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  What it means

  “Through lords to the king, and through the saints to God.” To reach someone powerful you must go through intermediaries. Influence and access flow through hierarchies — whether earthly or divine.

  Vocabulary

  • pan — lord, master, gentleman
  • król — king
  • święty — saint (here plural: święte)
  • Bóg — God

  Grammar note

  'Przez' takes the accusative: 'pany' (acc. pl. of 'pan'), 'święte' (acc. pl. of 'święty'). 'Do króla' and 'do Boga' use the genitive after 'do'.

  Cultural context

  Reflects the hierarchical structure of both the Polish nobility system and Catholic intercessory prayer, where saints mediate between humans and God.

  Advanced

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