Miesiąc styczeń, czas do życzeń: a więc życzymy pomyślności, Boga, chleba, dobrych gości
Listen
What it means
“The month of January, time for wishes: so we wish you prosperity, God, bread, and good guests.” A traditional New Year greeting in proverb form, listing the four things most wished for in Polish folk culture.
Vocabulary
- miesiąc — month
- styczeń — January
- życzenie — wish, greeting
- pomyślność — prosperity, good fortune
- chleb — bread
- gość — guest
Grammar note
'Życzymy' is the first-person plural of 'życzyć' (to wish), governing the genitive: 'pomyślności, Boga, chleba, dobrych gości'.
Cultural context
A folk New Year's verse. The four wishes — prosperity, faith, food, and hospitality — reflect core values of traditional Polish culture.
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." No matter how kind a stepmother tries to …
- "For a wise head, two words are enough." A clever person needs only a brief hint to understand; …
- "A Pole is wise after the damage is done." Poles (or people in general) tend to learn from mistakes …
- "The wise will accept advice; the fool will scorn it." Intelligent people are open to counsel, while …