Is part of Opowieść pustynna Zdzisław Marek , 1963 sequence poetry
Issue Details: First known date: 1963... 1963 Pieśń węża/Pieśń jaszczurki/Pieśń wodnej lilii/Pieśń innych zwierząt/Pieśń koczowniczego szczepu
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Notes

  • English translation of the title:
    Snake's Song
    Lizard's Song
    Water Lily's Song
    Other Animals' Song
    Nomadic Tribe's Song
  • The first line appears to be in an unnamed Aboriginal language or languages. 'Ipi' means water in the Gudang or Djagaraga language of Cape York Peninsula.
  • As with the previous poem in the sequence 'Opowieść pustynna' (Desert Tale), 'Śpiew łabędzi' (The Song of Swans), this poem appears to be spoken both by animals and by the Aboriginal Australian narrators of the longer untitled poem that the two titled poems are embedded in.
  • The poem is a series of lines of repeated words in Aboriginal language(s), like 'Apa Ipi' and 'Urramaruna', with brief exclamations in Polish such as 'Jest dzika radość krzyk krwi koniec oczu' (It's a crazy joy cry blood eyes' end) and two lines in brackets spoken in the poet's voice:
    (Nie wiem jakich słów użyć ze słownika
    Mały tani zamyka mnie w przypadkowym słowie)
    [(I don't know which words to use from the dictionary
    A small cheap one which locks me into a random word)]
    The final lines are:
    Wootoo Wootoo Wootoo
    Wootoo
    Wootoo

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

Language: Polish
  • Appears in:
    y separately published work icon Wiersze zebrane Zdzisław Marek , London : Oficyna Poetów i Malarzy , 1963 Z1901429 1963 selected work poetry London : Oficyna Poetów i Malarzy , 1963 pg. 89
Last amended 4 Dec 2012 13:05:39
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