One of the most outstanding Polish poets in history is Fr. Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski – called the Polish Horace („polski Horacy”). His body of work is considerably smaller than it deserves to be widely known, because he wrote in Latin (łaciński). For 20 years the promotion of this poet has been undertaken by the Stowarzyszenie Academia Europaea Sarbieviana (Academia Europaea Sarbieviana Association), which has now published the book „Liryki i epody” (Lyrics and Epodes), with the Master’s poems translated by Prof. Elwira Buszewicz. Dr Teresa Kaczorowska – President of the Board, talks about this mission.
Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski – Polish Horace
Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski, already famous during his lifetime and one of the greatest poets in 17th-century Europe, called the Polish Horace, remains unmatched among Polish poets in terms of the number of translations and editions in Western Europe. Yet in Poland he is little known. Hence the initiative to remind people of his person, life, and work through the cyclical event: the International Festival of Fr. Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski “Christian Horace from Mazovia” (Międzynarodowy Festiwal ks. Macieja Kazimierza Sarbiewskiego „Chrześcijański Horacy z Mazowsza”).
Konkurs „O Laur Sarbiewskiego” (Contest “For the Sarbiewski Laurel”)
The first International Festival of Fr. Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski “Christian Horace from Mazovia” immediately became successful – covering several towns in the Mazovia region (five counties) and involving local governments at all levels, parliamentary authorities, schools, parishes, culture houses, museums, libraries, social organizations, and even the Jesuit order. It included academic sessions, poetry and music concerts, writer meetings from several countries in schools and libraries, exhibitions, and services. Three books were published and several contests “O Laur Sarbiewskiego” (“For the Sarbiewski Laurel”) were announced (poetry, recitation, eloquence, visual arts, and knowledge about Fr. Sarbiewski, with the last four aimed at youth). The initiative proved so innovative, useful, and necessary that by 2025, 20 International Festivals of Fr. Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski “Christian Horace from Mazovia” had taken place, always on a socially driven, grassroots basis.
Stowarzyszenie Academia Europaea Sarbieviana (Academia Europaea Sarbieviana Association)
To expand its activities, in May 2006 the Stowarzyszenie Academia Europaea Sarbieviana (AES) was founded – now the main organizer of the Festivals and publisher of the book „Liryki i epody” (Lyrics and Epodes), featuring works written by Fr. Sarbiewski and translated by Elwira Buszewicz. The founding group on July 3, 2006, met at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, where under Prof. Aleksander Wojciech Mikołajczak the statutes and framework of AES were established. On July 28, 2006, the founding meeting took place at the rectory in Sarbiewo, and on January 3, 2007, the association was registered in the National Court Register in Warsaw. Today, among its 50+ members are local creators, culture animators, clergy, officials, and admirers of the “Sarmatian Horace” from Poland and abroad, including scholars and literary researchers.
Misja Stowarzyszenia Academia Europaea Sarbieviana (Mission of the Academia Europaea Sarbieviana Association)
According to its statutes, besides promoting the literary and scholarly work of this outstanding Latin Baroque poet in Poland and abroad, the association aims to cultivate proud cultural and historical traditions of the Republic of Poland, publish the poet’s works in modern Polish and English, and cooperate with Polish and international institutions — scientific, cultural, Polish community, social, educational, local government, business, and others.
Sarbinum – Concept for the Reconstruction of the Sarbiewski Manor
To achieve these ambitious goals, central government support and a regional center were needed — the reconstructed Dwór Sarbiewskich (Sarbiewski Manor) in Sarbiewo, with outbuildings and garden, envisioned as an international research, education, museum, and organizational hub. Plans included a Baroque Museum containing Sarbiewski family artifacts, a library, AES headquarters, and a Creative Work House with accommodation and a Sarmatian kitchen. This Sarbinum would supplement Sarbiewo’s existing well-preserved Baroque ensemble — church, rectory, and cemetery. Yet convincing central authorities and securing funding remains ongoing.
