, wrote „Sluby panienskie”, „Pan Jowialski”, ”Damy i huzary”, „Maz i
zona”. ”Zemsta” (or “Vengeance) is already on your list and a great play (you
may want to rent Polanski’s recent version – great actors and English subtitles
available).
Stanislaw Wyspianski , Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy), Witold
Gombrowicz – chief exponents of the Polish avant-garde (late 19th and early
20th century).
Wyspianski: his ideological trilogy: „Wesele” („The Wedding” , “Wyzwolenie” (
or Liberation) and „Akropolis”. He also wrote Hamlet (a paraphrase of the
Shakespearean drama). Also well known are his „Warszawianka” and „Noc
listopadowa” (November night).
Witkacy: „Matka” (Mother), „Szewcy”, „Wariat i zakonnica”, ”W malym
dworku”, ”Jan Karol Maciej Wscieklica”.
Witold Gombrowicz: „Slub”- play partly written in poem-form.
Gabriela Zapolska - the satirical comedies of manners „Moralnosc Pani
Dulskiej” the most famous),”Zabusia”,”Ich czworo”,”Panna Maliczewska”.
Modern play writers include:
Slawomir Mrozek whose plays are now considered as comedy classics. The
important plays he created are “The Police”, ”The Turkey”, ”Karol” and “The
Game”. His most famous is “Tango” (also already on your list) and “The
Emmigrants”, Mrozek’s second most often produced play after “Tango”.
Janusz Glowacki: “Kopciuch”, “Polowanie na karaluchy”,”Antygona w Nowym Jorku”.
The two former being produced on Broadway in New York.
Tadeusz Rozewicz; „Pulapka”, ”Kartoteka” - translated into 20 languages.
Edward Redlinski: ”Awans”
Jerzy Szaniawski: ”Dwa Teatry”.
Leon Kruczkowski: „Niemcy”
Tadeusz Kantor: of utmost importance to the Polish theatre. The creator of
the “theatre of death” movement or rather school. He’s considered to be one of
the most significant artists and thinkers of the second half of the 20th
century on the international scene.
He created ”Umarla klasa”, „Wielopole,Wielopole”, „Niech szczezna artysci”.
Adolf Nowaczynski: „Wielki Fryderyk”
Bruno Jasienski :”Bal manekinow” „The mannequins’ ball”
Karol Wojtyla ”Przed sklepem jubilera” – let’s not forget our Pope whose plays
are praised for their philosophical aspects and deep social commentaries.
Miron Bialoszewski: „Pani Koch”, „Szury”
I believe to have listed 21 writers and many of their works. If you are truly
interested in Polish literature, I don’t think you will find it difficult to
dive into reading. Should the language prove an obstacle, you’ll be happy to
know that most of the above-mentioned plays were translated into many
languages, and most certainly English.
If you’re a true aficionado, you may be interested to know that every Thursday
you can see a Polish play on the TV Polonia channel, a habit I’ve developed
over the years. I live in Montreal yet find it rather easy to stay in touch
with the rich Polish culture.
All the best learning Polish, which by the way, has been documented as one of
the richest albeit difficult languages in the world. Hope you find a good
teacher……
P.S. Jossif Brodsky, a poet and Nobel laureate, expressed his awe for Polish
poetry when he said that it is the richest, strongest and most beautiful he has
ever come across….. but I digress. Let’s leave poetry for another time.