# Črni kos

"Pleši, pleši črni kos" ("Dance, Dance, Blackbird") is a Slovenian folk children's dance song in which a barefoot blackbird decides to buy shoes so he can dance three polkas with a little titmouse until the whole earth shakes.

## 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 | dancing, playful, traditional |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/crni-kos/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (sl)

Pleši, pleši črni kos,
kak' bom plesal ker sem bos,
kupil si pa čevlje bom,
polke tri zaplesal bom.

### Verse 2 (sl)

Plesal bom s siničico,
lepo, mlado ptičico,
z nogo tolkel bom ob tla,
tresla se bo zemlja vsa.

### English translation (en)

Dance, dance, black blackbird,
how shall I dance, for I'm barefoot,
but I'll buy myself some shoes,
and dance three polkas through.

I'll dance with a little titmouse,
a lovely young little bird,
I'll beat my foot upon the ground,
and the whole earth will shake.

## How to sing it

1. Dance a little polka in a ring as you sing "pleši, pleši črni kos".
2. Point to your bare feet on "ker sem bos", then mime putting on new shoes.
3. Stamp your foot hard on "z nogo tolkel bom ob tla" so the "earth shakes".

## Common questions

**What is "Črni kos" about?**

A blackbird who wants to dance. Told to "dance, dance, black blackbird", he protests that he can't, because he is barefoot — so he decides to buy himself shoes and dance three polkas. Then he dances with a pretty young titmouse, stamping his foot so hard that the whole earth shakes.

**Is "Črni kos" a dancing song?**

Yes. It is a lively folk dance song, usually sung while dancing a little polka in a ring, with stamping on the line about beating the ground. The mismatched pair — a blackbird and a titmouse — makes it a playful animal love-and-dance song.

**Where is "Črni kos" from?**

It is a Slovenian folk song ("ljudska pesem") with no known author, part of the country's tradition of merry animal dance songs for children.

## Sources

- [Slovenske narodne pesmi — Pleši, pleši črni kos](https://narodne-pesmi.si/pesmi/otroske-pesmi-izvedbe/plesi-plesi-rni-kos/)