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  What it means

  “Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity.” Everything in the world is fleeting and ultimately meaningless. Used to express resignation, philosophical detachment, or the futility of worldly pursuits.

  English equivalent

  Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.

  Vocabulary

  • marność — vanity, futility, emptiness
  • wszystko — everything, all

  Grammar note

  'Marność nad marnościami' uses the instrumental plural after 'nad'. The construction is a Hebraism (superlative by repetition) from the Bible.

  Cultural context

  A direct quotation from Ecclesiastes (Kohelet) 1:2, deeply embedded in Polish religious and literary culture.

  Intermediate

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