Il court, il court, le furet Lyrics
A French ring game and song about a ferret that runs through the wood. Players stand in a circle around a looped cord with a ring on it, pass the ring from hand to hand, and try to hide it from the child standing in the middle. The French comes with an English translation.
Il court, il court, le furet
Il court, il court, le furet,
Le furet du bois, mesdam's;
Il court, il court, le furet,
Le furet du bois joli.
Il a passé par ici;
Le furet du bois mesdam's,
Il a passé par ici,
Le furet du bois joli.
Il court, il court, le furet,
Le furet du bois mesdam's;
Il court, il court, le furet,
Le furet du bois joli.
In English
It runs, it runs, the ferret,
The ferret of the wood, ladies;
It runs, it runs, the ferret,
The ferret of the pretty wood.
It has passed by here;
The ferret of the wood, ladies,
It has passed by here,
The ferret of the pretty wood.
It runs, it runs, the ferret,
The ferret of the wood, ladies;
It runs, it runs, the ferret,
The ferret of the pretty wood.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/il-court-il-court-le-furet/
- Type
- Action Songs
- Tune
- Quick and rhythmic, speeding up as the ring travels round
- Best for ages
- 4 to 9 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Il court, il court, le furet | Slide the ring along the cord to the next player's hands, keeping your fists closed round the cord. |
| Il a passé par ici | Hold both hands still and look at the child in the middle, who tries to guess who has the ring. |
What Does Il court, il court, le furet Mean?
The title means "It runs, it runs, the ferret", and it is said roughly eel koor, eel koor, luh foo-ray. A furet is a ferret, a small, long-bodied animal that moves quickly. Le bois joli is "the pretty wood", and mesdam's is a short form of mesdames, "ladies", which is how the singers address one another. Il a passé par ici means "it has passed by here".
The song is also a game, and the book describes how to play. The players form a circle and hold a cord knotted at both ends, so it makes a loop. A ring slides along the cord and is passed from hand to hand, while the players try to hide it from the child standing in the middle, who tries to take it. The song itself says only that the ferret runs and has passed by here.
The words are easy to learn. The first and third verses are identical, the middle verse changes only the two "it has passed by here" lines, and every verse ends on the same line, Le furet du bois joli.
History and Origin
Widor's Paris songbook prints the song under the short title Le Furet. This page uses the opening line as its title, Il court, il court, le furet, which is how the song is usually called.
The book's own note describes the game of the ring on the cord. It does not say how many players there should be or how the child in the middle is chosen, so a group can decide for itself.
Learning Activities
- Ring on a string: thread a large wooden bead or curtain ring on a loop of string and sit in a circle, passing it along under closed hands while the song goes round.
- Guess who: let the child in the middle guess who has the ring; the one found takes the next turn in the middle.
- Ferret drawing: look at a picture of a ferret and draw it running through a pretty wood.
- Speed up: sing slowly at first, then a little faster each time through, and see how fast the ring can go without dropping off.