Birkowski, Fabian, 1632. Stephan Chmielecki albo nagrobek. Warszawa, Jan Rossowski, pp. 1-16 [with new transcript and translation to English by Jakub Wolak]
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File attached has transcript and translation (September 2022)
NB. Translation provided in 2022 by Jakub Wolak. The transcript of the book in Old Polish follows this translation below.
Note that the PDF file attached includes many footnotes with explanations and historical insghts provided by Jakub Wolak - please open the file
Fabian Birkowski
Stephan Chmielecki
or a Tombstone of the Honorable His Majesty Stephan Chmielecki, the Voivode of Kyiv, the Pious, the Chivalric, the Blessed, Commemorated with a funeral remembrance
Warsaw 1632
[fragment]
You unworthy Saracens and Pagans, did you sell your souls to the Devil and your bodies and virtue to the Paganism for just one bakhmat and for lawlesness, only to plunder and ravage your beloved Motherland with them [i.e. the Tatars], and to bereave her of her sons and daughters ? Tell me, at least now, since you have learned of this victory over Baal, the Pagan seer . How are we to maledict the Worthy Polish Crowne, if it is not maledicted by God? How are we to despise our Motherland, if God does not despise it? Behold!, the people have risen like a lioness, they stood up like a lion. They will not lay until they devour their prey and drink the blood of the dead, the unworthy Tatars. You have seen how God’s mighty hand liberated His Christians from the hands of the Pagans, similar to the captivity in Egypt. And the virility of Christians is as the virility of Rhinoceros, Rhinoceroti . Osman, the Turkish Emperor, being recently seen at Chocim , have led some Elephants with him, he himself being a bestial elephant. To counter the Elephant, God have deployed the Rhinoceros, the people of Poland, whose virlity was similar to the virility of Rhinoceros. Plinius, lib. 8, c. 20 , gives a description of Rhinoceros and says that it is of a color of a box-tree, has a horn growing out of its nose, a horn which is not straight but crooked and oblique, and therefore it is called Rhinoceros, from Rin, the nose, and Keras, the horn, from which it draws its strange virility and with which it wages war with the Elephant, with which it of almost equal height but of shorter shins. It sharpens its horn by rubbing it against a rock, and in such a way it prepares for a battle, in which it aims for the Elephant’s abdomen, which it recognizes as it’s weakest point; if it hits it, the Elephant is immediately defeated. In such manner Emanuel, the King of Lustania , enjoyed a great spectacle in Lisbon in Year 1515, when he set Elephant against Rhinoceros, and witnessed the Elephant defeated. Therefore Rhinoceros is a symbolum of virility, and thence of God, who is the most virile.
Moreover, Rhinoceros is a sign of wrath, a wrath which is unhasteful, yet terrifying. It needs a lot of wrath until it becomes wrathful, but when it is wrathful, it is very cruel; just as God, whose punishments come late but are very heavy. Thence the proverb: Dii laneos pedes habent. God has woolen feet, sed ferreas manus, but iron hands. The first man to deploy Rhinoceros in a theatre, in dedicatione Amphiteatri clashing him with a bull and a bear, the Emperor Domitian, ordered to mint a coin with a depicton of Rhinoceros, meaning that he himself is similar to this beast. Firstly, that he has a great heart, and that he is of a kingly virility. Secondly, that he does not become wrathful speedily, but when he does, he is merciless. This was expressed in two epigrams by Martial, who was dear to Domitian. In the first poem he describes the unbelievable power of Rhinoceros, which, fighting in a duel with a cruel bull, threw the bull as if it was some kind of a ball.
Praestitit exhibitus tota tibi Caesar arena,
Quae non promisit proelia Rhinoceros.
O quam terribilis exarsit pronus in iras!
Quantus erat cornu, cui pila taurus erat!
