Joan Petit
Joan Petit
John Petit
Children's Song
Children's Song
(Occitan)
(English)
Joan Petit que dança (2 còps)
Per lo rei de França (2 còps)
Amb lo pè, pè, pè
Amb lo dit, dit, dit
Per aquel dançava Joan Petit*.
(*autra version
"Atal dança Joan Petit")
Joan Petit que dança (2 còps)
Per lo rei de França (2 còps)
Amb lo pè, pè, pè
Amb la camba, camba, camba
Amb lo dit, dit, dit…
Joan Petit que dança (2 còps)
Per lo rei de França (2 còps)
Amb lo pè
Amb la camba
Amb la cuèissa
Amb lo dit…
…Amb lo cuol…
…Amb lo ventre, amb lo pitre, amb l'esquina,
amb lo braç, amb lo coide, amb la man, amb
lo còl, amb las gautas, amb la boca, amb lo
nas, amb los uèlhs, amb lo cap…
John Petit* is dancing (twice)
For the king of France (twice)
With his foot, foot, foot
With his finger, finger, finger
John Petit was dancing for that one*
(*other version
"John Petit is dancing this way")
John Petit* is dancing (twice)
For the king of France (twice)
With his foot, foot, foot
With his leg, leg, leg
With his finger, finger, finger…
John Petit* is dancing (twice)
For the king of France (twice)
With his foot
With his leg
With his thigh
With his finger…
…With his bottom…
…With his belly, with his chest, with his back,
with his arm, with his elbow, with his hand,
with his neck, with his cheeks, with his mouth,
with his nose, with his eyes, with his head…
Notes
*Joan Petit was the actual name of the man. "Petit" means "short and small" in Occitan.
Game Instructions
The music (above) is a version in which the sentence 'amb lo dit, dit, dit' is sung twice: the beginning is sung dancing in a ring, and when singing 'amb lo dit, dit, dit', the children touch the ground three times with their finger, when singing the second 'amb lo dit, dit, dit', they point their finger to the sky, and they turn round on 'atal dança Joan Petit'. Each part of the body is shown when evocated. Besides the fact of keeping this song alive, all the parts of the human body can be added to make the children aware of their body image.
Comments
Monique wrote me: "Joan 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."
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Monique Palomares for contributing and translating this song, for the score, the midi and the mp3 music.
Mercé plan!
