Jan Brzechwa

Jan Brzechwa, real name Jan Lesman (August 15, 1900 – July 2, 1966) was a Polish poet and author, mostly known for his contribution to children's literature. He was also a famous translator of Russian literature, translating mostly works by Aleksandr Pushkin, Sergey Yesienin and Vladimir Mayakovskiy.

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Brzechwa is the writers' pseudonym, it is a name for the rear part of an arrow with vanes. He changed his name in order to sound more Polish and avoid being confused with his cousin Boles?aw Le?mian, also a poet.

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Jan Brzechwa was born in ?merynka in Podolia in a Polish-Jewish family. Soon he moved to Warsaw, where he graduated from Law Faculty of the Warsaw University. His debuted in 1920 in various comical magazines. In 1926 he published Oblicza zmy?lone, his first book of poems. His first set of poems for children (Ta?cowa?a ig?a z nitk?) was published in 1937. Brzechwa was also working as a lawyer and attorney of the Polish Society of Authors and Composers ZAIKS. Since 1924 he was one of the most notable Polish specialists in copyright. Brzechwa died in Warsaw in 1966 and is buried at the Pow?zki cemetery.

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Among his works is the Chrz?szcz (a beetle, chafer), a poem famous for being one of the hardest to pronounce texts in Polish literature, even for adult, native Polish speakers. Its first line ?W Szczebrzeszynie chrz?szcz brzmi w trzcinie? (In Szczebrzeszyn a beetle buzzes in the reed) is the most popular Polish tongue-twister, in which almost all of the consonants make some kind of buzzing noises.

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Jan Brzechwa and Julian Tuwim are two most famous authors of children poems in Poland. Many of Brzechwa?s texts have been translated into English by Walter Whipple, however they have not been published yet (2004).

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There is a 1989 animated movie Adventures of Cheating Flea based on a poem Pch?a Szachrajka by Jan Brzechwa.

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August 15: August 15 is the 227th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (228th in leap years), with 138 days remaining....

1900: :For the film, see 1900 (film)....

July 2: July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 182 days remaining....

Jan Brzechwa related Images and Photos (experimental)

Jan Sterling	Jan-Michael Vincent	"Skiing Woman " Jan/Feb 84	1984 Jan Sterling Edmond O'Brien 1956
Jan Van Riebeeck Lands in Table Bay Where He Founds Cape Town	The Martyrdom of Jan Hus	The Brady Bunch 'Real Jan Brady' T-Shirt - Yellow	The Brady Bunch 'Real Jan Brady' T-Shirt - Yellow
Boris Mark and Jan Hambourg Russian-Born Musicians	The Landing of Jan Van Riebeeck (1619-77) 6th April 1652 1850	Portrait of Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck 1624	Portrait of Jan Both Engraved by Johannes Meyssens