Rhinoceros excelled in whatever kind of battle it was sent to on the sand [of the arena]. Behold, how terribly wrathful he became, how mighty is its horn, for which the bull is like a ball, that is a bullet filled with straw. In the second poem he tells that this beast does not become wrathful quickly, but when it is angry, it is very fiery and it hits its enemy not with one horn, but with two. It says so:
Sollicitant pavidi dum Rhinocerota magistri,
Seque diu magnae colligit ira ferae.
Desperabantur promissi proelia Martis,
Sed tamen is rediit cognitus ante furor.
Namque gravem gemino cornu sic extulit ursum
Iactat ut inpositas taurus in astra pilas .
The keepers made the beast angry, but it did not become infuriated too quickly; yet when it finally did, it tossed the big bear such forcefully as a bull which tosses up balls.
The same Plinius, lib. 8. c. 21, describes the Unicorn and says: „Monoceros is a cruel animal, similar to a horse in everything except for the head, which is like the deer’s head, and the legs, which are elephant-like, and the tail, which is hog-like. Its roaring is heavy, it has one horn in the middle of its forehead, two ells long; it is said that no one can catch this creature alive”. This is also confirmed by Aelianus, lib. 16 de Animal, c. 20 and lib. 17 c. 44 . He says that the Unicorn has black mane and fur, swift legs, black horn, benign towards other beasts and severe in towards its own kin. Pierius in hierogliphico Rhinocerotis calls it a halicorn; he identifies it with that which is called monoceros in the Septuagint and unicornis in the Vulgate. Indeed, the Jewish word reem means both the Unicorn and the Rhinoceros , as often happens with the names of animals in the Jewish tongue, that they often signify another animals.
The Unicorn (as St. Gregory and St. Isidore say) is of such might that it cannot be captured by any deceit the hunters would employ; but, as the Physicians say, they set a young lady before it; when it comes to meet her, she lets it lay on her hands; it gives up all its severity, lays down its head, and, falling into a sleep, gets captured as it would be a lamb. This is confirmed by Rupertus , Pierius and Albertus Magnus, lib. 22 de Animal . If this story is true, then this Unicorn very elegantly signifies Christ the Lord. Rupertus bespeaks this beatifully: God, the most virile among all spirits, speaks as an Unicorn, that is a being of a peculiar might, the uncomprehensible God of unconquerable power; it is carried away by the scent of Virgin’s life and shut within it; and it could have never been captured by any other means except for that one; and it is murdered. Thence both Tertullian, Contr. Iudaeos 10 and Justin, Contra Triphonum pag. 16 , present an allegoric interpretation of the words cornua monocerotis (they read so after Septuagint, instead of Rhinoceotis) cornua eius from Deuteronomy 33, 17 . They hold that this is an allegory of the Holy Cross; Christ’s horns, that is the might and virility, with which he vanquished the Devil and broke through sin and death are no other but the Cross.
Yet Marcus Paulus Venetus, lib. 3 c. 15 , and Gesnerus in Monocerote , as well as another Scholars call this story about Unicorn tamed by the maiden a fable, which originated from the fact (so Gesnerus) that the Unicorn is a very wild animal and can never be tamed; except from the time when it mates with its female; therefore there is no mention of this taming nor in Plinius, nor in Aelianus, nor in Aristotle. This opinion [of Venetus] is also found in Andrea Bacci, Medicus tractatus de Halicorno, pag. 67 , where he quotes Aelianus: „Halicornus is so wild, that it found no joy in the sight of its female; and having left her, he roams alone in the wilderness, until a lust is kindled within him in the time of mating; then he beningly comes to the female, grazes together with her and fraternizes with her. But when he sees her inseminated and pregnant, he returns to his former cruelty and loneliness”.
