The volume Tears of Blood: A Poet's Witness Account of the Genocide of Roma introduces the recently rediscovered manuscript of a poem titled Ratwate jaswa in Romani: Tears of blood, written by one of the most prominent and recognized Romani poets, Bronisława Wajs, called Papusza, who was a Holocaust survivor. The poem became one of the earliest known testimonies by a survivor of the Holocaust of Roma and Sinti. The volume contains the original transcript of the poem written in Romani by Papusza, as well as its translation, which will serve as a basis for future translators and for future research based on the original text as well as pave the way for other initiatives promoting Papusza's work and her biography.The book includes extensive historical and philological commentary, as well as chapters on Papusza and her poetry, the manuscript itself, its translations, and the historical context of the tragic fate of Roma and Sinti during World War II, which remains largely absent from mainstream historical narratives. This publication is the fourth volume in the Roma History and Culture series that aims to integrate Romani studies into the mainstream of academic scholarship.The book is divided into two parts. Part I, titled “Texts and Translations of Tears of Blood” includes six chapters, and Part II, titled “On Papusza and Tears of Blood,” consists of four chapters. Chapter 1, “A Facsimile of the Manuscript in Papusza's Hand,” by Bronisława Wajs-Papusza, presents the manuscript of a previously unknown version of the poem Tears of Blood, which is four times longer than the earlier widely published, translated, and frequently quoted version. The scans of the original narrative span fifty-four pages.In chapter 2, “Tears of Blood in Papusza's Spelling,” Viktor Shapoval delves into symbols, unique manuscript signs, distinctive letterforms, and selected ligatures, presenting the text in Papusza's idiosyncratic Polish spelling. Similarly, chapter 3 offers the poem in consensual Romani spelling while chapter 4 features an English poetic translation of the poem by Hamish MacDonald. Chapter 5 presents an English literal translation of Papusza's Tears of Blood by Tomasz Kamusella and Viktor Shapoval based on Shapoval's Russian translation of the Romani original, which he transcribed from Papusza's manuscript.In addition to the Polish and Romani transcriptions, Shapoval also established standardized verse numbering and highlighted the abridged version of the poem published by Jerzy Ficowski in Pieśni Papuszi Papusza's Songs, 1956 against Papusza's original manuscript. These annotations are included in all three language versions—Polish, Romani, and English.Although the editors commend Viktor Shapoval for his deep expertise in the Romani language and culture, it is disappointing that none of the authors or contributors to this volume are of Romani origin. Today, there are several capable and accomplished scholars from the Romani community whose contributions would have significantly enriched the volume. Including Romani voices would not only provide a more authentic perspective but also affirm the importance of self-representation in the discourse of Romani studies.Chapter 6, “Explanatory Commentaries to All the Texts and Translations of Tears of Blood,” by Volha Bartash, Tomasz Kamusella, and Viktor Shapoval, provides detailed linguistic and editorial commentary on specific lines from Papusza's poem, focusing mainly on differences between Papusza's original manuscript, Ficowski's 1956 edited version, and scholarly interpretations and corrections.Part II, titled “On Papusza and Tears of Blood,” includes four chapters by historians and literary scholars—Viktor Shapoval, Emilia Kledzik, Mikhail Tyaglyy, and Sofiya Zahova—who, as they state, situate the poem in the broader context of anti-Roma Nazi policies and the development of Romani literature.Chapter 7, “Bronisława Wajs-Papusza (1908–1987): The ‘Gypsy’ Myth in Discourses,” by Emilia Kledzik, examines and challenges the popular image of Papusza and how her figure and poetry have been presented and interpreted over the years, from a figure in the communist era who wrote poetry that promoted the government's initiative to encourage the Roma to stop wandering and settle down, through a symbol of lost tradition, to a figure of contemporary Romani literature. Kledzik also draws attention to the role of Ficowski, who served as Papusza's editor and promoter, and emphasizes that many of Papusza's works were edited or partially written by him, which raises concerns about authorship.Chapter 8, “Decoding the Simplest Things: Papusza's Writings as a Message,” by Viktor Shapoval, explores the voice of Papusza shaped by her identity and further shares his experience of working with Papusza's manuscript. He highlights how her poetry reflects her deep connection to nature, her witness to wartime atrocities, and her longing for lost freedom. Shapoval criticizes the way communist censorship distorted her message, obscuring her concerns about her sedentary lifestyle.Chapter 9, “Papusza and the Romani Literature Scene Worldwide,” by Sofiya Zahova, discusses the life, work, and legacy of Bronisława Wajs in the context of Romani literature. The discussion also explores the development of Romani literature, postwar activism regarding the recognition of the Romani genocide, and how Papusza's legacy has inspired numerous literary and artistic initiatives, with a growing appreciation of her work within Romani communities and academia.The final chapter, chapter 10, titled “A ‘Little’ Tragedy on the Margins of ‘Big Histories’: The Romani Genocide in Volhynia, 1941–1944,” by Mikhail Tyaglyy, reconstructs the chronology of the persecution of Roma in the Volhynia region. Tyaglyy raises the issues of the hostility of the local Ukrainian population toward traveling Roma and their persecution by Ukrainians, including UPA units and local Ukrainian collaborators.Given the pioneering research this book represents, it is deeply disappointing that the authors of this volume continue to use outdated and problematic terminology such as “anti-Gypsyism” and “anti-Gypsy prejudice.” These terms, while historically used in some academic and institutional contexts, unwittingly reinforce the very word they seek to criticize—a word that has long been used pejoratively and harmfully about Roma. The current standard in Romani studies, especially among Romani scholars themselves, is to use the term “anti-Roma prejudice,” which more accurately reflects the identity of those affected without replicating or legitimizing the slur. The term “Gypsy/Gypsies” appears 423 times in the volume. While some of these instances are understandably part of translations of Papusza's poetry, the repeated use of the word outside of those contexts—even when placed in quotation marks—contributes to its normalization and continued harm. This oversight significantly distracts from the otherwise important scholarly work contained in this volume.The volume sheds light on Papusza and her extraordinary poem, a poetic testimony based on oral history that reveals the harsh realities of survival and persecution of Romani people by Germans and Ukrainian collaborators in Nazi-occupied Poland. This book extends beyond literary analysis to provide a critical, interdisciplinary framework that incorporates historical contextualization, ethnographic insights, and cultural analysis. In this context, this study contributes to the larger movement aimed at promoting Papusza's poetry, her story, and her struggle for historical justice, and at including the history of Roma in the memory and commemoration of the Holocaust and ethnic cleansing in Volhynia. From this perspective, the poem Tears of Blood becomes a survivor's testimony, standing in for the many voices silenced by war and historical neglect.
Justyna Matkowska (Thu,) studied this question.