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  What it means

  “Work is pleasant, though hard, as long as it is not in vain.” Effort and toil are bearable and even enjoyable when they produce results; it is pointless work that demoralises.

  English equivalent

  Hard work is its own reward — as long as it bears fruit.

  Vocabulary

  • miły — pleasant, dear
  • praca — work, labour
  • lubo — though, although (archaic)
  • trudny — hard, difficult
  • daremny — in vain, fruitless, pointless

  Grammar note

  'Lubo' is an archaic conjunction meaning 'although'. 'Póki nie daremna' — 'póki' means 'as long as'; 'daremna' is the feminine predicate adjective.

  Cultural context

  The archaic 'lubo' marks this as an older proverb. It reflects the Polish folk ethic of valuing purposeful labour.

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