Jacek Kaczmarski (March 22, 1957, Warsaw - April 10, 2004, Gdańsk) was a Po… Read Full Bio ↴Jacek Kaczmarski (March 22, 1957, Warsaw - April 10, 2004, Gdańsk) was a Polish singer, songwriter, poet and author.

Kaczmarski was considered by many to be the voice of the anti-communist Solidarity movement in the 1980s, for his commitment to a free Poland, independent of Soviet rule. His songs criticized the ruling regime and appealed to the tradition of patriotic resistance within Poles. He remains best known for his protest songs on social and political subjects ("Mury" (Walls), "Obława" (Wolf hunt)). However, he was more a poet than a political singer, and his texts have not lost their meaning with the demise of the Soviet union and its communist block.

He made his debut in 1977 at the Student Song Festival, where he was awarded first prize for his work "Obława" (Wolf hunt) based on song "Охота на волков" by Vladimir Vysotsky. In 1980 he won Second prize at the Opole Song Festival for "Epitafium dla Włodzimierza Wysockiego" (Epitaph for Vladimir Vysotsky).

Kaczmarski chose to emigrate after the imposition of the martial law in Poland in 1981, and would not be allowed to return until 1990. From 1982 he was an editor and journalist with Radio Free Europe, with his own radio program, A Quarter with Jacek Kaczmarski.
After his return to Poland (following the Round Table negotiations that brought and end to communist rule) he toured the country with his friend and artist Zbigniew Łapiński. The tour was recorded and released as Live, and it achieved Gold album status in 2001. His other albums included "Mury" (Walls), "Nasza klasa" (Our class), "Raj" (Paradise), "Muzeum" (Museum), "Pochwała łotrostwa" (Praising the Rascals), "Wojna postu z karnawałem" (The War between Carnival and Lent). However, Kaczmarski was soon disillusioned by the developments in Poland after 1989 and would eventually emigrate to Australia.

Kaczmarski was known not only for his politically motivated lyrics but also for his characteristically dynamic — even aggressive — classical guitar playing, and expressive performance style. His deep knowledge of not only the history of Poland but also Classical literature resulted in a wide variety of insightful connections between cultures and eras via song (for example "Powtórka z Odysei," recalling Homer's Odyssey or "Lalka," a masterful strike at the heart of a riveting Polish novel). He often performed before contrastingly different audiences: groups of friends in their homes, campus venues, and large concert halls in Poland, the rest of Europe and America.

Kaczmarski in the late 1990s was diagnosed with cancer of the larynx (attributed to his heavy smoking). He could not afford the costs of the treatment and in response a nationwide fundraising campaign was organized. However, Jacek Kaczmarski, out of fear of irrevocably losing his voice, did not agree to standard cancer therapy and resorted instead to alternatives such as vilcacora and sangre de drago, among other "natural" remedies.

He died in a hospital in Gdańsk 2004.

Pieśń o śnie
Jacek Kaczmarski Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Chodźcie z nami dziś nie biją
Dziś spogląda na nas Bóg
Co milijon to milijon
Niech truchleje wróg

Dziś od Wschodu do Zachodu
Znów możemy wolni być
Wysnujemy z serc narodu

Niewidzialną nić

Z nici sztandar niewidzialny
Tkliwe dłonie tkają już
Pod sztandarem stanie walny
Hufiec wolnych dusz

Sztandar chmury z nieba goni
Drzewcem jego ziemska oś
Z gestem milijonów dłoni
Pierzcha lęk i złość

Ach umiera dzień przedwcześnie
Jeszcze tyle trzeba dnia
Tyle światła trzeba jeszcze
A tu noc już gna

W puszczę cieni hufiec wkracza
Zwinął sztandar nieba mrok
Słysz jak w ciszy nas otacza
Obcy równy krok

Siedźcie w domu dzisiaj biją
Krzyku pełne gardła bram
Znowu w lęku zmilkł milijon
Czekać ileż nam

Czekać ileż nam

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jacek Kaczmarski's song "Pieśń o śnie" (Song about a dream) express a sense of hope and unity in the face of oppression. The opening lines, "Chodźcie z nami dziś nie biją, Dziś spogląda na nas Bóg" (Come with us, today they won't beat us, Today God is watching us), suggest a call to gather together in solidarity and the belief that divine providence is protecting them. The repetition of the phrase "Co milijon to milijon, Niech truchleje wróg" (Every million is a million, Let the enemy tremble) emphasizes the power they hold in their numbers and the fear it instills in their oppressors.

The lyrics then shift to describe the possibility of freedom, from East to West, by weaving an invisible thread that connects the hearts of the nation. The image of the invisible flag and the strong hands working to create it symbolizes the unity and determination of the free spirits. The line "Z gestem milijonów dłoni, Pierzcha lęk i złość" (With the gesture of a million hands, Fear and anger flee) highlights the transformative power their unity possesses, driving away fear and anger.

As the song progresses, it acknowledges the premature death of the day and the longing for more light. The contrast between the necessity for more daylight and the approaching night creates a sense of urgency and the desire to continue fighting for freedom. However, the final stanzas describe the encroachment of darkness and the intrusion of the unknown "other" into their space. The line "Zwinął sztandar nieba mrok, Słysz jak w ciszy nas otacza, Obcy równy krok" (Darkness folds the flag of the sky, Listen how in silence it surrounds us, Strangers walking in step) portrays the invasion of the familiar by the unfamiliar. The song concludes with the lines "Siedźcie w domu dzisiaj biją, Krzyku pełne gardła bram, Znowu w lęku zmilkł milijon, Czekać ileż nam" (Stay at home today, they beat us, The gates are filled with scream, Once again a million fell silent in fear, How long shall we wait), expressing a sense of disappointment and the agonizing wait for change.

Line by Line Meaning

Chodźcie z nami dziś nie biją
Come with us today, they won't beat us

Dziś spogląda na nas Bóg
Today, God is watching over us

Co milijon to milijon
Each million is a million

Niech truchleje wróg
Let the enemy mourn

Dziś od Wschodu do Zachodu
Today, from East to West

Znów możemy wolni być
We can be free again

Wysnujemy z serc narodu
We weave from the hearts of the nation

Niewidzialną nić
An invisible thread

Z nici sztandar niewidzialny
From the thread, an invisible banner

Tkliwe dłonie tkają już
Tender hands are already weaving

Pod sztandarem stanie walny
A strong force will stand under the banner