Polish Proverbs - Polish Sayings

There are more than 100 good old Polish proverbs here. And, down the page there are some Polish sayings. Some of these are printed in both languages.

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Co kraj to obyczaj

POLISH PROVERBS

A good appetite needs no sauce.
A good bargain is a pick-purse.
A good painter need not give a name to his picture, a bad one must.
A guest sees more in an hour than the host in a year.
A noisy cow gives little milk.
A poor dancer will be disturbed even by the hem of her skirt.
All times are good when old.
Do not push the river, it will flow by itself.
Even a clock that does not work is right twice a day.
Even the goats will jump on a slanted tree.
Every error has its excuse.
Fish, to taste good, must swim three times: in water, in butter, and in wine.
God grant me a good sword and no use for it.
Hunger will lead a fox out of the forest.
Hungry bellies have no ears.
Ink, if not used, will dry up.
Innocence itself sometimes hath need of a mask.
Innocence plays in the backyard of ignorance.
Love enters a man through his eyes, woman through her ears.
Never seek the wind in the field. It is useless to try and find what is gone.
Nowadays you must go to heaven to meet an angel.
On a thief, the hat's on fire.
The doctor demands his fees whether he has killed the illness or the patient.
The greater love is a mother's; then comes a dog's; then a sweetheart's.
The greatest love is a mother's, then a dog's, then a sweetheart's.
The greatest oaks have been little acorns.
The woman cries before the wedding and the man after.
There will be no bread from that flour.
Under capitalism man exploits man; under socialism the reverse is true.
Watch the faces of those who bow low.
What little Johnny has not learned, big John will not know.
Wherever you go, you can't get rid of yourself.
Words must be weighed, not counted.

Jak cie widza, tak cie pisza
How they see you, that's how they perceive you

Gdyby kózka nie skakala, to by nózki nie zlamala
If the goat didn't jump, she wouldn't have broken her leg

Gdyby kózka nie skakala, to by smutne zycie miala
If the goat didn't jump, she'd have a miserable life

Swój ciagnie do swojego
Same kinds attract

Kazdy sadzi wedlug siebie
Everyone judges according to themselves

Z kim sie zadajesz, takim sie stajesz
You become whom you befreind

Kto sie czubi, ten sie lubi
Those who argue, like each other

Baba z wozu koniom lzej
When the woman gets off the wagon, horses have an easier time

Reka reke myje
One hand washes the other

Lepszy wróbel w garsci niz golab na dachu
It's better to have a sparrow in your hand, than a pigeon on the roof

Co nagle, to po diable
The devil dictates when you're in a hurry

W zdrowym ciele, zdrowy duch
Healthy soul in a healthy body

Madry Polak po szkodzie
Smart pole after the damage is done

Co kraj to obyczaj
Each country has it's own tradition

Co cialo lubi, to dusze zgubi
What likes the body will lose the soul

Komu pora, temu czas
When it's your time, you have to go

Kwiat bez zapachu, jak czlowiek bez duszy
A flower without a smell is like a man without a soul

Komu w droge, temu gwózdz w noge
who wants/needs to leave, stick a nail in his foot

Moja dupa i twoja twarz to blizniacy
My arse and your face are twins

Sukces ma wieju ojców, porazka jest sierota
A success has many fathers, a failure is an orphan

Musi to na Rusi, a w Polsce jak kto chce
A must is in Russia, in Poland you do however you want

Kto pije i pali ten nie ma robali
The one who both smokes and drinks doesn't get roundworms

Modli sie pod figura a diabla ma za skora
He(she) prays but has a devil under the skin.

Pan Bogu swieczke, a diablu ogarek
A candle for God, a stump for the devil (said about two faced people)

Szczescie jest pomiedzy ustami i brzegiem kielicha
Happiness is between the lips and the rim of a glass

Jeden lubi grac na skrzypcach, a drugi jak mu nogi smierdza
One man likes playing violin, and the other when his feet are smelly

Ladnemu we wszystkim ladnie.
A pretty person looks pretty in every clothing

Nie chwal dnia przed zachodem slonca
Don't praise the day before sunset

Wszedzie dobrze, ale w domu najlepiej
Everywhere's fine, but best at home

Zobaczysz, jak swinia niebo
You will see it as surely as a pig will see the sky (pigs cannot look up)

Potrzeba jest matka wynalazków
Necessity is the mother of invention

POLISH SAYINGS

"Słowo się rzekło, kobyłka u płotu"

Few have a chance to understand the meaning of this old Polish saying. Most Poles might point to the very sense of it and they know why they pronounce these few strange-arranged words to say what is intended, but few understand their real meaning. Translation French to Polish: Noblesse oblige! (Szlachectwo zobowiazuje!)

We have an expression, taken from French, which does not really have an English equivalent. "Noblesse oblige" refers to the implied "obligation" that the rich are supposed to have to help the poor.

"Słowo się rzekło, kobyłka u płotu"
Means "Noblesse oblige"!!

It seems nonsense when translated literally: "A word was said - a mare is standing by the fence". This old saying has a long historic background. In the 15th century, before there were newspapers and photographs, the kings could often venture out "incognito" among their subjects and "check up on them".

The story goes that the famous Polish King Jan Sobieski III, the savior of Vienna (1683), not far from his palace, made a bet with a petty noble who didn't recognize him. Sobieski was kidding him that a man in his position would never get a chance to speak to the King. Jan bet his favourite mare. He was obviously going to "throw" the bet and let the poor man win, just for the amusement of his traveling companions. The hot-headed gentryman demanded that his partner must present him immediately to the King. Sobieski then said to the confused gentryman: "słowo się rzekło, kobyłka u płotu", pointing to the horse.

Hundreds of such wonderful sayings are functioning in the Polish language making it rich and nice to hear. The language is really a living monument.

"Nie dla wszystkich skrzypce graja"

"The violin doesn't play for everybody"

This is the reason why Itzhak Perlman can make pretty music with the cheapest fiddle, while even a Stradivarius is of no help to me.

"Co po trzezwemu mysli, to po pijanemu powie"

"What one thinks when sober, one says when drunk"

This one is as old as the hills. "In vino veritas" is Latin for "In wine there is truth"

"Potrzebny jak dziura w moscie"

"As necessary as a hole in the bridge"

I need that like a hole in the head!

"Reka reke myje, noga Noge wspiera"

"Hand washes hand, leg supports leg"

You scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours! Quid pro quo (Latin for "something for something").

What a Polish Folk Song really means

"Hej, górale, nie bijcie sie.
Ma góralka dwa warkocze podzielicie sie!"

"Hey hillbilly boys, don't fight.
The girl will dance with both of you!"

Literally: The girl has two pigtails, and she will share!