Grammar of traditional birthday song "Sto Lat"

Hej--jak leci?

Tomorrow is Mamusia's 86th birthday, and was thinking about the traditional Sto Lat. Just noticed after all these years that "niech żyje nam" is actually third-person singular, according to prof. Oscar Swan's terrific online dictionary: polish.slavic.pitt.edu/polish/

So it seems that the person being recognized with a rousing Sto Lat isn't receiving the good wishes directly. It's as if they're in the room, but the singers are addressing each other instead. I feel like I'm missing a cultural subtlety here. So why "niech żyje nam" instead of "niech żyjesz nam"?

Serdeczne pozdrawiam.

Andrzej in The OC.

because "niech żyjesz nam" is not gramatically correct

Dzięki, Wulkan, but what's wrong with "niech żyjesz nam"?

The form is wrong, correct would be "żyj nam"

It indeed is.


And the Anglo-Saxon singers do the same thing when thay sing:
For he's a jolly good fellow ... and so say all of us!,
in a song which is the equivalent to the Polish "Sto Lat!"

I agree that "For (S)He's a Jolly Good Fellow" is similar in that respect, but to me that's merely a coincidence, whereas "Happy birthday to you" is obviously directed at the celebrant. I suspect that there's a grammatical rule that I don't understand about Sto Lat and "niech żyje nam." Can anyone explain? Dzięki.

Turbowicz, don't overthink this one. It is what it is :)
We wish the celebrant a hundred years in the third person.

why is "For (S)He's a Jolly Good Fellow" in third person? I'm not a native English speaker. I suspect that there's a grammatical rule that I don't understand. Turbowicz can you please explain me that?

Because it's about him or her rather than to him or her. Even though the person is usually present.


Not here, but interestingly something like the polite form in Polish does exist in English, mostly used in shops. "Would Madam like a coffee?" etc. Very old fashioned and I think I've only ever heard it in films.

You didn't get my sarcasm but I appreciate your effort.

Serdeczne appreciate your effort. (Not a native Polish speaker.)

Merged: Question on Birthday Song

I wanted to send a catchy birthday song to a polish friend and I don't know a single word of polish. Is this just a general happy birthday song which is appropriate to send, or is it commemorating the birth of someone specific? Thanks!!!

youtube.com/watch?v=CDzTy5YEpw4

Naw, that's not really popular, it's a translation of the English Happy Birthday, some people sing it but it's not very popular

This is the standard one



It's a crappy version, but that's the name: sto lat

It means 100 years, basically you don't wish happy birthday, you wish them 100 years.