Bulgarian Poets: Pencho Slaveykov (Bulgarian: Пенчо Славейков)

From Wikipedia:

Pencho Slaveykov (Bulgarian: Пенчо Славейков) (27 April 1866 – 10 June 1912) was a Bulgarian poet and the youngest son of the writer Petko Slaveykov.

He was born in Tryavna during the Bulgarian National Revival under Ottoman rule. After an accident in January 1884 he fell ill (possibly from polio), and despite lengthy treatments in Bulgaria and abroad, he was left with serious impairments - he could not walk without a cane, and he wrote and spoke with difficulties. He suffered from "melancholic episodes, which forced him to find a cure in literature."

He was a director of the Bulgarian National Theatre (1908–1909) and a director of the National Library of Bulgaria (1909–1911).

He was fired from the post of director of the National Library because of political conflict with the minister of culture, and left Bulgaria, living in Switzerland before moving to Italy. He remained in Rome for three months, but set off in May 1912 to travel through the mountains looking for a cure. He arrived in the small town of Brunate near Lake Como, where he died on 28 May (10 June of Gregorian calendar).

Slaveykov was buried in Brunate's cemetery and his remains were moved to Bulgaria in 1921. Due to his death, the suggestion by Swedish professor Al. Jensen that Slaveykov be awarded a Nobel Prize was not considered by the Nobel Prize committee.

Slaveykov is portrayed on the obverse of the Bulgarian 50 levs banknote (1999 and 2006).


Pencho Slaveykov (left sculpture) and his father Petko (right sculpture) on Slaveykov Square in Sofia.

Престана поройния дъжд (poem, in Bulgarian)

Престана поройния дъжд,
отмина вихра ненадеян;
гръмовний сетен ек заглъхва,
далеко някъде отвеян.

И само капчици се ронят
от листовцете разведрени,
и падат — благодатни сълзи,
от блясък слънчев позлатени.

Pencho Slaveikov in Bulgaria, a travel guide By Philip Ward:



Pencho Slaveykov in Merriam-Webster's encyclopedia of literature By Merriam-Webster, Inc:



References:
Pencho Slaveykov, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Image source: Pencho Slaveykov. Wikipedia, public domain.
Category: Bulgarian poets. Wikipedia.
Photos from MuseumSlaveykovi.org.
Publications at Slovo.bg (in Bulgarian).