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Children's Songs and Nursery Rhymes
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Jean Petit qui danse (x2)
De son doigt il danse (x2)
De son doigt, doigt, doigt, (x3)
Ainsi danse Jean Petit
Jean Petit qui danse (x2)
De sa main il danse (x2)
De sa main, main, main,
De son doigt, doigt, doigt,(x2)
Ainsi danse Jean Petit.
Jean Petit qui danse (x2)
De son bras il danse (x2)
De son bras, bras, bras,
De sa main, main, main,
De son doigt, doigt, doigt (x2)
Ainsi danse Jean Petit.
et ainsi de suite avec son pied, sa jambe et toutes les parties du corps qu'on veut bien ajouter
John Petit is dancing (x2)
With his finger he's dancing, (x2)
With his finger, finger, finger, (x3)
John Petit is dancing this way.
John Petit is dancing (x2)
With his hand he's dancing, (x2)
With his hand, hand, hand,
With his finger, finger, finger, (x2)
John Petit is dancing this way.
John Petit is dancing (x2)
With his arm he's dancing, (x2)
With his arm, arm, arm,
With his hand, hand, hand,
With his finger, finger, finger, (x2)
John Petit is dancing this way.
And so on with his foot, leg, and any other body part that you want to add.
Instruments: guitar, tambourine, flute.
 | MP3 Recording of Jean Petit qui danse (Click to listen) |  |
| | Another MP3 Recording of Jean Petit qui danse (Click to listen) | |
| | MIDI Tune of Jean Petit qui danse (Click to listen) | |
Here are the (shortened) lyrics of the St-Ambreuil 5th grade class rendition that you can hear in the 1st mp3 recording...
Oyez*, oyez braves gens, je vais vous conter l'histoire de petit Jean**
Jean petit qui danse (x2)
de son doigt il danse (x2)
de son doigt, doigt, doigt, (x3), hey
ainsi danse jean petit.
Jean petit qui danse (x2)…
De sa main…
…de son bras…
…de son pied…
…de sa jambe…
...de son ventre…
…de sa fesse…
…de son épaule…
…de sa tête…
English Translation
Hear, hear, good people, I will tell you the story of little John...
John Petit is dancing (x2)
With his finger he's dancing, (x2)
With his finger, finger, finger, (x3)
John Petit is dancing this way
John Petit is dancing (x2)
with his hand…
… with his arm…
… with his foot…
… with his leg…
… with his belly…
… with his buttock…
… with his shoulder…
… with his head…
*"Oyez" is the imperative form of the verb "Ouïr" that means "to hear" but it's been out of use for a very long time and is only used nowadays to imitate a Middle Ages-like atmosphere. The only current use is in "ouï-dire" which means "hearsay".
**Jean Petit (i.e. John Little) was the actual name of the man, but since "petit" means "short, small; little" in French, some people understand it as "Little John" instead of "John Little".
Monique wrote me from France: "Jean Petit was a peasant, and in 1643, in Villefranche de Rouergue (south of Massif Central), he led the peasant rebellion against king Louis XIV. When he was taken, he was sentenced to torture by the wheel. And the song says that when his finger was broken, he danced with his finger, etc."
Many thanks to Monique Palomares for contributing and translating this song, for the score and the midi.
Thanks to the CM2 (5th grade) students, St-Ambreuil (71), France, school year 2008-2009, for singing this song for Mama Lisa's World and for the wonderful illustration and to Véronique for playing the flute!
Thanks to Tiphaine Woerth for also singing this song for Mama Lisa's World!
Merci beaucoup !
Alternate version
Jean Petit qui danse (bis)
Pour le roi de France (bis)
De son pied, pied, pied
De son doigt, doigt, doigt
Ainsi danse Jean Petit.
Jean Petit qui danse (bis)
Pour le roi de France (bis)
De sa jambe, jambe, jambe
De son pied, pied, pied
De son doigt, doigt, doigt
Ainsi danse Jean Petit.
Jean Petit qui danse (bis)
Pour le roi de France (bis)
De sa cuisse, cuisse, cuisse
De sa jambe, jambe, jambe
De son pied, pied, pied
De son doigt, doigt, doigt
Ainsi danse Jean Petit…
et ainsi de suite avec son ventre, sa main et toutes les parties du corps qu'on veut bien ajouter
English Translation
John Petit is dancing (x2)
For the king of France (x2)
With his foot, foot, foot,
With his finger, finger, finger,
John Petit is dancing this way.
John Petit is dancing (x2)
For the king of France (x2)
With his foot, foot, foot,
With his leg, leg, leg,
With his finger, finger, finger,
John Petit is dancing this way.
John Petit is dancing (x2)
For the king of France (x2)
With his foot, foot, foot,
With his leg, leg, leg,
With his thigh, thigh, thigh,
With his finger, finger, finger,
John Petit is dancing this way.
And so on with his belly, his hand, and all the body parts you want to add
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The beginning of this song is sung dancing in a ring. Then when singing "de son doigt, doigt, doigt", the children touch the ground with their finger on each "doigt", when singing the last "de son doigt, doigt, doigt", they point their finger to the sky. Then they turn round on "ainsi danse Jean Petit". Each part of the body is shown when sung. All the parts of the human body can be added to make the children aware of their body image.