Although he made his debut in 1895 (a series of poems published in "Wędrowiec" magazine), his works initially went unnoticed. To sound "more Polish", Leśmian adopted a slightly modified version of his surname which included typically Polish sounds (previously it had been Lesman). According to various conflicting sources, the author of the pen-name which eventually became his official surname was either the known poet and poet's uncle Antoni Lange, or a renowned bon-vivant of Warsaw, Franc Fiszer. The first booklet issued in Warsaw in 1912 ("Sad Rozstajny") did not bring him much publicity either, and in 1912 Leśmian moved back to France. He returned in 1914.