Jewboy

Julian Tuwim

1926

He sings in the courtyard, clad in rags
A small, poor chap, a crazed Jew.
People drive him away, God has muddled his wits
Ages and exile have confused his tongue
He wails and he dances, weeps and laments
That he is lost, is dependent on alms.
The gent on the first floor looks down on the madman
Look my poor brother at your sad brother.
How…
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Creator Bio

Julian Tuwim

1894–1953

Julian Tuwim was born into an assimilated Jewish family in Lódz. He studied law and philosophy in Warsaw, where he played an integral role in Polish modernist literary circles. In addition to writing poetry for children and adults, Tuwim was a lyricist, translator, and dramatist, active in the poetic group Skamander. Tuwim wrote exclusively in Polish and stressed his allegiance to Poland while downplaying his attachment to Judaism; in prewar years he was vilified by antisemites and tried to distance himself from Jewish culture. He lived in the United States during World War II and after the war returned to Poland, where he expressed deep sympathy for Jews who were killed in the Holocaust.

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