Co mąż, to wąż, co żona, to męczeńska korona
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What it means
A husband is a snake, a wife is a martyr’s crown , a sardonic view of marriage in which the husband is treacherous and the wife suffers nobly.
Vocabulary
- mąż — husband
- wąż — snake, serpent
- żona — wife
- męczeński — martyr's, of martyrdom
- korona — crown
Grammar note
Two parallel 'co … to …' clauses. The rhyme mąż/wąż and żona/korona makes it memorable.
Cultural context
The image of the martyr's crown draws on Catholic tradition. The proverb is now read as a critique of patriarchal marriage norms.
Intermediate
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