Papusza's poems, which are of paramount importance for Polish Romani poetry as a whole, are characterised by a song-like quality, formal simplicity and brevity. The publication in 1956 of the first bilingual (Polish-Romani) volume of poetry Pieśni Papuszy / Papušakre gila, for which Jerzy Ficowski undertook the Polish translations, was received with contempt by Roma but other Romani poets nonetheless followed suit. Ficowski further underlined the ahistorical character of Romani songs, while pointing out one exception – a song about the extermination of the Roma during the Second World War.īronisława Wajs aka Papusza was the first Romani poet in Poland whose poems were published. He predicted the same development for another Romani group, the Polish Roma, who had likewise been forced to live a settled life. In their sedentary life, which by that time had continued for more than 100 years, the writer believed to have identified the reason for their loss of customs and traditions, including the improvisation of songs. Jerzy Ficowski (1924–2006), a poet, folklorist and translator of the works of ‘Papusza’ Bronisława Wajs, continued to research the anonymous literary works of Roma in Poland.įicowski published two essays that are fundamental for Polish Romani studies: ‘Cyganie polscy’ of 1953 and ‘Cyganie na polskich drogach’ of 1965, in which he quoted from some of the works of Bergitska Roma. In 19, his notations appeared in a Romani-French edition.
In the second half of the 19th century, the ethnographer Izydor Kopernicki collected and wrote down 30 songs of the sedentary Polish. He emphasised the song-like qualities of their poetry and esteemed the use of mnemonic techniques.
In accordance with the spirit of the time, which was marked by misinformation and stereotypes, Daniłowicz went on to state that ethnographers had identified Roma as descending from a ‘lower Hindu caste’, as a result of which the Romani ethnic group had no inclination towards the ‘noble arts’.īy contrast, in his treatise ‘Rys historyczny ludu cygańskiego’ (‘Historical sketch of the Gypsies’) of 1830, Teodor Narbutt wrote about the ‘natural talent’ of Romani poets and their skill in composing songs and improvising epics ‘without any practice’. Wiadomość historyczna, czytana na posiedzeniu publicznem Cesarskiego Uniwersytetu Wileńskiego’ of 1824, Ignacy Daniłowicz pointed to the mystification in which the ‘Gypsy people’ had allegedly shrouded their language. The first Polish Romani studies, which were devoted mainly to linguistic aspects, provide almost no insights into the literary work of the Roma.
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