Land ready for the Sarbiewski Manor
However, other successes have been achieved: local authorities donated land (~0.5 hectares near the river in central Sarbiewo) to AES; collaborating architects developed a concept for the future Dwór Sarbiewskich; and on the wall of the Church of St. Charles Borromeo in the Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw, a memorial plaque for Fr. Sarbiewski was unveiled (no prior trace marked his burial there).
Promotion of Fr. M.K. Sarbiewski’s Work
A significant achievement is that numerous scholars are conducting research on Sarbiewski and publishing academic works. Over 20 years, many allies have joined the rediscovery of Sarbiewski’s work, including researchers from Poland, Lithuania, Germany, Slovakia, and Italy. Seven scientific conferences (three international) have been held, numerous articles and several books published, and AES members have delivered lectures in Poland and abroad.
Original Edition of Lyricorum libri IV
AES also received as gifts a hymn, logo, paintings, and sculptures of Sarbiewski from various artists, and even an original 1634 edition of his Lyricorum libri IV. Partnered IT specialists created the AES website (www.sarbiewski.eu). At the Primary School named after Sarbiewski in Sarbiewo, together with the local municipality, a Sarbiewski Room was established — serving as the association’s seat and for educational purposes. In 2010, with Bishop Piotr Libera of Płock, an oak tree was planted in memory of Janina Fetlińska, a Polish senator and AES member who died in the Smolensk tragedy.
20 International Festivals “Christian Horace from Mazovia”
Another major achievement is the 20 socially organized events, without state funding but with support from nearly 20 entities. Each three-day edition brought new research, discoveries, publications, and growing fascination with Sarbiewski — poet, scholar, and clergyman. Festival study trips explored traces of the “Sarmatian Horace” in Sarbiewo, Pułtusk, Ciechanów, Płock, Warsaw (including the 11th autumn Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski Day at the Royal Castle), and even in Lithuania — with Rome still awaiting discovery.
430th Anniversary of the Birth of Fr. Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski
The jubilee 20th International Festival (8–10 May 2025), under the honorary patronage of the Marshal of the Mazovia Voivodeship and the Bishop of the Diocese of Płock, marked the 430th anniversary of Sarbiewski’s birth. The main highlight was the first presentations of works from the new book „Liryki i epody” (Lyrics and Epodes), translated by Prof. Elwira Buszewicz.
Elwira Buszewicz – Translator of Fr. Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski’s Poetry
Prof. Elwira Buszewicz from the Jagiellonian University in Kraków — a member of AES and Chair of its Scientific Board — worked on this translation for several years. She undertook this immensely difficult task without compensation, achieving remarkable fidelity to the Latin original — a rare and admirable feat in contemporary Polish translations of Baroque Latin poetry.
New Edition of the Book “Lyrics and Epodes”
The poems in „Liryki i epody” (Lyrics and Epodes) are a great gift from Prof. Buszewicz — for the poet from Sarbiewo, for scholarship (not only in Poland), for AES, and for all lovers and scholars of the Master’s poetry. This edition and the Translator’s foreword will surely help popularize the poetry of the “Polish Horace”. On behalf of AES, heartfelt thanks are extended to her!
The publication was only possible due to positive responses to AES’s requests to several institutions and entities. Sincere thanks go to the Starostwo Powiatowe w Płońsku (Płońsk County Office), Urząd Miejski w Płońsku (Płońsk City Hall), and Urząd Gminy w Baboszewie (Baboszewo Municipal Office) for financial support; to printer Lech Maciejewski; and to the AES Board and everyone who has helped carry the name of the “Polish Horace” far and wide over the past 20 years. It is hoped that alongside the Festivals, Prof. Buszewicz’s translation will ensure that Fr. Jesuit Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski and his work gain even greater popularity.
Dr Teresa Kaczorowska – President of the Board, Academia Europaea Sarbieviana
The Warsaw Review /Source: Agencja Informacyjna / 7.01.2025
