Christophe Jezewski, in Polish Krzysztof Andrzej Jeżewski (born 24 April 1939) is a poet,

musicologist Musicology is the academic, research-based study of music, as opposed to musical composition or performance. Musicology research combines and intersects with many fields, including psychology, sociology, acoustics, neurology, natural sciences, f ...

essayist An essay ( ) is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a Letter (message), letter, a term paper, paper, an article (publishing), article, a pamphlet, and a s ...

and translator of Polish descent who has been living in France since 1970.

Biography

Christophe Jeżewski was born in Warsaw, in a Francophone family of humanistic tradition. His maternal grandfather Adam Czartkowski, a scientist and historian of culture, was the author of monographs on Chopin and

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

; His father was an anglicist and economist, and his mother Zofia Jeżewska - a writer, journalist, and art critic was also the author of four books on Chopin. At an early age, he developed a passion for translation, which he considered as a bridge between cultures and peoples. At the age of sixteen, he translated the ''Chantefables et Chantefleurs'' by

Robert Desnos Robert Desnos (; 4 July 1900 – 8 June 1945) was a French poet who played a key role in the Surrealist movement. Early life Robert Desnos was born in Paris on 4 July 1900, the son of a licensed dealer in game and poultry at the '' Halles'' ma ...

. Later, while studying the Romance languages at the

Warsaw University The University of Warsaw (, ) is a public research university in Warsaw, Poland. Established on November 19, 1816, it is the largest institution of higher learning in the country, offering 37 different fields of study as well as 100 specializat ...

, he became one of the most active translators of French poetry ( Segalen, Oscar Venceslas de Lubicz-Milosz, Michaux,

René Char René Émile Char (; 14 June 1907 – 19 February 1988) was a French poet and member of the French Resistance. Biography Char was born in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue in the Vaucluse department of France, the youngest of the four children of Emile ...

Jean Follain Jean Follain (29 August 1903 – 10 March 1971) was a French writer, poet and corporate lawyer. In the early days of his career he was a member of the "Sagesse" group.

, the surrealists,

Eugène Guillevic Eugène Guillevic (Carnac, Morbihan, France, August 5, 1907 Carnac – March 19, 1997 Paris) () was a French poet. Professionally, he went by the single name ''Guillevic''. Life He was born in the rocky landscape and marine environment of B ...

, etc.) and Hispano-American. He introduced the Poles to some poetic geniuses of this continent:

Jorge Luis Borges Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo ( ; ; 24 August 1899 – 14 June 1986) was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator regarded as a key figure in Spanish literature, Spanish-language and international literatur ...

, José Gorostiza,

Octavio Paz Octavio Paz Lozano (March 31, 1914 – April 19, 1998) was a Mexican poet and diplomat. For his body of work, he was awarded the 1977 Jerusalem Prize, the 1981 Miguel de Cervantes Prize, the 1982 Neustadt International Prize for Literature, a ...

. At the same time, he continued his poetic work (beginning in 1968 in the magazine ''Poezja'') and was a musical critic. He also began to translate Polish poetry into French, in particular

Cyprian Norwid Cyprian Kamil Norwid (; – 23 May 1883) was a Polish poet, dramatist, painter, sculptor, and philosopher. He is now considered one of the four most important Polish Romanticism, Polish Romantic poets, though scholars still debate whether he is ...

(1821–1883), the father of Polish modern poetry and great Christian thinker of whom John Paul II claimed inspiration. In 1963 he completed his studies of Romance philology at the Warsaw University. In 1970, the political climate in Poland had become unbearable because of the wave of "red fascism", and he left thanks to a French government scholarship and settled permanently in France. From 1971 to 1973, he collaborated with the Polish staff for the ORTF which broadcast his 65 portraits of the most prominent French poets of the twentieth. In 1976 he obtained his degree of

Polish literature Polish literature is the literary tradition of Poland. Most Polish literature has been written in the Polish language, though other languages used in Poland over the centuries have also contributed to Polish literary traditions, including Latin, ...

at the

Paris-Sorbonne University Paris-Sorbonne University (also known as Paris IV; ) was a public university, public research university in Paris, France, active from 1971 to 2017. It was the main inheritor of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Paris. In 2018, it m ...

and married Maria Thelma Noval, a painter, poet and sociologist from Philippines, of whom he had two children. Since 1978, he has made several stays in the Philippines. Since 1974, he continues in France an intense activity as a translator of Polish literature, makes discover among others

Witold Gombrowicz Witold Marian Gombrowicz (August 4, 1904 – July 24, 1969) was a Polish writer and playwright. His works are characterised by deep psychological analysis, a certain sense of paradox and absurd, anti-nationalism, anti-nationalist flavor. In 1937, ...

