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  What it means

  “God, protect me from friends — I can handle my enemies myself.” False friends cause more harm than open enemies, because their betrayal is unexpected.

  English equivalent

  Save me from my friends; I can protect myself from my enemies.

  Vocabulary

  • strzec — to guard, to protect
  • Bóg — God
  • przyjaciel — friend
  • wróg — enemy
  • poradzić sobie — to manage, to cope

  Grammar note

  'Strzeż' is the imperative of 'strzec'. 'Od przyjaciół' and 'z wrogami' use genitive and instrumental respectively.

  Cultural context

  Often attributed to various historical figures; widely used in Polish to warn against trusting flatterers or two-faced acquaintances.

  Intermediate

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