Marcin Malek

Marcin Malek (born 24.02.1975, in Warsaw, Poland) is a Polish poet, writer, playwright, and journalist. Published mainly in quarterlies: „Fronda”, „Tygiel Kultury”, „Akcent” and monthlies: „Nowe Państwo”, „Stosunki Międzynarodowe”, „Opcja na prawo”. Winner of the annual award of  "Poetry&Paratheatre" journal  (category: poem of the Year) for year 2012, (work: „Bieg – Czyli list do współczesnych”/"Run – a letter to the present"). Since 2006 lives and works in Ireland.

Quotes from literary works
Among the things (2012) by Marcin Malek


 * HERE

"above Dublin

below a skyline aflame

with white dwarfs’ blazing fires

a hushed town

gazes into the distance

and wanes like an agate stone

that sleeps amongst sharp reeds

in cloudy waters of the ford

longing for its soul."


 * Source: Page 18-20, verse V
 * Originally written in English


 * 1916

"Let us lift the fallen!

Because who else – who else than we

would summon them like autumn leafs

when time will shake the bells of our dreams

a “Foggy dew”

And once the time runs out

for everything and nothing at all

with a triumphant song on our lips

we shall wage war on the entire world!"


 * Source: Page 38, verse V,VI.
 * Notes: Originally written in English


 * "SINN"

"We are the anthems, trumpets

long-maned waves and roaring seas

we are the heavy columns of clouds and eager sharp granite fangs

we are the yellow sands

that marble moon, grey dust

a stone’s shadow as hard as tears

of river streams and famine time

we boundless days, empty nights

blood on the threshold, iris of guns

hangman's ropes and trenches –

of gaping hollow graves"


 * Source: Page 42, verse I-III.
 * Notes: Originally written in English. „Sinn”: In Gaelic means "We". Poem was created in response to an appeal of fellow Irishman, who ask to wrote something in kind of  Arthur O'Shaughnessy's "Ode", maintaining similar styling. (footnote from page 42)


 * A SPRING

"Long stalks of rain

are growing from the skies

down towards ash-black soil,

softer than deer hearts

frozen in concentration

at river banks

Everything that is not here

lies beyond these waters – more effusive

than a fisherman’s song,

when come evening time

they sail back to theirs rocky homes

settled at Shannon’s ridges

winding like a maggot in a downpour

and greener still

than eyes of women

that bear the same name"


 * Source: Page 56, verse I-II.
 * Notes: Originally written in English

Diary of an unfinished journey (2012) by Marcin Malek


 * A CARE

"Your shadow –

Looks nothing like you

She said passing me by

I pass her by with no regrets

My shadow is my care –

I said

I’m of Darkness –

And Darkness is of me

If you know the place –

where it comes from?

She looked over her shoulder

Only a man She said

Only man – all over the place

wanders along his own steps"


 * Source: Page 86, verse I-II.
 * Notes: Originally written in English


 * THE ODIUM

"Did you know,

that lack of touch

sometimes hurts more

than a strike?"


 * Source: Page 134, the whole piece
 * Notes: Originally written in English

Non-English quotes

 * ÉIRE

"Gdybym był alfą i omegą w jednym

nie umiałbym kochać cię bardziej niż teraz niedojrzała ojczyzno zbłąkanych złudzeń

Wystarczy, że chodzę po twojej ziemi

i piję z twoich źródeł"


 * ÉIRE (translation)

"If I were the alpha and omega all at once

I could not love you more than now

Immature motherland of stray illusions

I'm grateful to feel your soil

and quench my thirst on your rivers"


 * Source: Call me an idiot (2012) by Marcin Malek (pages 13-14, the whole piece)


 * TYM BARDZIEJ

"Uparty człowieku

im bardziej łakniesz światła

tym bardziej diabeł się cieszy"


 * THE MORE (translation)

"Stubborn little man

the more light you desire

the more devil rubs his hands"


 * Source: Call me an idiot (2012) by Marcin Malek (pages 22, the whole piece)


 * ZABAWA

"Rankiem nad rzeką bawiły się dzieci

Przybyli mężczyźni

W południe rzeka bawiła się dziećmi"


 * TRIFLE

"On early morn children were playing at the river’s shore

close to the noon soldiers came out of the blue

by the dim river red played theirs sins."


 * Source: Call me an idiot (2012) by Marcin Malek (pages 41, the whole piece)