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  What it means

  “God on the tongue, but the devil in the heart.” Said of hypocrites who speak piously but act wickedly. Fine words mean nothing if one’s intentions are corrupt.

  English equivalent

  To have God on one's lips but the devil in one's heart.

  Vocabulary

  • język — tongue, language
  • diabeł — devil
  • serce — heart

  Grammar note

  'Boga' — genitive of 'Bóg' (used here in a partitive/topical sense). 'Na języku' — locative after 'na'. 'W sercu' — locative after 'w'.

  Cultural context

  A sharp critique of religious hypocrisy, a recurring theme in Polish folk and literary tradition.

  Intermediate

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