Wojciech Bobowski (Ali Ufkî) – Polak na osmańskim dworze

Abstract

The article presents the biography of an outstanding, yet completely forgotten Turk of Polish origin. Wojciech Bobowski vel. Bobovius (1610?–1675?) is better known by his Turkish name, Ali Ufkî, foremost as a Turkish composer and the Osman music theorist. However, his talents and achievements are greater. He was also a polyglot and his talent was appreciated and admired in the circles of the Ottoman elite as well as European diplomats and travellers. As a translator, a teacher of the Tukish language and culture Ali Ufkî became a link between the East and the West in the second half of 17th century. He wrote and translated linguistic, religious and literary works, among others, one of the first Ottoman-Turkish translations of The Bible. In his biography, reconstructed on the basis of secondary sources, many blank spots still exist. It is essential to underline the fact that the newest biography of Bobowski which is present in the Polish literature, written in 1935, is out of date in the light of today’s discoveries. Therefore, this paper aims to present the new version of Bobowski’s biography, based on the newest European and Turkish sources.