Zan, Tomasz - Triolets

Tomasz Zan (1796–1855) — a Belarusian and Polish poet, founder of the Philarets Society, and a close friend of Adam Mickiewicz.

Born near Maladzyechna. Due to his freethinking activities at Vilnius University, he was exiled to Orenburg for 13 years, where he became a renowned naturalist. He wrote ballads based on Belarusian folklore and was among the first to introduce folk legends into formal literature.

"Triolets" (1823) - A cycle of poems written by Zan while imprisoned in Vilniа. In these verses, the poet expresses his longing for freedom, loyalty to his friends, and inner resilience. The brief, musical form of the triolet served as a sincere "poetic diary".