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Secondary sourceBook1879

Wybór poezyj

Władysław Sabowski · 1879

A 19th-century Polish translation and selection of Petőfi's poems by Władysław Sabowski, published in Warsaw in 1879.

This Polish translation of Petőfi's poems shows his early international reception among nations seeking independence.

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Title page of a Polish book: at top 'PETÖFI.', then large 'WYBÓR POEZYJ', 'przekład z węgierskiego', 'przez W. S.', and at bottom 'WARSZAWA. Wydawnictwo Dzieł Tanich A. Wiślickiego. 1879'. Scanned page with a small decorative ornament.
Władysław Sabowski (trans.), Wybór poezyj, Warsaw, 1879.

About this source

What it is

This is a Polish-language book titled Wybór poezyj (Selected Poems), a translation of works by Sándor Petőfi made by Władysław Sabowski and published in Warsaw in 1879. The scanned title page shows the publisher's details and a censorship stamp from the Russian authorities, since Poland was then partitioned.

Why it matters

This book shows how Petőfi's poetry traveled beyond Hungary to inspire readers in other nations seeking their own independence, such as Poland. The presence of a censorship notice in Russian reflects the political tensions of the era, when Polish national feeling was closely watched by occupying powers.

Look closer

  • Why might Polish readers in the 1870s be drawn to the poetry of a Hungarian revolutionary?
  • What does the censorship stamp tell you about the political situation in Poland at the time?
  • How might translation change or limit the way a poet's original words are understood?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Sándor Petőfi on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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