Le coucou (also known as Dans la forêt lointaine) is a lovely nursery rhyme for small children. It tells the story of a cuckoo that sings with an owl in a French forest.
About the song
Unfortunately, neither the author nor the composer of the song is known. That's why we don't know much about its story.
Anyway, the rhyme is very short and very fun to sing. Especially small children like to sing it.
The colours of autumn in a forest in France near Annecy © French Moments
Cuckoo and Peek-a-boo
The song's lyrics play on the homonymy of two words:
- le coucou (cuckoo, the bird)
- coucou ! (peek-a-boo! or hello!)
Another French word, le coucou means cowslip (which is a flower).
Coucous des bois © French Moments
Le coucou
Lyrics, music, free download... let's learn more about the popular song:
The lyrics in French
The original song of Le coucou has 2 verses. This rhyme can be sung as a canon in four voices if the last two lines are repeated.
Couplet 1
Dans la forêt lointaine
On entend le coucou
Du haut de son grand chêne
Il répond au hibou
Couplet 2
Coucou, coucou
On entend le coucou
Coucou, coucou
On entend le coucou
Translation of the lyrics into English
Here is an approximative translation into English:
Verse 1
In the distant forest
We hear the cuckoo
From the top of his great oak
He answers the owl
Verse 2
Cuckoo, cuckoo
We hear the cuckoo
Cuckoo, cuckoo
We hear the cuckoo
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