# Donguri Korokoro

"Donguri Korokoro" is a much-loved Japanese children's song from 1921, with words by Aoki Nagayoshi and music by Yanada Tadashi, about an acorn that rolls into a pond and is befriended by a little loach fish.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Sung in | Japanese |
| Words by | Aoki Nagayoshi |
| First known | 1921 |
| Best for ages | 2–7 |
| Mood | playful, traditional |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/donguri-korokoro/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (ja)

どんぐりころころ どんぶりこ
お池にはまって さあ大変
どじょうが出て来て 今日は
坊ちゃん一緒に 遊びましょう

### Rōmaji (ja-Latn)

Donguri korokoro donburiko,
oike ni hamatte saa taihen.
Dojou ga detekite konnichiwa,
bocchan issho ni asobimasho.

### English translation (en)

An acorn rolls along and plops right in,
it's fallen into the pond — oh, what a to-do!
A loach comes swimming up: "Good day to you!
Little young master, let's play together!"

## Common questions

**What is "Donguri Korokoro" about?**

An acorn's little adventure. The acorn rolls along — korokoro — and tumbles "donburiko" into a pond, which is quite a to-do. A loach (a small pond fish) swims up, says hello, and invites the acorn to play together. In the full song the acorn soon grows homesick and cries, which upsets the kindly loach.

**Who wrote "Donguri Korokoro", and when?**

The words were written by Aoki Nagayoshi (1879–1935) and the melody by Yanada Tadashi (1883–1959). It was published around 1921 and has been one of Japan's most popular children's songs ever since.

**What do "korokoro" and "donburiko" mean?**

They are sound-and-motion words, of which Japanese has many. "Korokoro" is the sound or picture of something small rolling along, and "donburiko" suggests a plump little splash into water — so the very first lines paint the acorn rolling and plopping into the pond.

## Sources

- [Mama Lisa's World — Donguri Korokoro (どんぐりころころ)](https://www.mamalisa.com/?p=820&t=es&c=85)
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11273904