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  What it means

  “On Saint Agatha’s day, if the little sun peeks through the little window into the cottage, then spring is peeking at the world from behind winter’s bars.” Sunshine on 5 February is a sign that spring is on its way, even though winter still holds the world behind its bars.

  Vocabulary

  • słonko — little sun (diminutive of słońce)
  • okienko — little window (diminutive of okno)
  • chata — cottage, hut
  • wiosenka — little spring (diminutive of wiosna)
  • podglądać — to peek, to spy
  • krata — bars, grating

  Grammar note

  Rich use of diminutives ('słonko', 'okienko', 'wiosenka') gives the proverb a warm, folk-poetic tone. 'Zza' is a compound preposition (z + za) taking the genitive.

  Cultural context

  Saint Agatha's day (5 February) is one of many weather-prediction days in the Polish folk calendar tied to saints' feasts.

  Intermediate

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