Bruno Schulz Bruno Schulz (12 July 1892 – 19 November 1942) was a History of the Jews in Poland, Polish Jewish writer, fine artist, Literary criticism, literary critic and Art education, art teacher. He is regarded as one of the great Polish (language), Po ...

, ,

Czesław Miłosz Czesław Miłosz ( , , ; 30 June 1911 – 14 August 2004) was a Polish Americans, Polish-American poet, prose writer, translator, and diplomat. He primarily wrote his poetry in Polish language, Polish. Regarded as one of the great poets of the ...

(

Nobel Prize in Literature The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in ...

1980),

Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński, (; nom de guerre: Jan Bugaj; 22 January 1921 – 4 August 1944) was a Polish poet and Home Army soldier, one of the most well known of the Generation of Columbuses, the young generation of Polish poets, of whom several ...

Wisława Szymborska Maria Wisława Anna SzymborskaVioletta Szostagazeta.pl, 9 February 2012. ostęp 11 February 2012 (; 2 July 1923 – 1 February 2012) was a Polish people, Polish poet, essayist, translator, and recipient of the 1996 Nobel Prize in Liter ...

(Nobel Prize in Literature 1996) and composers

Karol Szymanowski Karol Maciej Szymanowski (; 3 October 188229 March 1937) was a Polish composer and pianist. He was a member of the modernism (music), modernist Young Poland movement that flourished in the late 19th and early 20th century. Szymanowski's early w ...

Stanisław Moniuszko Stanisław Moniuszko (; May 5 (17), 1819 – June 4, 1872) was a Polish composer, conductor, organist and pedagogue. He wrote many popular art songs and operas, including '' The Haunted Manor'' and '' Halka'', and his music is filled with patr ...

Mieczysław Karłowicz Mieczysław Karłowicz (, 11 December 18768 February 1909) was a Polish composer and conductor. Life Mieczysław Karłowicz was born in Vishneva, in the Vilna Governorate of the Russian Empire (now in Belarus) into a noble family belonging to ...

. He collaborates with the Polish emigre press and the French music press, organizes "poetry and music" evenings and gives lectures on Polish culture and music. After the

Martial law in Poland Martial law in Poland () existed between 13 December 1981 and 22 July 1983. The Polish United Workers' Party, government of the Polish People's Republic drastically restricted everyday life by introducing martial law and a military junta in an a ...

was established on 13 December 1981, he had in France a vast activity of information and propagation of the democratic and Christian ideas of

Solidarność Solidarity (, ), full name Independent Self-Governing Trade Union "Solidarity" ( , abbreviated ''NSZZ „Solidarność”''), is a Polish trade union founded in August 1980 at the Gdańsk Shipyard, Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk, Polish People's Rep ...

. In 1984 he left Paris and settled with his family in

Noisy-le-Grand Noisy-le-Grand () is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. The commune of Noisy-le-Grand is part of the sector of Porte de Paris, one of the four sectors of the "new town" of Marne-la-Vallée ...

where he lived until now. In autumn 1989 he obtained French nationality. A specialist of Cyprian Norwid, he has been president of the ''Les Amis de C. K. Norwid'' Parisian association since 2003.

Distinctions

* Scholarships for translation and creation of the CNL (1983, 1991, 1996, 2000, 2006, 2010, 2014) * Karol Szymanowski medal (1984) * Prize of the Society of Polish Authors and Composers ZAiKS (1987) * C. Jelenski Prize of the literary Institute ''

Kultura ''Kultura'' (, ''Culture'')—sometimes referred to as ''Kultura Paryska'' ("Paris-based Culture")—was a leading Polish-émigré literary-political magazine, published from 1947 to 2000 by ''Instytut Literacki'' (the Literary Institute), in ...

'' (1991) * Scholarships from the Minister of Culture and the Polish National Heritage (1999, 2003, 2009) * Prize of the Polish PEN-club (2007) * Translation scholarship of the

European Prize for Literature European Prize for Literature (Prix Européen de Littérature) is a European-wide literary award sponsored by the city of Strasbourg with support from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (France).Gloria Artis The Gloria Artis Medal for Merit to Culture () or Gloria Artis Medal, is a departmental decoration of Poland in arts awarded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland to persons and organizations for distinguish ...

(2011) * Cyprian Norwid Foundation Medal (Lublin), (2013) * Witold Hulewicz Prize (2019) * APAJTE Prize (2019) * Cyprian Kamil Norwid Prize (2021)

Publications

Translations into French

* Cyprian Norwid, ''L'Intarissable source'', Pierre-Guillaume de Roux, 2017 * Cyprian Norwid, ''Chopin/Szopen'', Maison d'édition GAL, 2010 * John-Paul II, ''Mon dernier livre de méditations pour le troisième millénaire'',

Éditions du Rocher The Éditions du Rocher is a publishing house based in Monaco Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the R ...

