Sotto il ponte di Malacca
This one's a bit gross, but it is a kids rhyme and that's how they often go. There are two versions of this rhyme. One is "Sotto il ponte di Malacca" and the other is "Sotto il ponte di Baracca" - the name of the bridge is different in each. You'll find both versions below.
Sotto il ponte di Malacca
Under the Malacca Bridge
Counting-out Rhyme
Counting-out Rhyme
(Italian)
(English)
Sotto il ponte di Malacca
C'è zia che fa la cacca,
e la fa dura dura
il dottore la misura,
la misura a trenta tre
Donna, cavallo e re
Donna, cavallo e re*.
Under the Malacca bridge,
There's Auntie making a poo,
And hard, so hard she does it.
The doctor measures it,
He measures it: thirty-three,
Queen, knight and king,
Queen, knight and king*.
Notes
* Reference to playing cards
Other Version:
Sotto il ponte di Baracca
Sotto il ponte di Baracca
c'è Pierin che fa la cacca.
La fa dura, dura, dura,
il dottore la misura.
La misura trenta trè
uno, due, tre!
English Translation:
Under the Baracca Bridge
Under the Baracca bridge,
There's Little Johnie making a poo,
Hard, so hard he does it.
The doctor measures it,
He measures it: thirty-three,
One, two, three.
Game Instructions
Anna wrote, "This song is a game in which a child must sing a song counting out the children to see who starts the game. Counting out one child at a time, the last child to be counted out is the first to play!
'Il ponte di Malacca' is a bridge in Apulia; we used to sing the song to taunt the child who was named when singing!"
Comments
Gross rhymes are usually passed to the next generation far from parents' and teachers' ears.
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Anna Simonetti from Foggia, Italy, for contributing this song.
Grazzie mille!
