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  What it means

  “Whoever seeks coolness in July will suffer hunger in winter.” Avoiding summer work in favour of comfort means you won’t have enough stored for winter. Laziness in the warm season leads to hardship in the cold one.

  English equivalent

  Make hay while the sun shines.

  Vocabulary

  • lipiec — July
  • chłód — coolness, cool shade
  • nacierpeć się — to suffer greatly (perfective)
  • głód — hunger, famine

  Grammar note

  'Patrzy chłodu', archaic genitive after 'patrzeć' meaning 'to look for / seek'. 'Nacierpi się' is reflexive perfective future.

  Cultural context

  Reflects the agricultural reality of Polish peasant life: July was harvest time and no rest was affordable.

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