Ashes and Diamonds: quoted from Norwid's fine poem

At this date there is one quote from the movie. It may be interesting, but its context may be more interesting.

Maciek and Krystyna are going outside and when surprised by rain they enter the ruins of a church. By means of matches Krystyna identifies an inscription on the outside wall. It is a poem, and Maciek knows it by heart and recites it. I concluded that this poem must be very well-known to Polish people, so I tried and succeeded in identifying it. It was written by Cyprian Norwid, one of the greatest Polish poets of the 19th Century. Until I got help from the users of the IMDb boards I succeeded only in finding prose translations into several languages. (This poem is not included in Norwid's most famous collection “Vade Mecum”, which is available in a bi-lingual German-Polish editions.).

But I eventually posted the poem on this board. A Polish user posted the original text. In turn the Russian user Galina (now living in USA) translated it into English, which will be cited below.

This is one of the best national poems I have ever read. - The title of the movie is clearly borrowed from this poem:

_________________________


So often, are you as a blazing torch
with flames of burning rags falling about you flaming,
you know not if flames bring freedom or death.

Consuming all that you must cherish
if ashes only will be left,
and want Chaos and tempest

Or will the ashes hold the glory
of a starlike diamond
The Morning Star of everlasting triumph.

________________________


Norwid’s original text:

Coraz to z ciebie, jako z drzazgi smolnej,
Wokolo leca szmaty zapalone;
Gorejac, nie wiesz, czy stawasz sie wolny,
Czy to co twoje, ma byc zatracone?

Czy popiol tylko zostanie i zamet,
Co idzie w przepasc z burza; - czy zostanie
Na dnie popiolu gwiazdzisty dyjament,
Wiekuistego zwyciestwa zaranie!