Untitled

By TADEUSZ DĄBROWSKI

Translated by ANTONIA LLOYD-JONE

Down a long corridor walks the surgeon, he’s just
finished operating on my father. He’s walked

that way for years now, while inside me hope is trying on
a black and a white dress by turns. At home

I left behind, daddy, your death—a rabid
dog, which I hate, but which I feed,

to be able to take it in my hands,
if you do not wake up.

Tadeusz Dąbrowski – (b. 1979) Poet, essayist, critic. Editor of the literary bimonthly Topos. He has been published in many journals in Poland (among others:Tygodnik Powszechny, Gazeta Wyborcza, Polityka, Twórczość, Odra, Zeszyty Literackie, Chimera, Res Publica Nowa) and abroad (Boston Review, Agni, American Poetry Review, Tin House, Little Star Weekly, Harvard Review, Crazyhorse, Poetry Daily, Guernica, Poetry Review, Poetry London, The Reader, Shearsman, Poetry Ireland, Poetry Wales, Seam, Other Poetry, Salzburg Poetry Review, Akzente, Sprache im technischen Zeitalter, EDIT, Ostragehege, manuskripte, Lichtungen). Recipient of stipends awarded by the Omi international Arts Center (NY, 2013), the Vermont Studio Center (2011), Literatur Lana (2011), Internationales Haus der Autoren Graz (2008), Polish Minister of Culture (2007, 2010), Literarisches Colloquium Berlin (2006, 2012), and the Baltic Centre for Writers and Translators (Visby, 2004, 2010). Winner of numerous awards, among others, the Kościelski Prize (2009), the Hubert Burda Prize (2008) and, from Tadeusz Różewicz, the Prize of the Foundation for Polish Culture (2006). He has been nominated for NIKE, the most important Polish literary award (2010). His work has been translated into 20 languages. Editor of the anthology Poza słowa. Antologia wierszy 1976–2006 (2006). Author of eight volumes of poetry: Wypieki(1999), e-mail (2000), mazurek (2002), Te Deum (2005, 2008), Czarny kwadrat(2009), Schwarzes Quadrat auf schwarzem Grund (Germany, 2010, 2011), andPomiędzy (2013). A collection of his poetry in English entitled Black Square (2011) was released by Zephyr Press. He lives in Gdańsk on the Baltic coast of Poland.

Antonia Lloyd-Jones is a full-time translator of Polish literature, and twice winner of the Found in Translation award. Her publications include fiction by Paweł Huelle, poetry by Tadeusz Dąbrowski, reportage by Wojciech Jagielski, and children’s books. She is a mentor for the British Centre for Literary Translation’s mentorship program.

[Click here to purchase your copy of Issue 08]

From the beginning, The Common has brought you transportive writing and exciting new voices. We are committed to supporting writers and maintaining free, unrestricted access to our website, but we can’t do it without you. Become an integral part of our global community of readers and writers by donating today. No amount is too small. Thank you!

Untitled

Related Posts

The Swan

MARZIA GRILLO
Luigi goggled his eyes and shook his arms, the veins at his neck straining, all to spit a gold nugget on her sun-polished thigh: ‘It was at the floor of the lake,’ he said, proffering her the same ring as always. And from above his bent knee was visible with little effort, aided by the currents of destiny.

Cloudy sunset over field.

Florida Poems

EDWARD SAMBRANO III
I will die in Portland on an overcast day, / The Willamette River mirroring clouds’ / Bleak forecast and strangers not forgetting— / Not this time—designer raincoats in their closets. / They will leave for work barely in time / To catch their railcars. It will happen / On a day like today.