Can Anyone Help with a Greek Translation of Palamakia (Clap)?

We received a Greek kids clapping song called Palamakia that we could use a little help with. Below is the Greek text, a transliteration and a rough translation. We’d like to know if the English translation is okay or if it needs to be changed at all…

Greek Text

Παλαμάκια

Παλαμάκια παίξετε
κι ο μπαμπάς του έρχεται
και του φέρνει κάτι τι
κουλουράκια στο χαρτί

Παλαμάκια παίξετε
κι η μανούλα έρχεται
να το πάρει αγκαλιά
το μικρούλι της παιδιά.

Παλαμάκια, παλαμάκια
παίζουν όλα τα παιδάκια
Παλαμάκια και χορό
νταχ ντιρντι και
νταχ ντιρντο

Transliteration

Palamakia

Palamakia Peksete
Kai o babas tou erhete
Kai tou ferni kati ti
Koulourakia sto harti

Palamakia Peksete
Kai i manoula erhete
Kai ta perni agalia
Ta mikroulia tis pethia

Palamakia Palamakia
Pezoun ola ta pethakia
Palamakia kai horo
Tihdidi kai Tihdido

Rough English Translation by Penelope Karagouni (with some editing by me)

Clap

Clap your hands
His dad is coming
To bring him something,
Cookies in a paper-wrapper.

Clap your hands
Mommy is coming
To get the little one
To hug the children!

Clap, clap,
All the children clap
Clapping and dancing
Dah didrdi and dah dirdo.*

*Dah didrdi and dah dirdo’ are sounds only with no meaning.

You can hear part of the rhyme in the 2nd part of the YouTube Video below…

If anyone can help with the translation, or let us know if it’s okay, please let me know in the comments below or by emailing me.

Thanks!

Mama Lisa

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This entry was posted on Saturday, October 24th, 2009 at 5:18 pm and is filed under Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, English, Greece, Greek, Greek Children's Songs, Languages, Mama Lisa, Palamakia - Clapping, Questions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Ioannis (Yanni) Zervoudakis Says:
November 14th, 2009 at 6:28 pm

I was just googling translation sites for Greek and/or English when I came up your post.
I have written a reply but it’s in Microsoft Word 2007 which, unfortunately, can’t post here, since it contains comments.
If you’ll be kind enough to give me your email address, I can send it to you.
Also, let me know if you need any more Greek Children’s Songs and/or Fairy tales in Greek (Aesopus) and other contemporary ones since I have plenty. I kept them all so my son can continue the tradition when he becomes a father!

Best regards,

Yanni

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