Can Someone Help with a Ukrainian Rhyme That Sounds Like, “Pitchoo Pitchoo Bopkoo”?
Suzy wrote…
I wonder if anyone can help me find the meaning to this silly rhyme. I was a little kid when my grandmother used to do this thing with my head in her hands and it phonetically sounded like this (I don’t speak or understand Ukrainian) :
Pitchoo Pitchoo bopkoo
Sedjoonella bobkoo
shi shoolapitch, shi shoolapitch, shi shoolapitchMany thanks, Suzy
If someone can also send the Ukrainian text, that would be great! If anyone can help in any way, please comment below, or email me.
Thanks!
Lisa
July 17th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Hi, Lisa!
I am from Ukraine, but unfortunately I don’t know the words of this song. It must be an old slavian folk song. It means
to bake a rom cake (’babcka’ is a kind of a cake)
an edible cake
go in to the stove (there is a sound immitation of this process)
That’s all. The rest 2 lines are hard to understand. Phonetically they have nothing common with Ukrainian;)
My whole family tried to decode the words of this song.
Besides, was your granny from Ukraine?
P.S. Don’t you khow the websites, where I could find texts of Enya’s songs. I like them a lot and try to sing them to my doughter. I will be very grateful.
August 17th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
Dear Suzy through Lisa
This is a fun site. I check it out periodically.
My cultural group is “Russian”, but comprized of people with many different accents and dialects, and traditions (one of my great grandmothers was from Finnland, my great grandfather from Georgia, another was a Cossack) so we give allowance for these variations. Its fun.
This song could be….. Baking, Baking a Bapka (I think a round loaf sweet bread), I burnt the Bapka, Sheesh!, (Oolapitch) Grab it (or seize it with the nonsense idea of trading your head for the sweet loaf or cake). … good thing you thot it was all fun!
That’s my take on this.
Hope this helps….Caroline
September 27th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Dear Suzy,
this is probably really an old slavic version of this song….
http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=1063&c=152
November 25th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
Many thanks Tanya and Caroline. That helps somewhat. Yes my grandmother was from the Ukraine. Everyone on that side of the family is gone now, so my memory of that verse is all I have.
April 11th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Did you get the answer you were asking for? I am Ukrainian and can help. I don’t want to repeat myself, however, if you’ve got the answers.
September 2nd, 2009 at 10:34 am
I don’t know your song. But I am looking for an old poem my kids Grandmother used to say, it’s Slavic and sounds like:
Studda Bubba, Rumpetee
polenta cookin poperty,
Oi oi Mommy say…..