Chrząszcz
Template:Short description Chrząszcz (beetle, chafer) by Jan Brzechwa is a tongue-twister poem famous for being considered one of the hardest-to-pronounce texts in Polish literature. It may cause problems even for adult, native Polish speakers.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>10 Craziest Polish Tongue Twisters</ref>
The first few lines of the poem:
| Template:Audio | Phonetic transcription | English translation |
|---|---|---|
| W Szczebrzeszynie chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie | Template:IPA | In Szczebrzeszyn a beetle buzzes in the reeds |
| I Szczebrzeszyn z tego słynie. | Template:IPA | And Szczebrzeszyn is famous for this. |
| Wół go pyta: „Panie chrząszczu, | Template:IPA | An ox asks him: "Mister beetle, |
| Po cóż pan tak brzęczy w gąszczu?" | Template:IPA | What are you buzzing in the bushes for?" |
The first line "W Szczebrzeszynie chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie" (In Szczebrzeszyn a beetle buzzes in the reed) is a well-known Polish tongue-twister and dates to at least the 19th century.<ref name=":0" />
Thanks to the poem, the town of Szczebrzeszyn is widely known in Poland. Two monuments to the beetle were erected there, and a yearly sculpture festival has been held there ever since.Template:Cn
Chrząszcz was translated into English by Walter Whipple as Cricket (whose Polish equivalent, świerszcz, is also considered difficult to pronounce for non-Polish speakers).
See also
- Strč prst skrz krk, Czech and Slovak tongue twister and shibboleth