KOCHANOWSKI, kiYKA-nor'ski, JAN ( 1530 84). A Polish poet. He was born on the family estate, Syeyna, in the Government of Radom. in 1544 he entered the University of Cracow, and in 1552 he continued his studies at the University of Padua. He traveled for sonic time in Italy, and in 1553 he went to Paris, where lie met Ron sard. who encouraged him to write in verse, in which art he soon became famous. On his return home he was appointed Royal Secretary at the Court of King Sigismund Augustus. Soon after wards he was presented with two benefices. In 156S, however, he retired to his estate, Czarnylas. where he devoted himself to writing poetry, tak ing at the same time keen interest in all politi cal changes of his country. He later refused the post of poet laureate at the Court of King Stephen Bilthory. Koehanowski is the most important Polish poet of his century. He wrote in Polish and Latin. In the former the most famous of his works are the Treny (Cra cow, 1580) ; elegies on the death of his daughter Ursula, which are considered masterpieces in form and style; the drama Odprawa poslaw greltich ("The Dispatch of the Greek Am bassadors," 1578). in commemoration of the marriage of Zamojski with the Princess Bilthory; and Proporzec albo hold pruski ("Homage to the Prussian Banner'') ;and the satire Zgoda (1564).
In his Fraszki ( "Epigrams" ) , miscellaneous poems and anecdotes (3 vols.. 1584), he appears at his best. His translation of the Psalms (1579). stamped with vividness and simplicity. is considered the best in existence. In the Latin language he wrote Lyricorum Libellus (1580) Elegiarum Libri Quatuor (1584) ; and many oe easional poems which have been trallSlatt'd into Polish by Brodzinski in 1829, and by Syrokomnla in 1851. Kochanowski welded the classical and Polish elements. and largely contributed to the development and refinement of his native lan guage. His writings were for the first time published eollectively at Cracow in 1581-90: but the last and best edition, the so.called• jubilee publication, appeared in Warsaw (18841. Many of his poems, were also translated into German by IL Nit sehmann ( 1875). For biographies of Koehanowski consult: Von Przyborowski (Posen, 1857) also L6wenfeld, Jan kochanowski und seine lalcinischen Diehtungen (Posen, 1878).