I have grown up in a Polish town, and know enough Polish to know that roughly 50% of the children in that town were "brats." Sadly, I do not yet know enough Polish to render a worthy translation of the most important Catholic poem of modern times, Juliusz Slowacki's "Slavonic Pope." I hoped to use this as a foreword for the John Paul II LifeGuide, and labored over this poem quite a while... In the interests of time and accuracy, though, I punted and including Pope Benedict's amazing funeral homily, itself quite poetic.
Nonetheless, current English translations of Slowacki's poem are very poor, and often abbreviated. Most omit Slowacki's spicier put-downs-- including those of Italian popes of yore, particular "that Italian" who fled Rome... I would imagine that's Pius fleeing from Napoleon.
I include the Polish text for my readers down on Milwaukee Avenue:
http://www.siecm.pl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=120&Itemid=40
If you are able, please translate this! It is quickly being forgotten. The pale and annoying legend of a political "John Paul the Great" is nothing compared to Slowacki's vision, which is all the more dramatic because it was prophecy.
EMR
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Has anyone gotten to this yet? One of my friends' mothers happens to be Polish, and I could ask if the two of them together could try their hands (or tongues as it may be) at it.
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