# Čin, čin, čin, Drežnica

"Čin, čin, čin, Drežnica" is a Slovenian folk "world-upside-down" song from the village of Drežnica, full of cheerful impossibilities — a miller grinding without water, a girl sewing without a needle, a one-legged boy leaping fences.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Slovenia |
| Sung in | Slovenian |
| Words by | Traditional |
| First known | Slovenian folk song; author unknown |
| Best for ages | 2–7 |
| Mood | playful, traditional |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/cin-cin-cin-dreznica/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (sl)

Čin, čin, čin, Drežnica,
kje so kozice,
gori na travici, kjer ni vodice.
Hojaja, hojaja, hojajaja ...

### Verse 2 (sl)

Sončece sije,
dežek nam gre,
naš mlinar pa melje
brez vsake vode.
Hojaja, hojaja, hojajaja ...

### Verse 3 (sl)

Dekle je šivala
vse brez šivanke,
fantič brez noge
je skakal čez planke.
Hojaja, hojaja, hojajaja ...

### English translation (en)

Ding, ding, ding, Drežnica,
where are the little goats?
Up on the grass where there's no water.
Hojaja, hojaja, hojajaja …

The sun is shining,
the rain comes down on us,
and our miller grinds away
without any water at all.
Hojaja, hojaja, hojajaja …

A girl was sewing
all without a needle,
a boy with no leg
leapt over the fences.
Hojaja, hojaja, hojajaja …

## Common questions

**What is "Čin, čin, čin, Drežnica" about?**

It is a "world-upside-down" song — a string of cheerful impossibilities. It asks where the little goats are (up on the grass where there's no water), then piles on absurdities: the sun shines while it rains, the miller grinds with no water at all, a girl sews without a needle, and a boy with no leg leaps over the fences. Everyone joins the "hojaja" refrain.

**Where is Drežnica?**

Drežnica is a village in the mountains of western Slovenia, near Kobarid. Naming it roots this piece of nonsense in a real place, as folk songs often do.

**Why is everything impossible?**

That's the genre. "Topsy-turvy" or "world-upside-down" songs, found in folk traditions across Europe, delight children by describing a world where nothing works as it should — grinding without water, sewing without a needle — purely for the fun of the nonsense.

## Sources

- [Slovenske narodne pesmi — Čin, čin, čin Drežnica, kje so kozice?](https://narodne-pesmi.si/pesmi/otroske-pesmi-izvedbe/in-in-dreznica-2/)