, 2008 * Tadeusz Różewicz, ''Regio et autres poèmes'', Arfuyen 2008 * Cyprian Kamil Norwid, ''Cléopâtre et César : tragédie historique écrite aussi bien pour la scène que pour la lecture, avec une mise en valeur des gestes dramatiques et de leur succession'', Cahiers bleus-Librairie bleue, 2006 * Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński, ''Testament de feu : poèmes'', Arfuyen, 2006 * Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński, ''L'insurrection angélique'', Le Cri édition : In'hui, 2004 * Cyprian Norwid, ''Vade-mecum'' Les Éditions Noir sur Blanc, 2004 * Anna Bolecka, ''Mon cher Franz'',Sabine Wespieser éditeur, 2004 * John-Paul II, ''Mon livre de méditations pour ceux qui souffrent, qui doutent, qui espèrent'',

, 2004 * Witold Gombrowicz, ''Souvenirs de Pologne'',

Éditions Gallimard Éditions Gallimard (), formerly Éditions de la Nouvelle Revue Française (1911–1919) and Librairie Gallimard (1919–1961), is one of the leading French book publishers. In 2003, it and its subsidiaries published 1,418 titles. Founded by G ...

, 2002 * Andrzej Czcibor-Piotrowski, ''Un amour couleur myrtilles'',

Éditions Robert Laffont Éditions Robert Laffont () is a book publishing company in France founded in 1941 by (1916–2010). Its publications are distributed in almost all francophone countries, but mainly in France, Canada and in Belgium. Imprints belonging to Édit ...

, 2001 * Cyprian Norwid, ''Lumières du Royaume'', Éditions Bénédictines, 2001 * Maria Nurowska, ''Celle qu'on aime'',

Éditions Phébus The éditions Phébus is a French publishing house established in 1976 by Jean-Pierre Sicre and taken over in 2003 by the . Catalogue Phébus publishes a catalog of French and foreign literature that is both contemporary (Julie Otsuka, Elif Sh ...

, 2000 * Tadeusz Kępiński, ''Witold Gombrowicz et le monde de sa jeunesse'', Gallimard, 2000 * Cyprian Norwid, ''O Szopenie/Sur Chopin'', Lodart, 1999 * Andrzej Kuśniewicz, ''Constellations : les Signes du zodiaque'', 10-18, 1999 * Andrzej Kuśniewicz, ''Eroica'', Éditions des Syrtes, 1999 * Andrzej Zaniewski, ''Mémoires d'un rat'', Belfond, 1994 Librairie générale française, 1998 * Maria Nurowska, ''Un amour de Varsovie''Editions Albin Michel, 1996, France Loisirs, 1997, Editions de la Seine, 1998 * Wisława Szymborska, ''Dans le fleuve d'Héraclite'', Maison de la poésie

Nord-Pas-de-Calais Nord-Pas-de-Calais (; ; West Flemish: ''Nôord-Nauw van Kales'') was a former regions of France, administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new Regions of France, region Hauts-de-France. It consisted of the ...

, 1995 * Witold Gombrowicz, ''Journal''. Tomes I à III, 1953–1969, Julliard, then Denoël 1976, then Christian Bourgois 1981, then Gallimard, 1995 * Witold Gombrowicz, ''Souvenirs de Pologne'', Christian Bourgois, 1990, 1995 * Andrzej Kuśniewicz, ''Constellations : les signes du zodiaque'',

Robert Laffont The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, praise, reno ...

, 1993 *

Jerzy Andrzejewski Jerzy Andrzejewski (; 19 August 1909 – 19 April 1983) was a prolific Polish writer. His works confront controversial moral issues such as betrayal, the Jews and Auschwitz in the wartime. His novels, ''Ashes and Diamonds'' (about the immediate ...

, ''Les ténèbres couvrent la terre'', Belfond, 1991 * Witold Gombrowicz, ''Moi et mon double'', L'Œil de la lettre, 1990 * Witold Gombrowicz, ''Varia II'', Christian Bourgois, 1989 * Czesław Miłosz, ''Terre inépuisable'',

Fayard Fayard (complete name: ''Librairie Arthème Fayard'') is a French Paris-based publishing house established in 1857. Fayard is controlled by Hachette Livre. In 1999, Éditions Pauvert became part of Fayard. Claude Durand was director of Fayar ...

, 1988 * Czesław Miłosz, ''Témoignage de la poésie'',

Presses universitaires de France Presses universitaires de France (PUF; ), founded in 1921 by Paul Angoulvent (1899–1976), is a French publishing house. Recent company history The financial and legal structure of the Presses Universitaires de France was completely restruc ...

