W Szczebrzeszynie...

I think this is the most famous Polish tongue twister!

Usually, we just need two first verses to show how twisted language Polish is, but today, I post whole poem by Jan Brzechwa.


W Szczebrzeszynie chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie
[f shchebjeshinye hshonshch bjmi f tshchinye]
In Szczebrzeszyn (name of the town) cockchafer is in the reed
I Szczebrzeszyn z tego słynie.
[y shchebjeshin s tego swinye]
And Szczebrzeszyn is famous from that.

Wół go pyta: ”Panie chrząszczu,
[voow ko pita: panye hshonshchu,]
Ox asks him, "Mr cockchafer,  
Po co pan tak brzęczy w gąszczu?”
[po so pan tac bjenchi f gonshchu]
Why do you give those sounds?
”Jak to – po co? To jest praca,
[yak to - po so? to yest prasa]
How come - why? it's my job
Każda praca się opłaca.”
[kajda prasa sye opwasa]
Each job is worthwhile.

”A cóż za to Pan dostaje?”
[a soosh za to pan dostaye?]
And what do you get from this?
”Też pytanie! Wszystkie gaje,
[tesh pitanye! wshistkye gaye,]
What a question! all groves
Wszystkie trzciny po wsze czasy,
[fshistkye tshchini po fshe chasi]
All the reeds for all time,
Łąki, pola oraz lasy,
[wonki, pola oras lasi]
Meadows, fields and forests,
Nawet rzeczki, nawet zdroje,
[navet shechki, navet stroye]
Even rivers, even ponds,
Wszystko to jest właśnie moje!”
[fshistko to yest fwashnye moye]
All this is mine!

Szczebrzeszyn is small town in the east-south part of Poland. And is famous mostly because of the poem.

(picture of monument of grasshopper is taken from City website)