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Children's Songs and Nursery Rhymes
HERE ARE SOME KIDS SONGS FROM ITALY

Italian

English

Ambarabai ciccì coccò (Nonsense Rhyme)
Brother Simon's Lullaby (Lullaby)  MP3
Chimney, Chimney (Nursery rhyme)
Clap Your Hands (Fingerplay)
Firefly, Firefly (Nursery Rhyme)
Go to Sleep, Go to Sleepy (Lullaby)  MP3 Midi
Infant Jesus' Lullaby (Lullaby)  MP3 Midi
Maramao (Nursery Rhyme)
Milan Turin (Counting-out Song)
Silk Money (Counting-out Rhyme)
So Many Wishes for You (Birthday Song)
The Hen   Midi
Under the Malacca Bridge (Counting-out Song)

Italian Dialect

English

Coo-roo, Coo-roo (Nursery Rhyme)
Dong Dong Dalena (Nursery Rhyme)
Oh Come, Sleep (Lullaby) MP3
Trot, Trot, Little Horse (Nursery Rhyme)
You Little Finger (Finger Play)
 

KEY TO SYMBOLS

  - this song has sheet music
Midi - this song has a Midi tune
MP3 - this song has an MP3 recording

 
Some Comments About Italian Nursery Rhymes

In Italy, the older, traditional filastrocche (nursery rhymes) and songs for children are an endangered species; many of them are not in "official" Italian (which is based on the dialects of Tuscany), but in one of the regional dialects. These dialects, mainly used in the home and in small rural communities, have been handed down orally. But in many regions the use of dialect is declining even within the family, especially among TV-hungry 6-10 year olds(1), so the collective memory of these traditional filastrocche and songs in dialect risks fading with it(2). A few scholars have painstakingly and lovingly collected and studied them(3) but most of these collections and studies of traditional rhymes are for interested adults rather than for children(4).

Italian children don't all grow up knowing and loving the same nursery rhymes in the way that most children growing up in an English-speaking environment do. However, many of the filastrocche do exist in more or less similar versions in different dialects (and some in other European languages - e.g., the Scottish "Pippety Pew" and the French "Frère Jacques").

Traditional Italian filastrocche reflect Christian tradition (many lullabies are about the Infant Jesus and the holy family), and, more obscurely and symbolically, pre-Christian rites, the Moon, the Tarot, magic, the labyrinth, the spirit of corn, the cycle of life - birth, marriage and death - and of the year - seasons, harvest, Lent, Carnival, etc.

-Commentary by Ernestine Shargool

1) According to surveys carried out by Istat, the Institute of Statistics, in 1987-88 and 1995.
2) The use of dialects may be declining, but interest in them (perhaps as a consequence) seems to be increasing. There are many Italian publishers and web sites collecting and publishing traditional filastrocche, proverbs, songs, sayings, poems and prose in different dialects.
3) E.g., the books I have used for reference: Carlo Lapucci, Il libro delle filastrocche, Garzanti, 1987; A. Mari, A.V. Savona, M.L. Straniero: Sotto la Cappa del Camino, Arnoldo Mondadori, 1985; Silvia Goi, Il segreto delle filastrocche, Xenia Edizioni, 1991.
4) Some much-loved modern children's authors have written and published their own very popular collections of filastrocche.

Ernestine Shargool is a professional translator with an Anglo-Italian background and a lifelong interest in children's rhymes and folk tales from Italy, England and Scotland. She has translated many traditional nursery rhymes from English into Italian. Ernestine apologises but at present is unable to respond to correspondence about the rhymes.

Click Here for bibliography of Italian selections.

Many thanks to Ernestine Shargool for taking the time to write commentary about Italian nursery rhymes and songs. -Grazie!

 
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MAMA LISA'S BLOG

Conversations about the languages and cultures of the world,
especially the traditions and songs of children.

Here are excerpts from the latest posts from Italy. Click to read more...

