Forgotten Jewels: Japan in Poetry and Prose Written by Polish Authors until 1939

Japanese literature has been known in Poland at least from the end of 19th century, when first translations were made (although via English or other languages) of Japanese prose and poetry. I consider the first translation made directly from Japanese into Polish language was a short story by Kikuchi Kan, entitled Tusz (Ink), published in April of 1939, in a monthly magazine “Echoes from Far East”. In the same magazine we can find also many examples of stories and poetry written not by Japanese, but by Polish authors, fascinated with Japan and its culture. Works by the same authors were published also in other newspapers and magazines, and as separate novel books. They were for example novels of Maria Juszkiewiczowa (1894–?): Chłopiec z Czodża-Goja (A Boy from Czodża-Goja, 1936) or Listek klonu. Przygody małej Polki w Japonii (Maple leaf. Adventures of a young Polish girl in Japan, 1937), or Aleksander Janowski (1866–1944) Marysia w Japonii (Little Mary in Japan, 1923). There were also Japońskie bajki (Japanese Fairytales, 1904) by Antoni Kora and other fairytale and story books. Leon Rygier (1875–1948), writer and a husband of Zofia Nałkowska, in 1904 published a small book of poems Z motywów japońskich (Japanese motifs) and Remigiusz Kwiatkowski (1884–1961) surpassed probably all of them publishing numerous translations of Japanese tanka poetry and his own rhymed interpretations of Japanese proverbs and sayings. While some short mentions about the earliest translations may be found in books on Japanese literature and contacts between Poland and Japan, novels, stories and poems written originally by Polish authors inspired by Japan are now all but forgotten. Hardly any of them were published again after the World War II and are not to be found in regular libraries. In my previous studies I attempted to gather informations on the earliest examples of Japanese prose and poetry published in Poland. In this paper I want to concentrate on the forgotten jewels of Polish prose (and to some extent, poetry and drama) on Japanese motifs, published until the World War II.