# Lakdi Ki Kathi

"Lakdi Ki Kathi" is an iconic Hindi children's song from the 1983 Indian film "Masoom", written by the poet Gulzar and composed by R. D. Burman, about a toy horse on a wooden stick that gallops on and on.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | India |
| Sung in | Hindi |
| Words by | Gulzar |
| First known | 1983 (film "Masoom") |
| Best for ages | 2–7 |
| Mood | playful, dancing |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/lakdi-ki-kathi/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (hi)

Lakdi ki kaathi, kaathi pe ghoda,
ghode ki dum pe jo maara hathoda;
dauda dauda dauda, ghoda dum dabaake dauda!

### English translation (en)

A stick of wood, and a horse on the stick,
and when you tap a hammer on the horse's tail —
it ran and ran and ran, the horse tucked its tail and bolted!

## Common questions

**What is "Lakdi Ki Kathi" about?**

A toy hobby-horse. "Lakdi ki kaathi" means a wooden stick, and on the stick is a horse; give its tail a tap and off it gallops, running and running. It is playful nonsense, built from bouncy, rhythmic words rather than a real story — a celebration of a child's galloping imagination.

**Who wrote "Lakdi Ki Kathi"?**

It was written for the 1983 Hindi film "Masoom" by the celebrated poet and lyricist Gulzar, with music by R. D. Burman. It was sung by children's voices, and has become one of the most iconic Hindi songs for children.

**Why are the words so playful?**

By design. Gulzar has said his aim in writing for children was to spark their imagination with words that are fun to say — phonetically playful and rhythmic — so that the children can play with the sounds themselves. That is why the song bounces along on its rhymes.

## Sources

- [Wikipedia — Masoom (1983 film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masoom_(1983_film))