Jak Świderski tłumaczył Merciera. Olind i Sofroni
How Swiderski explained Mercier

Summary/Abstract: Jędrzej Świderski translated Olind et Sophronie, a prose play by Louis Sébastien Mercier, into Polish, in verse of thirteen syllables. This work references the event known to its contemporary readers, shown in Jerusalem Delivered by Torquato Tasso. However, Mercier had changed and expanded a thread of the Italian epos, introduced new characters and connected them with family bonds, e.g. the sorcerer Ismen turns out to be Sophronie’s father. The Polish version is slightly shorter, but all events and characters from the French play have been retained. However, Świderski arranged the accents in a slightly different manner. The events of military character are narrated in more detail, patriotic feelings have been expressed more prominently. The Polish author has also slightly toned down the negative traits of some characters, and on the other hand, paid less attention to the psychology of characters, and given rhetorical character to their dialogues. As a result, Świderski’s translation is closer to the tradition of heroic poetry.

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