Papusza. Romany for "doll." Born 1910, give or take, died 1987. Read the brief summary of her life at "Bury Me Standing, The Gypsies and their Journey," by Isabel Fonseca, Alfred A. Knopf NY 1995 at 3-16. Title from Gypsy proverb, "Bury me standing, I've spent my whole life on my knees."
Papusza is the inspiration for the book, "Zoli," a novel about person who happened to be a woman, happened to be Gypsy, and happened to live at a time when her very talent set her apart, and enabled her to be exploited - and her people "settled" forcibly, much sooner. Probably. See //romani.uni-graz.at/rombase/cgi-bin/art.cgi?src=data/pers/papusza.en.xml
Here is one of her songs, translated from the Polish. Branislawa Wajs was born in Poland, see rough overview of her life at ://www.answers.com/topic/bronis-awa-wajs-1, and "Zoli" is from Slovakia. The translator from the Polish is by Polish artist and poet Yala Korwin*- at //www.thehypertexts.com/Bronislawa%20Wajs%20Papusza%20Poet%20Poetry%20Bio%20Picture%20Gypsy%20Poet%20Romani%20Poetry.htm
For a regular person's overview of Bronislawa Wajs' life, see //www.answers.com/topic/bronis-awa-wajs-1
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* Yala Korwin - I never knew.
See her art at ://home.thirdage.com/Art/y2723k/.
See her photgraph, and her holocaust poetry, bio and more of her art at //www.thehypertexts.com/Yala%20Korwin%20Poetry%20Picture%20and%20Bio.htm.
Her website is at www.yalakorwin.com. Be sure to click on her doodles.
Showing posts with label Papusza. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Papusza. Show all posts
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Sample Poetry, Old song bits, Thoughts of fictional Zoli - Are these quotes from Papusza?
Interest in Papusza and Zoli - from a blast of poems, words like these: "Zoli," by Colum McCann.
"We sing to sweeten the dead grass" Zoli 10
"From what is broken, what is cracked, I make what is required" Zoli 10
"I will not, o, never call the crooked finger straight" Zoli 10
"My grave is hiding from me" Zoli 105
"Zoli believed there was a life-spring that went down to the center of the earth and that it ran both ways but mostly it rose from the well of her childhood." Zoli at 93
"When I cut brown bread don't look at me angrily, don't look at me angrily because I'm not going to eat it." Zoli at 87.
"They broke my little brown arm, now my father he cries like the rain" Zoli at 31. A song bit.
"I will fill the empty cup, it is not so hollow any more, I will fill it with wine, it will come from the palm of your hand." Zoli at 30
"I want no shadow to fall upon your shadow, your shadow is dark enough for me." Zoli at 31
"The old horse is standing though he is not sleeping, he always has a watching eye, a watching eye." Zoli at 259.
"If you have the money you can think what you like." Zoli at 259.
Read longer works at pp.278-283.
"We sing to sweeten the dead grass" Zoli 10
"From what is broken, what is cracked, I make what is required" Zoli 10
"I will not, o, never call the crooked finger straight" Zoli 10
"My grave is hiding from me" Zoli 105
"Zoli believed there was a life-spring that went down to the center of the earth and that it ran both ways but mostly it rose from the well of her childhood." Zoli at 93
"When I cut brown bread don't look at me angrily, don't look at me angrily because I'm not going to eat it." Zoli at 87.
"They broke my little brown arm, now my father he cries like the rain" Zoli at 31. A song bit.
"I will fill the empty cup, it is not so hollow any more, I will fill it with wine, it will come from the palm of your hand." Zoli at 30
"I want no shadow to fall upon your shadow, your shadow is dark enough for me." Zoli at 31
"The old horse is standing though he is not sleeping, he always has a watching eye, a watching eye." Zoli at 259.
"If you have the money you can think what you like." Zoli at 259.
Read longer works at pp.278-283.
Bronislawa Wajs, Papusza, Romani poet - Inspiration for "Zoli"
Bronislawa Waj, born in 1908, was an unusual person in that she was literate and talented, and known in her communities for her singing and poems. She was "found" and her poetic and song works publicized by outsider poets and others, with her work then being, in her view, taken out of context. Her concern was founded - the publicizing of her work apparently was instrumental in leading to legislation banning the nomadic life, and the settlement of gypsies. And her shunning by that community.
Knowing how edits can change entries, a start with Wikipedia needs a caveat. Still, start here for an understanding of the person of Bronislawa Wajs, and the issues of her time, at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronis%C5%82awa_Wajs.
Her nickname was "Papusza."
Read her life and times at
Knowing how edits can change entries, a start with Wikipedia needs a caveat. Still, start here for an understanding of the person of Bronislawa Wajs, and the issues of her time, at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronis%C5%82awa_Wajs.
Her nickname was "Papusza."
Read her life and times at
- Growing a New Skin: The Life and Poetry of Papusza," by Gigi Thibodeau at //kmareka.com/free-literature-online/growinganewskin.htm
- Papusza (Branislawa Wajs) at ://romani.uni-graz.at/rombase/cgi-bin/art.cgi?src=data/pers/papusza.en.xml
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