I just found out (via Witcher Wikia) that last year saw the publication of a new Witcher book - a prequel. A czech translation is supposedly underway ETA Nov this year.

My question to all polish speaking Witcher friends out there: Have some of you already read it? First impressions?

It's in my shelf, I want to read the whole series again and then go into Sezon Burz.

What I've been told is that it's far from the quality of the series, rather as if Sapkowski phoned it in.
Given the success of the game series internationally I could imagine publisher pressure to write something, anything.

And although he is a peculiar sort when it comes to artistic voice, one thing I wouldn't say is that he is immune to commercial interests. In fact I'd even go so far to say that a lot of the Witcher's (Geralt of Rivia I mean) mercenary approach to life is at some level self-referential. Add to that his age and that I believe he hasn't published any novel in a while...

Regardless, if you compare him to other PL fantasy, I'd expect even Sezon Burz comes out looking quite good.

PS: It's a prequel to the series of books from Blood of Elves (Krew Elfow) onwards. It must be after most of the short stories (maybe even all of then) in the first two books (first book if you consider english, since Miecz Przeznaczenie is not published in EN).

Many thanks for the info. I'd appriciate if you could share some thought when you have come around to read it, even if it may take a while.

I've read all the other books (in German) and the medieval trilogy. It's a shame they're not all available in English. I've read the The Last Wish in English also and I liked the English translation better than the German one.

Of what kind of vulgarity/poetry is the original Polish word for "ploughing"? In German it's translated as "bumsen" (~ banging) which I consider a lot more vulgar. As a sidenote: I recently talked to a friend who plays the Witcher games in German, and he was astounded to hear that there is a lot of usage of the "ploughing" word in the English versions (as much as in the books). It seems a lot of text has been "altered" (more like censored) in the German versions. On example would be the rude soldier song in the siege tower in the prologue of The WItcher 2.

One of the reasons I want to reread the series is that my level of polish has increased in the past years. When I read Ostatnie Zyczenie I underlined words I didn't understand and I'd wager almost 40% of it is underlined :)

That said although Sapkowski's prose can be vulgar I'm not sure I'd say it's very vulgar. It suits the style and aesthetics of the characters when he wants to - very naturalistic instead of the usually stilted language fantasy employs. Another thing I'd say is that he mixes anachronistic words with almost invented words - or maybe they are just very archaic, and that he does that particularly for the more vulgar dialogues, the ones relating to fucking, killing, swearing.

Anyway, give me a page and paragraph number with some reference and I'll check and give you more informed opinion.

Out of curiosity, how do you compare the Hussite trilogy with the Witcher series? My feeling is the trilogy is a much better work - more original, taking all the best of the Witcher and doubling down on it (the realistic interactions and settings, well rounded characters, the philosophical and humoristic undercurrents), removing many of the fantastical tropes (be they Arthurian or otherwise) and I'd even say literarily far better constructed.

So you're not native Polish? I didn't know. For reference it's hard to give a page number. You could look up what the "dispel" of the genie that Geralt shouted was in The Last Wish (the story). It's near the end when the priest explains to Geralt what the words he said actually mean.
In English it was translated along the lines of "Bugger off and plough yourself", whereas in German it was "Hau ab und bums dich selber durch" (Bugger off and fuck yourself). What I wanted to know is of the Polish original is more "poetic/archaic" like "to plough" or more straightforward vulgar like "to fuck".

As for the Hussite trilogy: I can't say I didn't like it. I found the translation a whole lot better than The Witcher. The Witcher was translated by Eric Simon, a supposedly renowned German SciFi author, the Hussite books by some woman who's name I forgot. I found the language in the trilogy more beautiful and poetic - I think that both Sapkowski had refined his skills and the translation is better. I really liked the setting with its old pre-christian myths still alive (in the literal sense) and all to familar country (I'm from near Zittau (Żytawa)). I think they are really good books, but - I just didn't like Reinmar von Bilau, the main character. I would have liked to beat him up thoroughly at some points in the books. With Geralt I could really sympathize, even when he showed douchebaggery towards his friends (the pike cooking scene). Reinmar is just an idiot. It gets a little better towards the end but I had a hard time caring for him at all.

What I really loved were the short stories from Something Ends, Something Begins. Especially Tandaradey! and the bomb crater story.

Neither :) it is both archaic and one of Sapkowski's particular "creations"... in polish it reads (ill even turn on the PL keyboard for this... hehehe): Odejdź stąd i wychędoż się sam.

There's nothing particularly rude about Odejdz (though turning it into bugger is an inspired translation solution). It's a form of the verb to go, with the prefix od to give it a meaning of get away from here. Stad = here.

As for wychedoz, that is also a verb with a prefix that slightly modifies the meaning. Wy is a prefix that is very common in PL and mostly has meaning associated with exiting. W alone is same but for entering. Of course for certain rhytmic activities I'd say the difference is moot - it's just emphasis. :) Chedozyc sie is definitively understood as slang of fuck, and associated with Sapkowski and the Witcher books, previous to which it may not have been common usage. Ah, the sie is a reflexive, so it's literally not to fuck, but to fuck oneself (somewhat misleading as polish sie does not carry any singular vs plural or any specific person - I, you, we, etc).

I checked online dictionaries and it apparently has a correct meaning related to cleaning, ordering. Now, Sapkowski is a smart and creative guy, but the word did have some archaic documented appearences where the meaning is related to cohabitation and intimacy, it's just that such was not an accepted "dictionary" meaning. And it still isn't, though it is for sure slang.