, 1987 * Andrzej Kuśniewicz, ''L'État d'apesanteur'',

Albin Michel Albin may refer to: Places * Albin, Wyoming, US * Albin Township, Brown County, Minnesota, US * Albin, Virginia, US People * Albin (given name), origin of the name and people with the first name "Albin" * Albin (surname) ;Mononyms * Albin of ...

, 1979, then Librairie générale française, 1983 * Andrzej Kuśniewicz, ''La Leçon de langue morte'',''La Leçon de langue morte''
/ref> Albin Michel, 1981 * Andrzej Kuśniewicz, ''Le Roi des Deux-Siciles'', Albin Michel, 1977

Poems and essays

* ''Music'', Anima Poetry Press, 2017 * ''Księga snów/Le Livre des rêves'', Éditions Polyglotte, 2013 * ''Swiatłość u progu'', Topos, 2012 * ''Płomień i noc/ La Flamme et la nuit'', Adam Marszałek, 2012 * ''Cyprian Norwid et la pensée de l'Empire du Milieu'',

L'Harmattan Éditions L'Harmattan, usually known simply as L'Harmattan (), is one of the largest French book publishers. It specialises in non-fiction books with a particular focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. It is named after the Harmattan, a trade wind in W ...

, 2011 * ''Cyprian Norwid a myśl i poetyka Kraju Srodka'', Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, 2011 * ''Adam Czartkowski, Beethoven. Próba portretu duchowego''. Rozszerzył, opracował i antologią polskich wierszy o kompozytorze opatrzył Krzysztof Andrzej Jeżewski, PIW, 2010 * ''Le pire est certain. Anthologie de la poésie catastrophiste polonaise du XX'', Zurfluh/Cahiers Bleus, 2009 * ''Druga księga snow'', Miniatura, 2009 * ''W zaświecie snu'', Correspondance des Arts, 2009 * ''Zagle niebieskie'', Adam Marszałek, 2008 * ''Okruchy z wysokości'', in: Angelus Silesius ''Anielski wędrowiec'', Biblioteka Telgte, 2007 * ''Popiół słoneczny'' Nowy Swiat, 2005 * ''L'épreuve du feu ; précédé de Les vignes de l'espace : poèmes'', Librairie Bleue, 2005 * ''Cyprian Norwid, poète et penseur catholique'', Liberté politique, 2001 * ''Kryształowy ogrod'', Oficyna Krakowska, 2000 * ''Chopin, Szymanowski et leurs poètes = Chopin, Szymanowski i ich poeci'', Librairie Bleue, 1999 * ''Znak pojednania'', "W drodze", 1997 * ''Muzyka'', Tikkun, 1995 * ''La musique : poèmes'', L'Harmattan, 1994 * ''Księga snów'' Miniatura, 1990 * ''Próba ognia'', Editions Dembinski, 1990

Other

He also translated into Polish many French poets of the 20th century, notably

Victor Segalen Victor Segalen (14 January 1878 – 21 May 1919) was a French naval doctor, ethnographer, archeologist, writer, poet, explorer, art-theorist, linguist and literary critic. He was born in Brest. He studied medicine and graduated at the Nav ...

Oscar Milosz Oscar Vladislas de Lubicz Milosz (; ) (28 May 1877 or 15 May 1877 – 2 March 1939) was a French language poet, playwright, novelist, essayist and representative of Lithuania at the League of Nations.Czesław Miłosz, Cynthia L. Haven. Czesła ...

Henri Michaux Henri Michaux (; 24 May 1899 – 19 October 1984) was a Belgian-born French poet, writer and painter. Michaux is renowned for his strange, highly original poetry and prose, and also for his art: the Paris Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenhei ...

and

, as well as authors from other languages such as

, José Gorostiza,

Kathleen Raine Kathleen Jessie Raine (14 June 1908 – 6 July 2003) was an English poet, critic and scholar, writing in particular on William Blake, W. B. Yeats and Thomas Taylor. Known for her interest in various forms of spirituality, most prominently Plat ...

Angelus Silesius Angelus Silesius, Order of Friars Minor, OFM (9 July 1677), born Johann Scheffler, was a German Roman Catholicism, Catholic priest, physician, Mysticism, mystic and Christian poetry, religious poet. Born and raised a Lutheranism, Lutheran, he be ...

and Maya Noval.

References

External links

''Écrire la nature au XXe siècle : les romanciers polonais des confins''

Jeżewski, Krzysztof (1939- )
on Nukat {{DEFAULTSORT:Jezewski, Christophe Writers from Warsaw 1939 births Living people Polish male poets French male poets 20th-century French essayists 20th-century Polish writers 21st-century French writers Polish writers in French University of Warsaw alumni Polish–French translators Polish musicologists 20th-century French musicologists 21st-century French musicologists French music critics Polish emigrants to France 20th-century Polish male writers French male non-fiction writers