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  What it means

  Every work has its reward; pleasure brings shame and loss. Honest labour is repaid with good, while the pursuit of pleasure leads to disgrace and ruin.

  Vocabulary

  • zapłata — reward, payment
  • rozkosz — pleasure, delight
  • sromota — shame, disgrace (archaic)
  • utrata — loss

  Grammar note

  The proverb uses a parallel structure contrasting 'praca' (work) with 'rozkosz' (pleasure), each followed by its consequence.

  Cultural context

  'Sromota' is an archaic word for shame or disgrace, giving the proverb a distinctly old-fashioned, moralistic tone.

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