Tuwim's BLAGANIE

[KEVIN CHRISTIANSON]

Dear Seelangers:
I've just started using OUTLOOK EXPRESS and didn't realize that the Polish text
would look so scrambled for those who don't use that program. Here's another
version that should be more readable, though lacking nonaccented letters.
Thanks for those who have helped me with the first two problems. I'll post only
the remaining lines that are giving me trouble.

Dear Seelangers:

I'm translating BLAGANIE by Julian Tuwim, and I'm having trouble with a few
words and lines which my 4-volume Stanislawski cannot help me with.  I
appreciate any help that you Polish scholars can provide.

I'm sorry -- in case you aren't familiar with this witty poem, the opening line
reads "Ustrzez mnie, obran" and all the subsequent 30 or so lines are
syntactically parallel, starting with "od" + Genitive.

1. I know the meaning of zachety, but why is it capitalized?
        Od Zachjty, krewnych i chorsw z operetek

2. Can't find wiercikuprsw or titin in any of my dictionaries:
         Od wiercikuprsw, titin, dziwek szczebietliwych

3. Tuwim was Jewish, so its hard to see these two lines as anti-Semitic, unless
the speaker in BLAGANIE is a Polish gentile and the poem is a dramatic
monologue spoken by someone other than the poet himself.  How should we
interpret Tuwim's use of the words izraelickich and zydswskich in these two
lines? Could izraelickich be translated as "Jewish" or "Hebrew"? (Knowing the
dateof the poem's composition might be important here, I suspect, as
"izraelickich" might mean something different when used before compared to
after WWII and the founding of Israel as a nation. Isn't "izraeli" still used
today by some Poles to refer to Jews, either in an anti-semitic or
non-antisemitic way?)

        Od izraelickich inteligentsw i socjalsw nobliwych
        Od zydowskich szlagonsw ikorporantsw,

4. Does Roty refer to the Russian Red Army chorus?
        Od starych skautsw, od sluchania "Roty"

5. Who or what is a Zwrotnicy?
        Od "Zwrotnicy" i od sztuki goralskiej

6. Why Pomeranian poets in particular?  Did Tuwim dislike certain poets from
 that region in particular for some reason?  Is it because that area is so
 Germanic?
        Od poetow pomorskich

7. What's "sakpalto"? A slang word for slang?
        Od mowiacych "sakpalto" mlodziencow

8. Can't find prewety in dictionary. (privy? outhouse?)
        Od szczura w prewecie,

9. Is Grydza a housemaid?
        Od Grydza zaperzonego,

10. The dictionary refers to periostitis.  Is Tuwim talking about periodontitis
 or
gum disease here?
        Od zapalenia okostnej,

11. Are these nonsense words?
        Od slow "kwef", "smet", "kruz", i "chram",

12. Do these stage names have any significance?
        Od aktorsw z pseudonimami: Wirski, Gromicz, Malski,

Thank you for your help. Kevin

By the way, does anyone know the date of this poems composition / publication?

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Kevin Christianson, Ph.D                <<KCHRISTIANS at tntech.edu>>
English Department / Box 5053 / Tennessee Tech University / Cookeville, TN 38505
"the pure products of America go crazy" --wc williams
"znow przemeblowanie w piekle / czyni wladza zbrojnych kanibali" Marianna Bocian
[again the government of armed cannibals / rearranges the furniture in hell]