Here are the proverbs:
Diabeł nie śpi.
The Devil doesn't sleep.
Notes: The idea is that you have to be constantly on your guard against the Devil and his machinations; he never takes a break!
Bogu służ, a Diabła nie gniewaj.
Serve God, but don't make the Devil angry.
Notes: This saying takes a variety of forms: Bogu się kłaniaj, a Diabła nie gniewaj, "Bow to God, but don't make the Devil angry," Do Pana Boga się módl, a Diabła nie obrażaj, "Pray to the Lord God, but don't offend the Devil," etc. The idea is that it is not just enough to do the right thing; you still have to watch out for the Devil and, hopefully, not provoke him!
Anielskie usta, a szatańskie serce.
Lips of an angel, heart of a devil.
Notes: You can also find the same idea expressed this way: Postać anielska, dusza diabelska, "Looks of an angel, soul of a devil." Notice how the "devil" part has a nice sound-play in both of these sayings: szatańskie serce and dusza diabelska.
Bogatemu Diabeł dzieci kołysze.
The Devil rocks the rich man's children.
Notes: In other words, everything in the world, even the Devil, works to the benefit of rich people. I thought this was an especially eerie and interesting proverb because, yes, it shows that rich people have everybody doing their bidding, even the Devil himself... but do you really want the Devil to be rocking your baby's cradle? (I'm thinking Rosemary's Baby... which was directed by Roman Polanski!)
Gdy ogrodnik śpi, sieje Diabeł zielsko.
While the gardener's sleeping, the Devil's sowing weeds.
Notes: The word zielsko means unwanted greenery or weeds, but it is related to the word ziele, "herb," and zielony, "green." Notice above that while the gardener is sleeping here, Diabeł nie śpi!
Wzięli diabli krowę, niech wezmą i cielę.
Devils took the cow; let them take the calf too.
Notes: The idea here is that after someone has suffered a terrible loss (and unfairly: the devils did it!), they are resigned to suffering another loss on top of the first one. The word i is being used adverbially here: i cielę, "the calf too."
Chcesz się pożywić z Diabłem, szukaj długiej łyżki.
If you want to eat with the Devil, find a long spoon.
Notes: Compare the English saying, "He who sups with the Devil should have a long spoon." I like the way this Polish saying takes the second-person form with an imperative: Chcesz ... szukaj.
Nie trzeba Diabła wołać, bo on sam przyjdzie.
There's no need to summon the Devil because he'll come on his own.
Notes: Compare the English saying, "Speak of the Devil, and he'll appear." The Polish saying is more pessimistic: you don't even have to speak of the Devil; he'll appear on his own!
Nie maluj diabła na ścianie, to ci się nie przyśni.
Don't paint a devil on the wall, and you won't dream of him.
Notes: The idea is that you should not fill your head with troubled thoughts, because they haunt you in your dreams. In more contemporary terms, the message is: Don't doom-scroll on your phone before bed so you won't end up dreaming about the dumpster fire that is the news.
Nie taki Diabeł straszny jak go malują.
The Devil is not so terrible as they paint him.
Notes: This is a saying in English also, usually in the form "The Devil is not so black as he is painted," and there is a similar saying: "Give the Devil his due." In other words, even when someone is bad, even very bad, he is probably not as bad as reported. For the Polish version, here's a poster by Andrzej Pagowski:
Plus a LOLcat:
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