To preserve the rhymes and the rhythm I had to change some verses, e.g. the chorus. The literal meaning of the original is shown in the literal translation (the “little fish” as it’s called in Polish). Also, I had to change the magazine titles because Polish titles are completely unknown to English reader. Of course, where there’s a reference to a communist gazette (“Gazeta Ludowa”), which builds a comic effect, I left it as it was.
“Gazeta Ludowa” was in fact an organ of the Polish Peasant’s Party in years 1947-1949. Next the “Generation” (“Pokolenie”) was a biweekly magazine published by Polish Youth Association (Związek Młodzieży Polskiej) and “Kamena” was a literary monthly issued in Lublin from 1933 to 1993.
The reference to “Przekrój” has its meaning: it was this magazine where Gałczyński published his poems after the Second World War, among others there were famous Gałczyński's “Green geese”. “Liryka, liryka, tkliwa dynamika” dates back to that exact time, namely 1946 year.
Arthur mentioned in the text was Artur Maria Swinarski, a poet and satirist.
It's worth mentioning that the lyrics sung by Turnau differ a little from the original poem. The differences are marked by writing the Turnau’s lyrics in superscript. Apart from that, Turnau skips some strophes, namely the 3rd, 5th, and 6th strophe.
There are two puns in the text which are difficult to render in translation. It’d be better to explain them. “A ja jak bóbr” (the 2nd strophe) refers to a Polish idiom “płakać jak bóbr”, literally ‘to cry like a beaver’ which is the equivalent for English “to cry one’s eyes out”. Next “Cud jak z nut” (the 4th strophe) contains part of the idiom “kłamać/łżeć jak z nut”, literally ‘to lie from music/a score’, which means ‘to lie through one’s teeth’.
Liryka, liryka, tkliwa dynamika | Lyric poetry, lyric poetry, tender dynamics | Poetry, poetry, tender geometry |
Sam nie rozumiem, skąd to mi się bierze, | I don’t how myself, how I happens to be | Have no idea, how it happens to me |
że jestem mitologiczne zwierzę, | A mythological beast | that I’m a mythological beast |
ni to świnio-byk ni to koto-pies, | A cross between a pig and a bull, a cross between a cat and a dog | half a piggy-bull, half a kitty-dog |
i w ogóle z innych stron: | Totally from different parts | and from total different parts |
Liryka, liryka | Lyric poetry, lyric poetry | Poetry, poetry |
tkliwa dynamika, | tender dynamics | tender geometry |
angelologia | angelology | angelology |
i dal. | and distance | and far |
Idę, powiedzmy, wieczorem z Arturem | Say, when I’m going in the evening with Arthur | Going, let’s say, in the evening with Arthur |
i nagle: księżyc wschodzi zanad murem, | And then the moon rises behindabove a wall | suddenly, the moon rises at harbour |
Artur ostrzega, bo dobry kolega: | Arthur warns me, ‘cause he’s my good friend | Arthur warns me then, since a good friend |
– Nie patrz. – A ja jak bóbr: | ‘Don’t look.’ And me like a baby | ‘Don’t look.’ And me like child |
Liryka, liryka… | ||
W takim „Przekroju” po prostu się boją | In such “Przekrój” they are just afraid | In such “New Yorker” they are just afraid |
bo jak na przykład wejdę do pokoju | ‘Cause when I enter a room, for example | ‘Cause when I enter a space |
i się zamyślę, powiedzmy, o Wiśle, | And fall into thought, say, on Vistula | and fall into thought, let say, on the Wisłok |
to zaraz łzy jak groch: | Right Away bust in tears | right away burst in tears |
Liryka, liryka… | ||
Wy się nie dziwcie, śliczni panowie, | Don’t you wonder, my lovely gentlemen | My lovely gents, so stop you wondering |
sześć lat po świecie tułał się człowiek | It was six years of wandering around the world, | Around the world six years of wandering |
i naglea tutaj: Polska i harfa eolska, | And then there’shere’s Poland and the aeolian harp | and then there’s Poland and harp the aeolian |
po prostu cud jak z nut: | Simply, a miracle through one’s teeth | a wonder through one’s teeth |
Liryka, liryka… | ||
Będziecie śmiać się, lecz daję słowo: | You may laugh, but I give you my word | You may be laughing, my word you can take |
ja czytam nawet „Gazetę Ludową” | I even read the “Gazeta Ludowa” | While even reading “Popular Gazette” |
i „Pokolenie”, i wiersze w „Kamenie”, | And “Pokolenie”, and poems in “Kamena” | or „Generation”, “Kamena” citations |
i czytam, i szlocham, och! | And read and sob, oh! | and read I, and sob I, oh |
Liryka, liryka… | ||
Niech mnie zarąbią, niech honoraria | Let them hack me down, let the honoraria | Let them do hack me, and honoraria |
wyda na wieńce Artur Marya! | be spent on the wreaths by Arthur Mary | spend on the wreaths my Arthur Maria |
Ja jestem Polak, a Polak jest wariat, | I am a Pole, and a Pole is mad | A Pole I am true, and Poles have hysteria |
a wariat to lepszy gość: | And madmas is still a better guy. | and madman is great a bloke |
Liryka, liryka… | ||
A po pogrzebie pod korniszon | And after the funeral under the gherkin | After funeral under gherkin |
niech epitaphium mi napiszą: | Let an epitaph be written for me | Let them write an epitaph for me |
TU LEŻY MAGIK I MAŁPISZON, | ‘Here lies a magician and a cheeky monkey’ | “Here lies magician, cheeky monkey” |
pod spodem taki tekst: | Underneath such a text | Beneath it such a text |
Liryka, liryka… |
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