This song is also sung in Wallonia (French-speaking Belgium). Marianneke is the Flemish diminutive form of Marianne.

Notes

The second line can be found as, "Mariann', Mariann', Marianneke".

Game Instructions

The children walk in a circle while holding hands. One kid goes into the center of the circle and puts her hands on her hips. She's "Marianneke" holding baskets. The circle walks in one direction while Marianneke walks in the opposite direction. They sing in a call and answer type of way. On the last verse, the circle stops going around. Marianneke chooses another girl by holding her hands and taking her into the center of the circle, where they dance and skip and clap hands to the rhythm. Then Marianneke joins the kids holding hands in the circle, while her "friend" becomes the new Marianneke and the game starts again.

Alternate version of the game: After the last verse, the song starts again, Marianneke and her "friend" walk inside the circle with Marianneke leading the way. At the end of the song, they choose another "friend" and the game goes on. When the outside circle becomes too small, they let their hands go. When there's only one child in the outside circle, she becomes the new Marianneke and the game starts from the very beginning.

Listen

Download

Many thanks to Edit' Dupont for contributing and singing this song for Mama Lisa's World.

Download MIDI Tune

Sheet Music

Sheet Music - Marianneke

Thanks and Acknowledgements

Thanks to Monique Palomares for the translation.

Merci beaucoup!