# Diči, diči, diča

"Diči, diči, diča" is a Slovenian knee-riding rhyme: a child is bounced on an adult's knee like a rider on a well-saddled black horse — though the little rider has neither whip nor spurs to urge it on.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Slovenia |
| Sung in | Slovenian |
| Words by | Traditional |
| First known | traditional knee-riding rhyme; author unknown |
| Best for ages | 2–7 |
| Mood | playful, traditional |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/dici-dici-dica/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (sl)

(Na kolenu)

### Verse 2 (sl)

Diči, diči, diča,
Urno na konjiča,
Na konjiča vranega,
Dobro osedlanega!

### Verse 3 (sl)

Diči, diči, diča,
Deček nima biča,
Deček nima ni ostrog,
Da pognal bi konja v log.

### English translation (en)

(On the knee)

Dici, dici, diča,
quick, onto the little horse,
onto the little black horse,
the well-saddled one!

Dici, dici, diča,
the boy has no whip,
the boy has no spurs
to drive the horse into the meadow.

## How to sing it

1. Sit the child on your knees, facing you, and hold their hands.
2. Bounce them gently in time as the little rider on the black horse.
3. Jog a little faster on the galloping lines, then slow to a stop.

## Common questions

**How do you play "Diči, diči, diča"?**

As a knee-riding game — the note "(na kolenu)" means "on the knee". You sit a small child on your knees and bounce them in rhythm, as though they were riding a fine, well-saddled black horse. It is the Slovenian counterpart of the knee-bouncing rhymes found in many languages.

**What do the words say?**

They picture the ride: quick, onto the little horse — a black horse, well saddled! — but the little rider (the "deček", the boy) has no whip and no spurs to drive the horse into the meadow, which keeps the bouncing gentle and good-humoured.

**Who wrote "Diči, diči, diča"?**

No author is recorded; it is a traditional Slovenian knee-riding rhyme, handed down among families for bouncing small children.