Trafiło się ślepej kurze ziarno
Listen
What it means
“Even a blind hen finds a grain.” Even the most incompetent or unlucky person occasionally stumbles upon success by chance. Said with mild irony when someone gets lucky despite their limitations.
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 one finding grain anyway captures the idea of pure dumb 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." 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 …