''Testament mój'' (variously translated as ''My Testament'', ''My Last Will'', ''The Testament of Mine'', ''My Will and Testament'' and likewise) is a poem written by Juliusz Słowacki, one of the Three Bards of Polish poetry, in Paris around 1839 and 1840. This poem has been described as one of Słowacki's most famous works.

History

The exact date Słowacki's created this poem is not known. The work was written around 1839-1840 in Paris. Kamela dates the work to "likely the end of 1839". At this time Słowacki was a target of a number of Polish literary critics, hostile to his works and ideology, and this poem was one of his replies to them.

Meaning and significance

This poem is an example of the poetical testament (''testament poetycki'') genre. In this type of work, somewhat similar to a brief

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...

in verse, and inspired by " Non omnis moriar" (Latin for "Not all of me will die") of

Horace Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 BC – 27 November 8 BC), Suetonius, Life of Horace commonly known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). Th ...

, the poet usually conveys his or her ideologies and beliefs, as well as wishes and hopes. ''Testament...'' describes Słowacki's faith that despite the grim reality of the present his works will endure and gain renown after his death. Słowacki expresses his sadness at being alone and not understood, as well as pride from his achievements. He also conveys his beliefs that the mission of a poet must be continued, no matter the costs and sacrifices. The poem is also characteristic of the Polish romanticism for idealizing self-sacrifice. This poem served as an inspiration for the title of the 1943 book '' Kamienie na szaniec'' (lit. ''Stones for the Rampart'') by

Aleksander Kamiński Aleksander Kamiński, assumed name: ''Aleksander Kędzierski''. Also known under Pseudonym, aliases such as ''Dąbrowski'', ''J. Dąbrowski, Fabrykant, Faktor, Juliusz Górecki, Hubert, Kamyk, Kaźmierczak, Bambaju'' (28 January 1903 - 15 March ...

, where it is used as a reference to the sacrificial and insurrectionist traditions of Polish romanticism. It was also an inspiration for the 1942 poem ''Non omnis moriar'' by a Polish Jewish poet,

Zuzanna Ginczanka Zuzanna Ginczanka, ''pen name'' Zuzanna Polina Gincburg (March 22, 1917 – 1944) was a Polish people, Polish-Jews, Jewish poet of the Polish culture in the Interbellum, interwar period. Although she only published a single collection of poetry i ...

. The poem, in a sung version, is also a

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' d ...

of several

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

s of whose Słowacki is a patron of.

Notes

External links

''Selected Masterpieces of Polish Poetry'' includes this poem in English (PDF and hard copy available)mirror
{{DEFAULTSORT:Testament moj Polish poems 1840 poems Works by Juliusz Słowacki