Na świętego Kazimierza zima do morza zmierza
Listen
What it means
“On Saint Casimir’s day, winter heads toward the sea.” Tied to March 4th (St. Casimir), this proverb marks the approaching end of winter, with winter personified as heading off to sea.
Vocabulary
- zmierza — heads toward, makes its way to
- morze — sea
- zima — winter
Grammar note
'Do morza zmierza' ; 'zmierzać do' (to head toward) takes the genitive. Note the rhyme: 'Kazimierza / zmierza'.
Cultural context
St. Casimir (March 4) is the patron saint of Poland and Lithuania. His feast day falls in early March, a traditional time for watching for signs of spring.
Beginner
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, …