Gdy noc jasna na Michała, to nastąpi zima trwała
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What it means
“When the night of Saint Michael’s is clear, a lasting winter will follow.” A clear, starry night on 29 September (Michaelmas) predicts a long, persistent winter.
Vocabulary
- noc — night
- jasny — clear, bright
- nastąpić — to follow, to come next
- trwały — lasting, persistent
Grammar note
'Nastąpi' is the perfective future of 'nastąpić'. 'Zima trwała' — adjective postpositioned for rhyme with 'Michała'.
Cultural context
Michaelmas (29 September) was a major feast day in the Polish folk calendar, marking the transition from autumn to the approach of winter.
Intermediate
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