Trafiło się ślepej kurze ziarno
Listen
What it means
“Even a blind hen finds a grain.” Even a very incompetent or unlucky person can sometimes find success by chance. It is said with mild irony when someone gets lucky despite their limits.
English equivalent
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.
Vocabulary
- ślepa kura — blind hen
- ziarno — grain
- trafić się — to come across, to happen upon
Grammar note
'Ślepej kurze' is the dative of 'ślepa kura' (to the blind hen). 'Trafiło się' is an impersonal reflexive construction.
Cultural context
Hens pecking for grain in a farmyard were a familiar sight. A blind hen finding grain still makes a clear image of pure luck.
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." 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, …