Jan Kochanowski (1530-84) was the greatest Polish poet of his time and probably the most famous name in Polish literature before Adam Mickiewicz (1798 - 1855). His masterpiece is considered to be his Laments, a series of nineteen poems commemorating his daughter Ursula, who died in 1579 at the age of two and a half . In simple but eloquent language, Kochanowski describes his journey from savage grief to reconciliation, and even in translation his verse retains much of its power and conviction. In this bilingual presentation each poem will be read first in the original Polish and then in English translation.