Gdy na Wawrzyńca orzechy obrodzą, to w zimie mrozy dogodzą
Listen
What it means
“When hazelnuts are plentiful on Saint Lawrence’s day, the frosts in winter will be satisfying.” A good nut harvest on 10 August predicts a proper, cold winter ; which was considered beneficial for the soil and the following year’s crops.
Vocabulary
- orzech — nut, hazelnut
- obrodzić — to yield abundantly, to be plentiful
- mróz — frost
- dogodzić — to satisfy, to suit
Grammar note
'Obrodzą' and 'dogodzą' are both perfective future forms. 'W zimie' is the locative of 'zima'.
Cultural context
Saint Lawrence (Wawrzyniec) is celebrated on 10 August. Nut harvests were a traditional indicator of the coming winter's character in Polish rural life.
Intermediate
Noticed a typo, a wrong translation, or anything that doesn't look right? We'd love to fix it — just let us know via the contact page. Thank you!
More Polish proverbs
- "A stepmother, even if made of sugar, is always bitter." However kind she may be, a stepmother may …
- "For a wise head, two words are enough." A clever person needs only a short hint to understand. Long …
- "A Pole is wise after the damage is done." Poles, or people in general, often learn from mistakes …
- "The wise will accept advice; the fool will reject it with scorn." Wise people listen to advice, …