It is true though – recalled Kamiński – that the volume of her poetry published in 1996 on the Nobel Prize 'hype' went out over the Seine in a print run of 7,000 copies, which was considerable for poetry, but after the publication of a second book by the Polish poet, French publishers lost interest in her work.
In Kamiński’s opinion, the difficulty with Szymborska’s 'breaking through' to the French readership stems from a more general phenomenon, i.e. that county’s underappreciation of foreign-language poetry. 'France has long disliked poetry, especially poetry in translation,' the Polish translator believes.
To prove this, he recalled that he tried to interest French public television in her poetry just after Szymborska received the Nobel Prize. Without success. ‘The editor of the cultural section then replied with a refusal: 'The lady is unknown, we’ll wait until she gets more recognition.' And that was the end of the story with them,’ he concluded.
Szymborska’s American translator, Clare Cavanagh, talked about how Szymborska changed her whole outlook on the world, her perception of things – even of a plain button.
‘I think I was very lucky to come across such a poet thanks to Stanisław Barańczak’ was what Cavanagh, the English translator of, among others, the volumes Here (Tutaj) and Monologue of a Dog (Monolog Psa), told the Polish Press Agency (PAP) when asked for a comment following the poet’s death.
I see the world with different eyes thanks to Szymborska, because she described the world in such a way that you can no longer look at it as usual. She wrote, among other things, about trifles, she wrote a short, funny text about buttons. Thanks to Wisława, I even see buttons differently,’ said Cavanagh. ‘She had a unique gift. It was greatness on the one hand, and modesty on the other. She was one of my favorite poets on the planet, and at the same time my friend,
added Cavanagh.
The advantages of translating Szymborska’s poetry were noted by Piotr Wojciechowski, a prose writer, former president of the Polish Writers’ Association:
I came across her work rather than her person. But what was very characteristic of her poetry was the transparency with which it turned into translations. When working with students, I often used foreign-language translations of her poetry – they were so obviously poetic and graspable in all languages. It was poetry that was as if made to be translated, […] it [was] a deep penetration into human situations, full of wit and at the same time philosophical reflection.