Translation:Ode in honour of Zouaves immortal

Ode in honour of Zouaves immortal (1865)
by Władysław Tarnowski, translated from Polish by Wikisource

Oda na cześć Żuawów nieśmiertelnych” in: „Lutnia. Piosennik polski.”, Vol. 2, publ. F.A. Brockhaus, Leipzig, 1865 y., pp. 185-188; and under a little different title: „Oda na cześć Żuawów śmiertelnych.” – „Ode in honour of Zouaves mortal.” in: „Krople czary”, publ. P. Rhode, Leipzig, 1865 y., pp. 99-101.

2711021Ode in honour of Zouaves immortal1865Władysław Tarnowski

Hey! shiver the ground! thunder lightnings!
This column Zouaves of Death.
The squad of shock-troopers, that the children of glow,
The palm of bravery with the lightning proud!
Against thundering cannon, as in embrace of
Mistress, they are rushing, happy,
With cross on [the] chests [1] as Assumption
They death for their homeland understood.
Before them vile Mongolians cloud,
As the wall of human captivity.
Which brought shame by Tzar's hellishness,
Which frolic with corpse of Poland!
Hey! Hurray! Forward! like a one man
Zouaves dashed away with lightning speed,
Everyone look up in the sun the glitter of eagle's eyelids,
And Death as a witness – they enchanted –
Like a leopard attack wildly
Polish Zouave, where he feels the enemy;
He smell of tumuli drew in lungs of hearts
And Poland – loves with his blood! –
He originated from Somosierra
Hussar’s wings orphan;
Word « Homeland » for him on front
The onslaught of hearts his Golgotha!
He sucked breast of death with wild frolic,
And he sucked contempt for life –
The wounds of homeland only hurt him
And forehead has haughty with death!
Fields of Grochowiska, Miechovian walls
O! let they to centuries sing!
The fate of martyrs of the gloomy fight,
With so numerous Hydra’s one’s gang.
Who with stick in hand extort from enemies
The arms, which then he hit them,
The Zouave, which swore the Gods of vengeance [2]
Who shed tear in bloody cup –
Who as lion attacked cloud of enemy,
And he had starry chest in wounds
Though cheeks [is] always cheerless, gloomy –
Polish Zouave, with fiery soul!
That some day will stay in free homeland,
As oak [is] great and proud
On native field of battlefields,
Deadly Zouaves column!
When moon rises over her marble.
Then tear trough her bosom will flow.
But when thunder roars with gloomy voice.
Column will shook in its foundation
And from graves will rise the white –
And as the spirit of storm in the group of glitters
Will be till morning gone mad!
Because on voice of thunders strength of Zouaves [3]
It'll refulminate [4] into a soldier ,
That it will be led clouds of storms
As Zouave which in the grave spends the night!
And Zouaves will be in the grave dream
That they fight, defenders of Poland
Until morning rises over their grave
Where eagle waited for the sun!

  1. On the uniform of Zouave of Death was a large cross on chest.
  2. The Zouave, who married the Gods of vengeance.
  3. Because onthe sound of thunders the Zouaves strength grew.
  4. „Przepiorunuje” (neologism in Polish language) – refulminate (?)