ProverbMoralityPolish origin

Pan Bóg nierychliwy, ale sprawiedliwy

Meaning: Justice may take its time, but it comes in the end.

Literally: The Lord is slow, but just

Example: “Po latach oszust trafił do więzienia. Pan Bóg nierychliwy, ale sprawiedliwy.” — Years later the swindler ended up in prison: the wheels of justice turn slowly.

Equivalents in English, Spanish, Japanese, German, Russian, and Chinese

  • English: The wheels of justice turn slowly
  • Spanish: La justicia tarda pero llega (literally: Justice is slow but it arrives)
  • Japanese: 天網恢恢疎にして漏らさず (Tenmō kaikai so ni shite morasazu) (literally: Heaven's net is wide, but nothing escapes it)
  • German: Gottes Mühlen mahlen langsam, aber sicher (literally: God's mills grind slowly, but surely)
  • Russian: Бог правду видит, да не скоро скажет (Bog pravdu vidit, da ne skoro skazhet) (literally: God sees the truth but doesn't tell it soon)
  • Chinese: 天网恢恢，疏而不漏 (Tiān wǎng huīhuī, shū ér bú lòu) (literally: Heaven's net is wide; loose, yet nothing slips through)

Origin: The rhyme of nierychliwy (unhurried) and sprawiedliwy (just) gives it its ring.

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