Philadelphia - Polish Proverb Corner

Polish proverbs are short and frequently metaphorical expressions of popular wisdom from all Polish speaking parts of the world. A few examples below are from the collection of Joel Stern.
 

Kto zawsze szczerze często guzy bierze 
One who's always frank often gets spanked
 
 Bez butelki kłopot wielki
Life's a battle without a bottle
 
Ma coś z rycerza - zakuty łeb
He is something of a knight - he has an iron skull

 Zamek na cztery spusty, a w środku goły i pusty
All image and no substance, All sizzle and no steak
  
 Co ci powie białogłowa, pisz na bystrej wodzie słowa
A woman's words are gone with the wind

Do cnoty ostro jak po szydle, do grzechu na dól jak po mydle
Becoming virtuous is an uphill struggle; falling into sin is as easy as rolling off a log

Czego kobieta chce, tego i Pan Bóg chce
What a woman wants is God's will
 
Bez pieniędzy nawet umrzeć trudno 
Without money it's even hard to die 
. 
Miłość, śmierć i sraczka przychodzą znienacka
Love, death, and diarrhea come unexpectedly 



Return to About Us