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  What it means

  “It is no time to mourn roses when the forests are burning.” In a major crisis, do not waste energy on minor losses. Focus on what truly matters.

  English equivalent

  Don't sweat the small stuff.

  Vocabulary

  • żałować — to mourn, to regret
  • róża — rose
  • płonąć — to burn, to be on fire
  • las — forest

  Grammar note

  'Żałować' takes the genitive: 'róż' is the genitive plural of 'róża'. 'Gdy płoną lasy' — 'płoną' is third person plural present of 'płonąć'.

  Cultural context

  The line is from a poem by Cyprian Kamil Norwid and has become a widely used proverb in Polish culture.

  Intermediate

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