 

Chenodia - Mother Goose in Dead Languages

Chenodia, The Classic Mother Goose (1871) by John Bigelow was just released online.  It appears to be the traditional English nursery rhymes translated into Latin and Ancient Greek. If anyone knows anything else about this text, please let us know in the comments below. Mama Lisa

Some Proverbs about Earth for Earth Day

Here are some proverbs for Earth Day… Old Proverbs: -The Earth produces all things and receives all again. -Earth is the Best Shelter -What the heaven showers down, the Earth drinks up. (Greek Proverb) This one is not about the Earth, but it involves the Earth. -Six feet of earth make all men of one size. (Italian - Sei pie di [...]

Can Anyone Help with an Italian Song that Starts, “Cinque e cinquanta” to the tune of “Giro Giro Tondo”?

Nicholas emailed me asking for help with an Italian song… My grandmother used to sing me a song, and I learned it but don’t know the correct words. It goes to the melody of Giro Giro Tondo. When I first heard Giro Giro Tondo, I thought perhaps it was another verse to my grandmother's [...]

Mama Lisa Now Has a Facebook Group

We'd love it if you'd join the Mama Lisa Facebook Group. You can post anything you'd like about your culture. You can post your own musical recordings or YouTube videos… Links to culture and musical sites… Photos of your country… Questions about songs or cultural issues… Anything related to World Culture and [...]

Does Anyone Know an Italian Nursery Rhyme about Sheep or Lambs Playing around a Well?

Grace wrote to me asking for help with a childhood rhyme… Hi Lisa, My name is Grace, and when I was little, my Nana used to recite me a nursery rhyme in Italian. I think it was about sheep or lambs that were playing around a well. When she would recite it to me, she would circle my [...]

Can Anyone Help with a Spanish or Italian Song Called “Bella Mama”?

Tiffany wrote: Hi Lisa, I found your website on Google. What a treasure! I was trying to search for a song I'd heard of (I'm guessing in Spanish) called “Bella Mama”. My Google search led me to your website, but I can't figure out how to search for a specific song. Might you [...]

Italian New Year's Eve Tradition of Wearing Red Underpants for Good Luck

Eating lentils and sausages, and wearing red underwear are all good luck in Italy on New Year's Eve. I discovered the tradition of the lucky red underpants when Vita wrote to me. Here's what she said: ...my grandmother in Naples, Italy used to tell us that wearing red underpants on New Years Eve brought good [...]

Does anyone know if the words to “Bella che dormi” in Italian are correct?

Vita wrote: Hi, I remember a song sung to me by my mother and I just want to make sure I have the words correct and have all the verses. It's a lullaby and she used to rock us while singing it: Bella che dormi sul letto di fiori mentre dormendo un bacio d'amor un bacio in fretta la povera [...]

Question about an Italian Song about Weaving

Catherine wrote asking about an Italian song: Ciao Buongiorno! Actually, I'm Greek so I'll say Tikanis! I was wondering if you can help me find the title of a song I heard in a commercial from concerned childrens advertisers. It shows a little boy being chased after by 3 little girls trying to kiss him. [...]

The Echo Song with a YouTube Video

Orlando di Lasso (1530 or 32 - 1594) was a Flemish Renaissance composer. He wrote over 2000 pieces in his lifetime. They were religious and secular choral works in Italian, German, Latin and French. Some of Lasso's works were masses that he dedicated to the pope. Interestingly, he also wrote [...]

 
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A Note From Mama Lisa...

I always welcome new contributions of traditional kids songs, nursery rhymes and folk songs. Please CLICK HERE to email Mama Lisa if you are interested and write "New Song" as the subject of the email.

Also, if anyone would like to sing any of these songs in the original language, or play any of the tunes on an instrument, I would love to post a recording on Mama Lisa's World. You could send me an audio cassette or you could record it directly onto the computer and email it to me. Remember... you don't have to be a professional singer or musician to contribute!

 

 
 



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