Besedilo (Lyrics)
Celotno besedilo pesmi »Račke« z angleškim prevodom.
S prsti kljunček narediš in s komolci poletiš, z ritko migaš sem in tja, gagagaga.
#V krogu račka zdaj stoji, urno hitro en dva tri, vsakdo naj se zavrti, gagagaga.
#In če kdo je še zaspan in še siten in bolan, naj bo račka vsaj en da, gagagaga.
#Res lepo je račka bit, v vsaki luži imaš za pit, nikdar lačen, vedno sit, gagagaga.
#To zares lepo je, če smo račke vsi, radi se imamo, pa čofotamo, se vsak smeji, gagagaga.
#English translation
You make a little beak with your fingers and fly off with your elbows, you wiggle your bottom this way and that, quack-quack-quack-quack. Now the little duck stands in a circle, quick and fast, one two three, everyone give a twirl, quack-quack-quack-quack. And if someone's still sleepy and still grumpy and unwell, let them be a duck at least for a day, quack-quack-quack-quack. It really is lovely to be a duck: in every puddle you've a drink, never hungry, always full, quack-quack-quack-quack. It truly is lovely, when we're all little ducks, we like each other, and we splash about, and everyone laughs, quack-quack-quack-quack.
#Račke at a glance
- Country of origin
- 🇸🇮 Slovenia
- Sung in
- Slovenian
- Words by
- Traditional
- First known
- Slovenian children's action song; author unknown
- Best for ages
- 2–7
- Mood
- dancing, playful
- Last updated
- 25 July 2026
How to sing it
- Make a beak with your fingers and flap your elbows like little wings.
- Wiggle your bottom side to side and quack "gaga-gaga".
- Stand in a circle and, on cue, everyone twirls around — even the sleepy or grumpy get to be a duck for a day.
Meaning and origin
This is a whole-body action song that turns a room of children into a flock of ducks. The instructions are all in the singing: make a beak with your fingers, “fly” by flapping your elbows, wiggle your bottom this way and that, and quack gaga-gaga. Then everyone stands in a circle and twirls — and, kindly, even the child who is sleepy, grumpy or a bit under the weather is invited to be a duck at least for the day.
Its cheer builds as it goes. Being a duck, the later verses insist, is really the best of lives — a drink in every puddle, never hungry, always full — and best of all when everyone is a duck together, splashing and laughing as one. That is the song’s warm little point: the fun is in doing it all as a group. No author is recorded, so it is treated here as a traditional Slovenian action song, of exactly the kind teachers reach for to get a whole roomful of children flapping, wiggling and quacking at once.
Common questions
- How do you play "Račke"?
- As an action song. You make a duck's beak with your fingers, "fly" by flapping your elbows, wiggle your bottom this way and that, and quack "gaga-gaga". Then everyone stands in a circle and twirls, and even a child who is sleepy, grumpy or a bit poorly is invited to be a duck at least for the day.
- What does "Račke" celebrate?
- The good life of a duck — splashing in every puddle, always with a drink to hand, never hungry, always full. Its cheerful message is that everything is nicer when we do it together, all splashing and laughing as one happy flock.
- Who wrote "Račke"?
- No author is recorded; it is treated here as a traditional Slovenian children's action song, of the kind used to get a whole group moving together.
