Y'a une pie dans l' poirier - French Children's Songs - France - Mama Lisa's World: Children's Songs and Rhymes from Around the World  - Intro Image

Notes

Here's the version in the mp3 recording:

Y'a une pie dans l' poirier
J'entends la pie qui chante
Y'a une pie dans l' poirier
J'entends la pie chanter
J'entends, j'entends
J'entends la pie qui chante,
J'entends, j'entends
J'entends la pie chanter.

There's a magpie in the pear-tree,
I hear the magpie singing,
There's a magpie in the pear-tree,
I hear the magpie sing.
I hear, I hear,
I hear the magpie singing,
I hear, I hear,
I hear the magpie sing.

*****

There's a variation of this song in which the magpie is in an apple-tree ("dans l' pommier") and another in which it's in a nest ("dans un nid").

There's another variation to this song with a rat (which is the variant of which? That is the question!), it goes...

Y'a un rat dans l' grenier
(French)

Y'a un rat dans l' grenier*
J'entends le chat qui miaule,
Y'a un rat dans l' grenier
J'entends le chat miauler.
J'entends, j'entends,
J'entends le chat qui miaule,
J'entends, j'entends,
J'entends le chat miauler.

There's a Rat in the Attic
(English Translation)

There's a rat in the attic,
I hear the cat meowing.
There's a rat in the attic,
I hear the cat meow.
I hear, I hear,
I hear the cat meowing.
I hear, I hear,
I hear the cat meow.

* in French "grenier" can mean attic or (grain) loft.

Listen

Download

Many thanks to Edit' Dupont for singing this song for us!

Sheet Music

Sheet Music - Y'a une pie dans l' poirier

Thanks and Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Monique Palomares for contributing and translating these songs and for the midi music.

Merci beaucoup!