„Gęby za lud walczące…” [Mugs Fighting for the People] – Czesław Zgorzelski on Mickiewicz’s Manuscript “Nr. 38”

Abstract

The subject of this article is a hitherto unpublished text by Professor Czesław Zgorzelski from the collection of the KUL University Library devoted to Mickiewicz’s manuscript no. 38 which contains three minor lyrical works: “Broń mnie przed siebie...”, “Pytasz za co Bóg trochą sławy mnie ozdobił...” and “Gęby za lud walczące...”. In this article, the author attempts to answer the questions of how these three works came to be on one page of a loose-leaf card and what the relationship between them is. In the course of the analysis, the author concludes that Mickiewicz’s manuscript does not contain mere fragments, as Stanisław Pigoń believed, but rather independent works that do not require supplementation or completion. Moreover, Zgorzelski’s thesis is that there are no connections between these works that are distinct enough for them to be treated as mutually complementary. The presented text is accompanied by an introduction and editor’s notes.