Na święty Maciej skowronek zapieje
Listen
What it means
“On Saint Matthias’s Day the skylark will sing.” Tied to February 24th (St. Matthias), this proverb says that by this date the first skylarks can be heard — an early sign of approaching spring.
Vocabulary
- skowronek — skylark
- zapieje — will sing, will crow (future of zapiać)
Grammar note
'Zapieje' is the third person singular future of 'zapiać' (to start singing/crowing).
Cultural context
The skylark's song was one of the most celebrated signs of spring in Polish rural culture.
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." 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 …