I’ve assembled and translated a small list of my favourite toasts that you can use when drinking in the company of your favourite Polish folk. Most of these have been collected on this fine website (in Polish).

If you’re going to be in social situations with a large number of Poles, this webpage is a good read (specifically aimed at the business traveller)

Na zdrowie! (To health!)

poetics

Only idiots don’t drink with soup.
Tylko ludzie glupie nie pija przy zupie.

Vodka is your enemy, so pound it in the gullet.
Wódka to twój wróg, wiec lej ja w morde.

Life is like wine – it sours, everything seperates and sinks, and it’s difficult to finish.
Zycie jest jak wino – kwasnieje, wszystko opada na dno i trudno sie go pozbyc’.

Oh my soul, find some shelter, a deluge is coming.
Uchyl sie duszo, bo ulewa idzie.

I drink til I fall, fall til I rise, I rise to drink, drink to be wise.
Pije by pasc, Padam by wstac, Wstaje by pic, Pije by zyc.

We got together as friends to have a drink. Let’s drink to getting together as friends.
Zebralismy sie tu po to, by sobie popic. Wypijmy za to, zesmy sie tu zebrali.

Every shot I take is one more nail in my coffin… That’s going to be one well built coffin.
Kazdy wypity kieliszek – to gwózdz do naszej trumny… Pijmy wiec tak by trumna sie nie rozpadla.

To the drunkard: who lives half as long, but sees everything twice.
Pijany zyje dwa razy krócej, ale widzi dwa razy wiecej.

To love, youth, and good arguments.
Za milosc, mlodosc i dobra awanture.

love and women

To the health of all the beautiful women, and my wife.
Zdrowie pieknych pan i mojej zony.

To the health of real men …. and yours, you shitheads!
Zdrowie prawdziwych meszczyzn… i wasze, gówniarze!

No such thing as ugly women, just sober men.
Nie ma brzydkich kobiet, tylko sa trzezwi meszczyzni.

To the health of our wives and lovers – and may they never meet!
Zdrowie zon i kochanek – oby sie nigdy nie spotkaly!

’til we meet next, on the floor.
No, to spotkamy sie na podlodze.

just for drinking’s sake

Let’s drink before we’re all too blurry.
Pijmy szybciej, bo sie sciemnia.

Drink up, the glass is getting spongy.
Pijmy, bo szklo nasiaka.

Man’s no cactus, drink he must.
Czlowiek nie kaktus, pic musi.

It’s better to be a known drunk, than an anonymous alcoholic.
Lepiej byc znanym pijakiem, niz anonimowym alkoholikiem.

Don’t drink when driving, you’ll spill too much.
Nie pij gdy prowadzisz, za duzo sie rozlewa.