Sinterklaas Is Jarig
"In this song the children express excitement about Sinterklaas's birthday, and as they know he will come by, they put their little shoes down - ready for Sinterklaas to fill it with gifts and candy. Way back when, the children would put their shoes by the fireplace as they believed that Sinterklaas entered the home via the chimney. These days they'll put it by the radiator (most used way of heating homes in Holland) to still have the same feel to the holiday." -Francisca
Sinterklaas Is Jarig
It's Sinterklaas's Birthday
St. Nicholas Day Song
St. Nicholas Day Song
(Dutch)
(English)
Sinterklaas is jarig, 'k zet mijn schoen vast klaar
licht dat hij hem vol doet, met, ja wist ik het maar...
Hier zet ik wat water, daar wat hooi voor 't paard
want dat trouwe beestje is het heus wel waard.
Als de kleintjes slapen, komt de goede Sint
die de brave kinderen 't allermeest bemint.
't Paardje, zwaar beladen, voert hij met zich voort
en zijn knecht vertelt hem wat hij heeft gehoord.
Wie was ongehoorzaam, wie was wel eens lui
en wie had er soms wel eens een boze bui?
Maar wie het nooit weer doet en er spijt van heeft
kan er op vertrouwen dat Sint hem vergeeft!
It's Sinterklaas's birthday, I'm putting my shoe down already
I hope that he will fill it - with - if I only knew...
Here I put some water, there some hay for the horse
Because that faithful animal is really worth it.
When the little ones are sleeping, the good Saint will come
He loves the children who are good most of all.
He leads his heavily loaded horse along with him
And his servant tells him what he has heard.
Who was naughty, who was lazy at times
And who has been in a bad mood at times?
But who never does it again and regrets it,
Can be confident that the Saint will forgive him!
Notes
Francisca wrote:
"I think you are familiar with Sinterklaas (St. Nick), but as a reminder: he lives in Spain and when he arrives in Holland by boat, he visits children and brings gifts. Sinterklaas rides a dapple horse over all the rooftops when delivering gifts. The children oftentimes sing songs for him in hopes he is listening and in their shoes they may put a carrot, or hay for the horse and much like children do for Santa - there may be drawings for Sinterklaas as well as cookies or other things. The servants of Sinterklaas keep him posted on which child has been good all year and who may have slipped up here and there. I'm not sure who came up with this weird thing - but the children are told that if they misbehaved, Sinterklaas will put them in a burlap sack (in which the servants usually carry gifts) and take them to Spain. The servants, who are all named "Zwarte Piet" (Black Pete) are at times mistakenly referred to as a racist concept within the holiday, but they merely put on that make-up because long ago Sinterklaas lived in the Spain/Portugal area and back then that's where the Moors lived and they happened to be those who served with Sinterklaas. The basic meaning of this song is that Sinterklaas knows whether the children have been good, but that when they feel bad if they have been naughty at times and promise not to do it again - he will forgive them and they'll receive their gifts and candy after all."
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Image: Christmas Stamp of Ukraine (2006), edited by Lisa.
Dank u wel!