This Monoceros, as I already mentioned, is a sign of God himself; and a sign of the People of Israel, for they praised one God only and they received great might from Him, very wonderful might which they showed when chasing their enemies. But I will ascribe this name and virility of Monoceros to my Chmielecki, for he is kindly worthy of it for the sake of his virile deeds. God himselfs asks St. Job: „Will the Rhinoceros be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? Canst thou bind the Rhinoceros with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?” And I ask the unworthy Khan Temir : „How are you to bind Chmielecki and lead him to yourhrde, as you did to many other before? Don’t you know that it is impossible to bound this Monoceros, who have died before ever letting bounds fall upon his hands and feet?” Oh, the most worthy Voivode, you, who have never succumbed to the Pagans, you well deserve the tombstone made for Abner by the Great King David: „Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters ; nor thou were ever yoked to the plough of ugly slavery, not thy hands were ever strained by a harsh strap; it was rather thou who bound the ugly Pagans, and among them the foremost Saracen men, whom thou led before the majesty of your Lord”.
Translated by Jakub Wolak
TRANSCRIPTION OF OLD POLISH ORIGINAL TEXT:
Fabian Birkowski
Stephan Chmielecki
albo Nagrobek Ja?nie Wielmo?nego Jego Mo?ci Pana Stephana Chmieleckiego Woiewody Kiiwoskiego, Pobo?nego, Rycerskiego, Szcz??liwego, Pami??i? pogrzebn? wspomniony
Warszawa 1632
[fragment]
Kedy?e?cie teraz bezecni Bisurma?cy, y Poha?cy, ktorzy??ie przedali dusze wasze Dyab?u, a cia?a y cnote Poga?stwu za iednego bachmata y za swawol?, aby??ie Oyczyzne wasze mi?? z nimi wespo? plondrowali, palili, z Synowiey y z corek odzierali? Przynamniey teraz zwyciestwo to obaczywszy z Baalem Poga?skim wieszczkiem mow?ie? Jako? mamy z?orzeczy? Cney Koronie Polskiey, ktorey Bóg nie z?orzeczy? Jako si? mamy hydzi? Oyczyzn? nasz?, ktor? si? nie hydzi Bóg? Oto lud iako lwica powsta?, y podniosl si? iako lew: nie uk?adzie si?, a? po?rze oblow, y napiie si? krwi z zabitych, Tatarow bezecnych. Widzieli??ie iako mocn? rek? z Poga?skich r?k iako z Egyptu nieiakiego wyzwolil Bóg Chrze?ciany swoie; Chrze?cianyy, których meztwo podobne iest Nosoro?cowi Rhinoceroti. Osman Cesarz Turecki, który nie dawno pod Cho?imem byl, mia? S?onie z soba, sam s?oniem bestyalnym bed?c. Przeciwko s?oniowi Bog pos?a? Nosoro?ca, lud Polski, którego meztwo by?o podobne Nosoro?cowi. Plinius lib. 8. c. 20 opisuje Rynocerota i mowi i? iest barwy bukszpanowey, ma rog, ktory od nosa pochodzi nie prosto, ale krzywo y na ukos, y z t?d nazwany iest Rynoceros od Rin, to iest nosy Keras, to iest rog, ktorym on dziwnie m??ny iest, y woiuie z Elefantem, ktoremu w wysoko??i niemal iest rowny, ale goleni krotszych. Obostrza rog o ska?e, y tak sie na woyne gotuie, w ktorey do brzucha elefantowego zmierza, o ktorym wie ?e nas?abszy; ten gdy zbod?ie, zaraz zmo?e Elefanta. Y tak Emanuel Król Lusita?ski w Roku 1515 w Lisibonie znakomity widok sobie uczyni?, spu??iwszy Elefanta z Rynocerotem, na ktorym przegra? Elefant. Zaczym Rynocerot Symbolum iest meztwa, a zatym Boga ktory iest name?nieyszym.
