Le facteur n’est pas passé is a little French nursery rhyme that accompanies a well-known game, the postman's game.
The Postman's game
The postman's game is a traditional schoolyard animation game. The aim of the game is the same at each turn: the postman must take the place of another player without being touched by the latter.
The rule of the game
The children are sitting in a circle.
One of the children is the postman and holds a piece of cloth (or other small object) in his hand.
While the children sing with their eyes closed, the postman goes around the circle and quietly drops the object behind a child.
When they say "SUNDAY", the children open their eyes and look behind them.
When the seated child realises that the postman has left the "mail", he/she picks up the object and runs after the postman, who must go around the circle and take the empty place.
If the postman manages to take the empty space before being caught, he/she takes the postman's place.
Otherwise, the game starts again with the same postman.
Where to play the game?
This game is simply perfect for children's parties or outdoor birthday parties. But it can also be played indoors in a room big enough for the children to run around the group sitting in a circle.
About the French postman
On foot and then on horseback, messengers criss-crossed the roads of France to deliver dispatches.
However, it was not until the 17th and 18th centuries that a mail distribution service was set up within towns.
This was the birth of the "facteur", from the Latin factum (one who does).
The postman has become part of popular culture and is one of France's favourite personalities.
Although the profession remains centred on its main tasks of sorting and distribution, it has changed a great deal in a context of transformation of the means of communication in favour of digital technology.
"This is the privilege of postmen. They know everybody's name and nobody knows theirs" - Marcel Pagnol
Le facteur n’est pas passé
Lyrics, music, free download... let's learn more about the popular song:
The lyrics in French
The original song of Le facteur n’est pas passé has one verse.
Couplet
Le facteur n'est pas passé
Il ne passera jamais
lundi,
mardi,
mercredi,
jeudi,
vendredi,
samedi,
DIMANCHE !
Translation of the lyrics into English
Here is an approximative translation into English:
Verse
The postman didn't come
He will never come
Monday,
Tuesday,
Wednesday,
Thursday
Friday
Saturday,
SUNDAY!
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