Poland's universal celebration song — sung at birthdays, weddings, and name-day parties. Its short, repetitive structure makes it the perfect first Polish song to learn.
Lyrics & Translation
Polski
English
Main verse (repeated)
Sto lat, sto lat,
niech żyje, żyje nam!
Sto lat, sto lat,
niech żyje, żyje nam!
Jeszcze raz, jeszcze raz,
niech żyje, żyje nam!
Niech żyje nam!
A hundred years, a hundred years,
may they live for us!
A hundred years, a hundred years,
may they live for us!
Once more, once more,
may they live for us!
May they live for us!
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Vocabulary
- sto — one hundred
- lat — years (genitive plural of rok)
- niech żyje — may they live (wish, subjunctive)
- nam — for us (dative of my)
- jeszcze raz — once more / one more time
Grammar note
"Niech" is a particle used to form wishes and commands in the third person — niech żyje = may he/she/it live. "Lat" is the genitive plural of "rok" (year), used after numbers above four.
Cultural context
"Sto lat" literally means "a hundred years" — the wish is for the honoured person to live a hundred years. It is sung across Poland at virtually every celebration and is one of the first Polish phrases foreigners learn.
Beginner folkcelebrationtraditional
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