Znowu nosoro?ec jest znakiem gniewu nie rych?ego, ale strasznego. Bo on potrzebuie wielkiego rozgniewania, ale skoro si? gniewa? pocznie, jest barzo okrutny: takowym iest Bóg, który leniwe karanie ci??ko?ci? nagradza. St?d przys?owie: Dii laneos pedes habent. Bóg chodzi na we?nianych nogach, sed ferreas manus, ale ma r?ce ?elazne. Przeto pierwszy, który na teatrum wprowadzi? Rynocerota przeciwko bykowi i nied?wiedziowi Domicyan Cesarz, in dedicatione Amphitheatri, kaza? monete bi? z obrazem Nosoro?ca, aby da? zna?, ?e podobnym iest tej bestyey. Naprzod, ?e wielkie ma serce, y Krolewskie meztwo przy nim iest. Po wtore, ?e leniwym iest do gniewu, ale iako sie rozgniewa nieub?aganym. Wyrazi? to dwiema Epigramaty Marcalis, ktory u Domicyjana by? w wielkim kochaniu. Pierwszym wierszem niepodobn? sile explikuie w Rynocerocie, ktory na poiedynku rzuci? bykiem okrutnym, iako pi?? nieiak?.
Praescitit exhibitus tota tibi Caesar arena,
Quae non promisit praelia Rhinoceros.
O quam terribiles exarsit pronus in iras?
Quantus erat cornu, cui pila taurus erat?
Iakich woien nie obiecowa?, takie czyni? Nosoro?ec na piasku: O iako si? straszno rozgniewa?, iako pote?ny rog, u którego byk pi?a, to iest wymiotem s?oma napchanym by?? Drugi wiersz daie zna?, i? ta bestya nie rych?o si? gniewa, ale skoro si? rozie, zapalczywa iest barzo, y nieprzyiaciela nie iednym, ale dwiema rogami biie. Bo tak mowi:
Sollicitant pavidi dum Rhinocerota Magiferi,
Seque diu magne colligit ira ferae.
Desperabantur promisi praelia Martis,
Sed tamen is rediit cognitus ante furor.
Namque gravem gemino cornu sic extulit ursum
Iactat ut impositas taurus inastra pilas. T.i.
Gdy przystawowie gniewai? besty?, y ona nie rych?o bierze sie na fury?, przysz?a potym do niey, y rzuci?a tak pot??nie wielkim nied?wiedziem, iako wiec byk do gory rzuca pi?ami.
Ten?e Plinius lib. 8. c. 21. opisuie Jednoro?ca y mowi: „Monoceros iest okrutne ?wierze, podobne koniowi we wszytkim oprocz g?owy, ktora podobna iest yeleniowi, y nog ktore Elefantowi, ogona ktory wieprzowi; ryk iego cieszki, ieden ma rog wpulczo?a na dwa lokcie d?ugi; powiadai? i? tego ?wierza ?ywcem nikt nie poima”. To? pisze Aelianus lib. 16. de Animal. c. 20. et lib. 17. c. 44, ktory czyni Jednoro?ca na grzywie y na ?ier?i czarnym, predkim w nogach, rog mu daie czarny, ?askawo?? przeciw innym bestyom, srogo?? przeciw swoim. Tego Pieryus in hierogliphico Rhinocerotis, halicornem zowie z y rozumie tego?, ktorego Septuag. monocerotem nazwali, a Vulgat. Unicornem. Bo Zydowskie s?owo Reem y Jednoro?ca y Nosoro?ca znaczy, iako y drugie imiona ?wierz?tu Zydow s? pospolite drugim.
