Czytany wiersz: fraszka "Na Lipe", wersja: "Uczony gosciu". "O learned guest" by Jan Kochanowski, his second poem of his three poems "On Linden Tree," read in old Polish. Each treatment of the same subject is very different, "O guest sit under my leaves" is an iconic poem in Polish language, part of school curriculum, other two are not very well known. English translation, by me, bellow the comment relating to the context of the poem and painting by Titian.

Painting at the end of the reading is "Pastoral Concert" by Titian. Kind of mysterious, but also
Arcadian, Titian named his paintings "poems". Pastoral scenes were common in Venetian paintings, Arcadian motives, as the trend back to nature was also quite popular during the Renaissance era.
Kochanowski for sure encountered this artistic and life style trend, as he spent time in Italy (and France and Germany too) and he himself was a proponent of return to nature, contact with nature as a virtue, and he also combined Arcadian and Greek motives of Antiquity in his works. Was he also was familiar with the works of women who were famous poets in Italy?
Music featured often in Venetian painting, music was important for the Venetians, and instrument ownership was common, for ex. lutes.
Art historians are not sure about the symbolism of this particular painting. Are the women human, or nymphs, or muses? How much of Greek mythology is here? Etc. The woman who holds the flute could be also be seen as allegory of music, or poetry. During this era was quite common to depict poetry or music as a woman playing flute, but a simple flute was also a pastoral instrument.
I love Titian, and Venetian school in general, as it is very painterly with excellent usage of color. This painting was the inspiration for my choice of the poem reading and translation for this week. Pitcher, lute, and relaxation. This painting for sure was done not only to be read like a poem, but also provide pleasant calmness to the viewer.

" Na lipe", Jan Kochanowski, fraszki, ksiegi III

Uczony gościu! Jeśli sprawą mego cienia
Uchodzisz gorącego letnich dni promienia,
Jeślić lutnia na łonie i dzban w zimnej wodzie
Tym wdzięczniejszy, że siedzisz i sam przy nim w chłodzie:
Ani mię za to winem, ani pój oliwą,
Bujne drzewa nalepiej dżdżem niebieskim żywą;
Ale mię raczej daruj rymem pochwalonym,
Co by zazdrość uczynić mógł nie tylko płonym,
Ale i płodnym drzewom; a nie mów: „Co lipie
Do wirszów?” — skaczą lasy, gdy Orfeus skrzypie.

Jan Kochanowski, "On Liden Tree" (from books III)

O learned guest! If by the cause of my shadow
You escaped hot Summer’s rays,
If the lute on your lap, and the pitcher in cold water,
Even more thankful as you sit at it
In refreshing coolness:
For this give me not to drink wine nor olive:
Lush trees live best by the soft rains
From heavens,
But gift me with praising rhymes,
Which could make jealous not only
The barren, but also the fecund trees,
And do not say: “What a linden tree
Has to do with poems?”
Forests are jumping when Orpheus plays.

The tree is a photo by me, and is not a linden tree, but 140 years old cherry tree, growing in Eugene, Oregon. I have often trouble to find rather pictures on Adobe stock, things tend to look very commercial.
Music: Licensed from Adobe Stock.
Painting by Titian, "Pastoral Concert," via Wikipedia, public domain of course.
PS: if I mention Adobe Stock, it means I got a licenses from there, simple licenses, allowing no more than half million views, which is not a problem in my case ; with very low viewership of my videos I will violate the licences in a millenium ;) but seriously a remix of this video, the music is not allowed. I mention this because youtube automatically flagged this video for possible copy right violation, and for a dispute, because of the music. Which is good, their vigilance. Hopefully the musician who listed this piece as as stock asset was not bothered by some kind of automated emails from youtube.

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