"Cluguet" (or "cluquet") is the Occitan name for the Blind Man's Bluff game. This ditty can be sung while playing Blind Man's Bluff. It can also be used to play a hand game between an adult and a young child, or with a group of older children, or as a choosing song before playing the Blind Man's Bluff game. (See Game Instructions below.)

There's a French version of this song here.

Notes

*"Tiroluret /turoluret" is the Occitan onomatopoeia for the sound made by a wind instrument (especially the flute or the like).

The song can also be found as "Au cluquet".

Other Versions:

Au cluguet, tira lo det, (At the blind man's bluff, pull the finger)
L'aiga es cauda, l'aiga es cauda, (The water is hot, the water is hot)
Au cluguet, tira lo det, (At the blind man's bluff, pull the finger)
L'aiga cauda a fait un pet*. (The hot water made a pop.)

*It can be an explosion noise or a fart.

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Au cluquet, tura-luret
La sopa es cauda, la sopa es cauda, (The soup is hot, the soup is hot)
Au cluquet, tura-luret,
La sopa es cauda, lo milhàs* fred. (The soup is hot, the milhàs* is cold)

*Milhàs is a dish made with corn flower that's cooked and then fried. It can be eaten as a side dish or as a dessert if sweetened.

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In Chants et chansons populaires du Languedoc (1906), Louis Lambert gives this version with a French translation and game instructions:

Al cluguet, turoluret!
L'alio 's caudo. (bis)
Al cluguet, turoluret!
L'alio *s caudo,
Trapo lou det.

Translation (from the French translation given by the author):

At the seeker*, turoluret
The porridge is hot (twice)
At the seeker* turoluret
The porridge is hot
It sticks to my finger.

*You can find the instructions in #3 in the Game Instructions below. It seems that in this case, the song was used as a choosing song to play hide-and-seek, the kid whose finger was caught was "It". The French translation of the title as "au cligneur" shows that it was about hide-and-seek because "cligner" means "to close one's eyes" and the one who was "It" kept their eyes closed when counting while the other kids were trying to find a hiding place.

Game Instructions

1. With a Young Child: The adult holds his or her hand upwards as if it's a shell. The child hits his or her forefinger repeatedly in the adult's hand to the rhythm of the song. At the end, the adult closes his or her fingers to imprison the child's finger (who should be quick enough in turn to avoid it).

2. Older Kids: One child opens his or her hand and the others hit their forefingers to the beat on the 1st child's hand. At the end, the one whose forefinger is caught exchanges roles with the 1st child. If nobody's finger is caught, the game repeats with the same player.

3. As a Choosing Song: Like above #2 but the one whose finger is caught is "It".

4. Blind Man's Bluff: Children walk in a circle around a blindfolded child (previously chosen). At the end of the song, everyone stops, the child in the center tries to touch someone and guess their name.

This recording includes the version above and the versions in the Song Notes.

Download

Thanks to Monique Palomares for the recording!

Download MIDI Tune

Thanks and Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Monique Palomares for sharing this song with the translations and commentary. Many thanks to Marion Ségissement for the illustrations.

Mercé plan!