Bogu się kłaniaj, a diabła nie gniewaj.
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What it means
“Bow to God, but don’t anger the devil.” Be devout, but also be prudent — don’t needlessly provoke dangerous forces. A pragmatic folk wisdom that hedges its bets.
Vocabulary
- kłaniać się — to bow, to pay respects
- gniewać — to anger, to irritate
Grammar note
'Bogu' — dative of 'Bóg'. 'Diabła nie gniewaj' — imperative with genitive object ('diabła') after negation.
Cultural context
Reflects a folk religiosity that acknowledged both divine and demonic forces as real presences in daily life.
Intermediate
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