And you see, here is the trouble with Sapkowski translations - much as I am not a native, but his prose is very natural and carries a lot of subtle meaning. You used the word poetic, which I would not use at least in its normally understood modes of sonority, rhythm, etc... as his prose is nothing like that, it is very natural but carrying a lot of subtle word plays and references that will be intimately related to polish language, both vulgar and literate. This gets lost in translation, and it typically falls into one of two sides - the translator uses colloquial, country style, popular language to an extreme which is not justified by the source material, or he uses poetic, archaic, obscure style which likewise is not completely faithful to the original.

All of this, and still haven't actually answered you. :) I can say that translating from ploughing, or from fucking, to polish no one would choose the verb chedozyc. The other way around the dilemma can be solved both ways, equally valid. Me I'd go with: "Go away and mess yourself up" for a literal minded expression. Or "Go away and adulterate yourself" where adulterate would be a play on adultery, not on modification. But as you see these in english lose a lot of expressive power - they have other meanings which dominate. Maybe "Bugger off and go bugger yourself."? What you think? :)

And by the way, consider the added subtelty (with Sapkowski, I'd wager money it's intentional), that the verb in the original is used by the chaplain, translating into common language the phrase we don't know, that Geralt had said in some form of memorized religious language - he thought it was some kind of exorcism. The actual original word used for fuck we don't even know - it is possible the chaplain was choosing a more polite form for something extremely vulgar. ;)

PS: Some pages forward, Yen says to a butler/chamberlain (after Geralt brings her through the portal and the Djinn escapes her) Odchedoz sie, durniu! It's the same verb, with od instead of wy for prefix. How is it translated? :)

The word "chędożyć" was most often used in 19th century and had indeed meaning "to clean" in the context of cleaning a weapon or a horse. On the other hand, count Aleksander Fredro used it also as a synonym to having sex. I don't think 19th century is "archaic" and seeing as Fredro is one of the obligatory writers in polish language lessons I think we could safely say chędożyć = to have sex. I think Sapkowski trying to imitate medieval language just dug this word out :)

I agree this meaning was not a Sapkowski inspiration in isolation. Where I have my doubts, and I doubt anyone can actually know it today, is if the archaic uses of the verb to mean sexual intercourse were strict or metaphorical - and yes, I'd consider even 20th century usages that are not common today to be archaisms.

Personally I would lean to metaphorical, in a more strict sense of someone laying, setting, preparing, arranging (having intercourse with) someone else. This speculation is informed by three things:
1) that polish sprzatac, which is still given as the main synonym to chedozyc has a stronger conotation to making order than to cleaning. This fits the examples you gave of maintaining a horse or a weapon in proper condition for later usage.
2) that realism, a la Dickens or Zola was not the literary strain where the sexual usages of chedozyc appear - I may be wrong in this as I have no comprehensive list of the verb's usage. Fredro fits with it though, being mainly a poet and a romantic.
3) that whenever I brought up this verb, the meaning people have given it is not merely to have sex, but somehow implying semi official relationship status - as if living with a concubine, unmarried. This is my interpretation on the amused reactions, rather than something anyone explicitly told me.
So not a very solid foundation, but I'll stick with it for lack of better bullshit ;)

German version: "Verpiss dich, Idiot!" ("Piss off, idiot!").
English version: "Screw yourself!" ("Idiot" seems to have been left out).

toxicTom, so you're saying the official English translations are better than the German ones? Because I heard the opposite! Or are you only saying you liked the English translation better? As far as I know there are more books translated in German, so I'll probably buy the German version (or, if I'll wait long enough, I might buy them in English, but there was this quality thing....).

I don't really know which translations are better since I don't know Polish and that way I just can't assess what the better translations are. Also the only book I have in English The Last Wish. I liked the English version better, because the language, while still "explicit" sounded less "plain vulgar". Maybe we just don't have enough creative words for youknowwhat in German. ;-)

We would need someone who is fluent in Polish, German and English to get an objective comparison of the translation quality.

For the games it seems that a lot of vulgar talk has been softened or changed in other ways but I can only rely on a friends statement since I've never played it in German myself.

I like the English translations better as well. The German versions have an awkward feel to them. They try to sound 'gritty-vulgar' but only manage to sound immature. (Insgesamt eine sehr 'gewollte' Sprache) I don't know enough Polish to read the books in the original language unfortunately, but the English translations sound more authentic. So for anyone who is fluent in both English and German, I would recommend to read the English versions.

Hmmm. Guess I'll do more research/think more about it when the time to buy them has arrived =) Thanks for your input, guys!

That's my feeling too. But to be honest - since English is not my native language it may just be that I simply don't notice the flaws a native speaker would stumble upon. Ankward phrases, blunt writing, skewed usage of words.
For instance I love the writing of Max Payne that many native speaker find cheesy and over the top. For me it was the epitome of Noir comic/writing, especially the "tearing the fourth wall" scene.

I have read it some time ago.

I enjoyed it overall. It's not as good as the saga or first short stories but I wouldn't say Sapkowski phoned it in. The weird structure of the book hurts it though. It feels like Sapkowski wanted to write a couple of short stories but then forced them into one continuous narrative. So you keep switching between different, unrelated but meaty subplots and it doesn't work all that well. I can see what he was going for - all events take place at a time when Geralt was slightly more vulnerable than normal - but it doesn't gel.

These different "short stories" are also of varying quality. From memory there is at least one pretty boss horror themed one and one that centers on such a cliche Witcher trope that your eyes may roll into the back of your head. I liked the ending which was pretty touching and badass even if a bit pandering.

Okay but don't expect too much would be my verdict.