Sto lat

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For the fictional town created by Terry Pratchett, see Sto Lat (Discworld).

"Sto lat" (One Hundred Years) is a traditional Polish song that is sung to express good wishes to a person. The song's author and exact origin are unattributed. The song is sung both at informal gatherings (such as birthdays or name days) or at formal events, such as weddings; it has been played, for example, at the recent presidential inauguration of Lech Kaczyński [1] and during visits by Pope John Paul II.[2] [3] At state events it is not unusual to hear it performed by an orchestra or a military band. It is also noted for being an integral part of Polish immigrant culture even long after assimilation at birthdays or other important events, often being passed as far down as the third generation (the immigrants' great grandchildren).

The song serves the equivalent function of "Happy Birthday To You" or "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow". Although a secular song, its message is similar to that of the Ukrainian song "Mnohaya lita" (Многая літа, Many Years), a version of a Byzantine liturgical hymn. [4]

The song's lyrics are:

Sto lat, sto lat,

Niech żyje, żyje nam.

Sto lat, sto lat,

Niech żyje, żyje nam,

Jeszcze raz, jeszcze raz, niech żyje, żyje nam,

Niech żyje nam!

This translates roughly into English as:

A hundred years, a hundred years,

May he (she) live for us.

A hundred years, a hundred years,

May he live for us.

Once again, once again, may he live, live for us,

May he live for us!

Other verses exist that can be sung, but they are less common.

[edit] Use as a phrase

The phrase "Sto lat!" is also often used to wish someone longevity or good fortune, or as a toast, without the song. [5] However, the use of "Sto lat!" in this manner will often lead to the song being sung by those present.