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As you know, MBS is a trip in place and in time and because of the relevance of the Jewish population in Poland during the XIX and XX centuries, Poland is a usual destination. I am thinking that the current time is a moment in which the Jewish heritage is becoming more visible and strong and it is great news.

Let’s travel to Łódź, the birth land of Julian Tuwim. According to the Holocaust Encyclopedia, “The Jews of Lodz formed the second largest Jewish community in prewar Poland, after Warsaw. […] In early February 1940, the Germans established a ghetto in the northeastern section of Lodz. About 160,000 Jews, more than a third of the city’s population, were forced into a small area.”

The website of the Fundacja Monumentum Iudaicum Lodzense is very useful and includes a brief History of the Jews in the city. I will just copy some parts, visit this website to read more:

“Till 1782, the only Jews in Lodz were the local tavern keepers. The historical-political changes which took place on the turn of the 18th and 20th century allowed the development from the small, agricultural town into a strong industrial center and with it an influx of the Jewish population. […]In the 60s of the 19 century Jewish population counted about 30 000 people. More than 1/3 of manufactures were in the hands of Jewish industrialists. In these years big manufactures fortune were established.

In the 80s of the 19 century, following the pogroms in the Moscow District, a big wave of Russian Jews fled to Lodz. At the end of the century, the number of Jewish residents of the city came near to 100 000. […] On the eve of IIWW the Jewish population in Lodz numbered 233.000 people, which was near of 35% of all residents of Lodz.”

According to this article from The First News (magazine of Polish news in English), “The Nazis established the second largest ghetto in occupied Europe in Łódź, and at one time it held more than 200,000 Jews. During the occupation the Nazis also burned down 39 synagogues in the city.”

The Synagogue of Reicherów is the only one that hosts services nowadays. This picture is from the website of Sztetl, by the POLIN Museum:

Music Before Shabbat – What is the meaning of Julian Tuwim for you, in your life?

Janusz Prusinowski – Tuwim’s poetry I heard firts in my childhood – as every Pole – as he wrote great poems for children, such as “Lokomotywa” (the Stream Locomotive)  and many others. Then in schools I got to know other parts of his very creative poetic life, such as poetry collection “Kwiaty Polskie” (Polish Flowers) and many, many others.

As they are appreciated part of polish literature we (the students) had to know some of them by heart. I remember I liked them.

Then I got Tuwim’s “Collected Poems” as a wedding present from my friend. Since that time I have read this book a few times, coming back to it when I need to answer some questions or need to “talk together” with “a distant friend” – somebody sensitive, emotional and considering human nature. Among Tuwim’s poems I find my own feelings from my youth and from my recent adventures. Tuwim became some part of my life.

MBS – Why did you make the music for this piece, Skarga? Was it easy, did the poem ask you for that music, or was it difficult? 

JP – This is my old dream: to sing beautiful poems, that I identify with to traditional melodies, that I identify with too. Playing emotional, unique melodies of village mazurkas I often ask myself: what words, what poem could express similar feelings. Mazurek, oberek use to sung as improvised, short couplets, sometimes profound, sometimes with a joke, sometimes reflective, sometimes ribald – as life is. When I read Tuwim’s poem I understood it was a ready song, with natural mazurek phrase and rhythm. It suited to many traditional melodies, I tried some of them. Finally I choose the one, from famous, blind village accordionist Stanislaw Stępniak. Its first part is going high, as singing “to heaven”, as shouting to be heard by God, then second part lowest a bit the emotional level, comes back to earth, accepting the shape of our life, our bodies, our – and other people’s – limitations. The melody I used to sing without words, searching for the right ones, then the Tuwim’s ones fit finally perfectly, gave another dimension and opened new musical space. 

MBS – The music, does it follow any style or shape from the traditional music from Poland?

JP – The music is both traditional and contemporary. The melody is played and sung in Radom region with many local versions and variants. My versions I learned from Stanislaw Stępniak, the most famous accordionist / harmonia player (blind) of that region. Drumming philosophy is also rooted in traditional playing of Jan Wochniak, the drummer of Stępniak’s band. In 60s and 70s (XX century) wind instruments became popular in the village too, many bands played with trumpet, clarinet or saxophone and such a sonorous sound got really popular those years. Playing – with my Kompania – with trumpet and other wind instruments we – on one hand – built the connection to those traditional music evolution 50 years ago, on the other open to contemporary sensitivity and improvisational talents of my band’s members. All of them – Michał, Piotr, Szczepan – and especially me love improvising, creating dialogues among the group, playing “here and now” and expressing ourselves.

MBS – Anything you would want to add? 

JP – When I sing and play Skarga I have quite a special feeling of happiness and “mission”. I love the song.

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On the left you have the original poem, complete. The part with another colour is not sung in the recording by Prusinowski but I include it to put the complete poem. On the right, the translation as in the booklet of the album Po Kolana W Niebie, translated by Agnieszka Wilga, except the part in another color, that is translated by me (with the support of an automatic translator):

Chrystus (Julian Tuwim) Nie skarżę się, mój Ojcze, nie skarżę się, mój Panie, Iżeś dał sercu memu to smutne miłowanie. Nie skarżę się, mój Ojcze, że tak samotnie chodzę, Żem się już wielce znużył na tej ciernistej drodze. Obchodzę chaty z wieścią: “zbliża się, z łaski nieba”. A ludzie mówią: “Z Bogiem…” I dają kromkę chleba. Czyli są słowa moje tak bardzo niepojęte? Nie widzą, że się zbliża Królestwo Twoje święte. Nie widzą, że niebiosa rozwarły się narodom, Nie wierzą, choć im prawdę z radością i z pogodą… Lecz się nie skarżę, Panie, że tak strapiony chodzę, Że nie ma, nie ma kresu ciernistej mojej drodze. Ptaszkowie mają gniazdka i liszki mają schowy, I tylko Syn Człowieczy nie ma gdzie skłonić głowy. Lecz to nie skarga, Panie… Spraw jen w bliskim cudzie, Iżby mnie zrozumieli ci dobrzy, cisi ludzie.

Christ I do not complain; Father; I do not complain, My Lord. That you’ve given my heart this devastating love. I do not complain. Father, that I must walk alone. That I feel so weary upon this thorny road. I pass the huts with the news: “It’s coming, by heaven’s grace” And people say: “Farewell…” And give me a piece of bread. How can they find my words so hard to understand? They really cannot see Your Holy Kingdom’s near. They do not see that the heavens have opened up to the nations, They do not believe, although I tell the truth to them with joy and serenity … But I do not complain, Lord, that I walk so distressed, That there is no end to my thorny path. The birds have little nests, there’s shelter for every bug. But only Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head. But that is no complaint, O Lord, just use your Mighty Will. To help those quiet people to understand what I bring.