Jednoro?ec tedy, (mowi Grzegorz S. y Isidor) takiey iest ?i?y, i? ?adnym fortelem ?owcow nie mo?e by? poimany: ale iako Physikowie powiadaia, stawa przede? m?oda panne, która gdy wybie?y, przyimuie go na rece: a ten srogo?? wszelak? z?o?ywszy, g?owe sk?ania, y tak uspiony iako baranek poimany bywa. Tego? uczy Rupertus, y Pierius, y Albertus Magnus lib. 22. de Animal. Historya ta iesli prawdziwa, bardzo przystoynie Jednoro?ec ten Chrystusa Pana znaczy. O czym Rupertus pieknie; Name?nieyszy miedzy wszystkimi duchami Bog, mowi iako Jednoro?ec, to iest potegi osobliwey, Bog nieogarniony, y sily niezwy?ie?oney, za?iagniony wonno?ci? ?ywota Panie?skiego iest, y w nim si? zamkn??; y nie mog? inaczey poimany by?, chyba ztamt?d, y zamordowany. Zt?d y Tertulian contr. Iudaeos 10 y Justyn contra Triphonem pag. 17 one s?owa Deuteron. 33. 17. Cornua monocerotis (tak czytaia Septuag. Miasto Rhinocerotis) cornua eius; o rogach Krzy?a S. rozumiei? te s?owa, wed?ug allegoriy: Chrystusowe abowiem rogi, to iest si?a y meztwo, którym Czarta gromil, y przebil grzech y ?mier?, nie by?o inne, iedno Krzy?.
Ale Marcus Paulus venetus lib. 3. c. 15. Gesnerus in Monocerote, y drudzy Uczeni te powie?? o swoyskim Jednoro?cu przez panne, bayk? nazywai?, która si? zt?d wszcze?a (pisze Gesnerus) ?e Jednoro?ec iest ?wierze barzo dzikie, które nie swoyszczeie nigdy, iedno na ten czas gdy si? z samic? swoi? kuma: zaczym ani Plinius, ani Aelianus, ani Arystoteles ?adney wzmianki o tym uswoyszczeniu nie czyni?. AndreasBacci Medicus tractatus de Halicorno pag. 67 to? twierdzi, y przyk?ada z Eliana: Halikorn iest taki dziki, ?e y swoiey samicy nie rad widzi, bo odszedszy od niey samopas po pustyniach chodzi, a? si? mi?ostka zapali, gdy iest czas rodzenia, ?askawie do samicy przychodi, y z ni? si? pasie wespo? y braci. Ale skoro postrze?e, ?e pocze?a y brzemie nosi, wraca si? do dawnego okru?ie?stwa, y do osobno??i.
Ten Monocerot, iako sie wy?ey rzek?o, Boga samego znaczy; znaczy y lud izraelski, a to ?e iednego Boga chwali?, y przeto od Niego si?y wielkie bra?, cudowne barzo, gdy sie ugania z nieprzyjacio?ami swymi. A ia to imi? i to meztwo Monocerotowe Chmieleckiemu moiemu oddam, ktorego mile godzien, dla me?nych dzie? swoich, ktore czyni?. Pyta Joba ?wietego Bog sam: „czy bedzie chcia? Nosoro?ec s?u?y? tobie, czy si? zabawi u ??obu twego? Czy go ty przywi??esz do p?ugu rzemieniem twoim? Czy on b?dzie przewraca? ziemi? dolin twoich za tob??” Pytam ia Kantymira bezecnego: Jako? chcesz Chmieleckiego wi?za?, y prowadzi? do hordy, iako? przedtym innym czyni?? Nie wiesz tego ?e si? nie da wi?za? tobie ten Monocerot, który pierwey umar?, nim p?ta na r?ce jego i na nogi pad?y. Zacny Woiewodo nigdy niezwy?ie?ony od Poga?stwa, zarobi?e? dobrze na ten nagrobek, który napisa? Abnerowi Krol Wielki Dawid: Rece twoie nie by?y zwi?zane; ani nogi twoie okowami by?y uciemi??one, w p?ugu niewoli brzydkiey nie chodzi?e? nigdy, rzemie? suowy r?k twoich nigdy nie tyka?, wi?za?e? ty raczey Poga?stwo brzydkie, a miedzy innymi Pani przednie Bisurma?skie, ktore? prowadzi? przed mayestat Pana twego.
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Stephan Chmielecki albo nagrobek
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