Chopin left Poland around 1830, just before the uprising of the Polish people against the government... This song, which was never meant to be published, was one of the songs that he composed for friends and private occasions, or just for himself... although it was not dated, I think it was about the tragic end to that uprising, when he was afraid for his family and friends still in Poland, and for the Polish people, and their hopes for freedom... Aleksandra Kurzak sings this patriotic song with a lovely legato line and a heartbreaking and exquisite sensitivity to the text and music...
Nelson Goerner is her excellent accompanist.

The words are important - here they are in English

Tree, so free and noble, fast thy leaves are falling!
From the grave a bird with mournful note is calling:
O! Poland misfortune hate thy home o'ertaken,
thy truehearted children from death shall never waken,
Ev' ry town and village lonely watch is keeping,
Through the fields deserted wander women weeping,
All the sturdy reapers hath the wartime needed,
And the corn, fully ripened drop the grains unheeded

Warsaw saw the banners which our youths unfolded
Free united Poland shall in glorious form be molded.
And they fought in winter, fought when suns were burning
and the autumn found us still for freedom yearning
All in vain for freedom strove our valiant brothers
None were left to comfort Poland's mourning mothers.

Did they fall in battle? Captive were they taken?
Did they haply wander homeless and forsaken?
Heaven itself hath left us, left us here to languish:
God and man desert us in our bitter anguish

O! unhappy Poland! unhappy Poland! O! Poland, O! Poland,
Were thy sons restored to us, could the brave that perished
Help once more afford us... All dismay and terror
from our breast would vanish, war no more our dear ones
from our homes would banish.

Though by hands of traitors, Poland's freedom perish,
Still of Poland's heroes shall the mem'ry flourish...

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