Noc jasna na Michała, zima ostra i trwała, gdy noc słotna, zima do końca grudnia lekka i błotna
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What it means
“A clear night on Saint Michael’s Day means a harsh and lasting winter; a rainy night means a mild and muddy winter until the end of December.” A weather proverb tied to the feast of Saint Michael (29 September), used to predict the coming winter.
Vocabulary
- jasny — clear, bright
- słotny — rainy, wet, foul (of weather)
- trwały — lasting, enduring
- lekki — light, mild
- błotny — muddy, boggy
Grammar note
The proverb uses nominative adjectives as predicates in an elliptical structure (the verb 'jest/będzie' is omitted). 'Do końca grudnia' uses the genitive after 'do' (until).
Cultural context
Saint Michael's Day (Michałki, 29 September) marks the transition into autumn in the Polish folk calendar and is associated with many weather-prediction proverbs.
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