Czesław Miłosz (1911–2004)
Który skrzywdziłeś
Który skrzywdziłeś człowieka prostego
śmiechem nad krzywdą jego wybuchając,
Gromadę błaznów koło siebie mając
Na pomieszanie dobrego i złego,
Choćby przed tobą wszyscy się skłonili
Cnotę i mądrość tobie przypisując,
Złote medale na twoją cześć kując,
Radzi, że jeszcze jeden dzień przeżyli,
Nie bądź bezpieczny. Poeta pamięta
Możesz go zabić – narodzi się nowy.
Spisane będą czyny i rozmowy. […]
You who wronged
You who wronged a simple man
Bursting into laughter at the crime,
And kept a pack of fools around you
To mix good and evil, to blur the line,
Though everyone bowed down before you,
Saying virtue and wisdom lit your way,
Striking gold medals in your honor,
Glad to have survived another day,
Do not feel safe. The poet remembers.
You can kill one, but another is born.
The words are written down, the deed, the date. […]
[Translated by Richard Lourie]
ALE KSIĄŻKI / AND YET THE BOOKS 
Powerful words fill each line, Wanda. „Do not feel safe. The poet remembers.” I admit this part touched me the most. Any further insight about this poet?
I have a honor to present you, Uzoma, my favorite part of „Ars Poetica?” by Czeslaw Milosz:
[…] The purpose of poetry is to remind us
how difficult it is to remain just one person,
for our house is open, there are no keys in the doors,
and invisible guests come in and out at will […]
I am so glad that you introduced me to Czeslaw Milosz. I have been doing a little research and this is one of his quotes that resonated with me!
„The voice of passion is better than the voice of reason. The passionless cannot change history.” Czeslaw Milosz
I agree with my favorite poet and countryman completely (he and my mother had the same „Native Realm”). So I agree with you, Rebecca. Now I am going to read your short lecture in philisophy 🙂
He has a poet’s eyes – so expressive. Love the poem, too! 🙂
Marsha, you are right: he was so expressive in each part of his life and creativity.
And you love him! 🙂
Yes, I do. And admire and still read and try to understand his sometimes strange life choices…
ooooh that sounds like another great post! 🙂 People’s life strange choices are interesting! 🙂
A new book about Milosz consists of 1000 pages… This book describes, inter alia, the most controversial theme in the history of his life: a short collaboration with the communist authorities. He was in the diplomatic service of the Poland at the Polish consulate in Paris and Washington. Sometime later he requested and received political asylum in France.