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Archive for the 'Poland' Category
Contents
Posts
Can Anyone Help with Some Polish Songs and Nursery Rhymes?
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010Here are three requests for help I’ve received about Polish nursery rhymes and songs…
1) Carol wrote:
I am trying to find nursery rhyme, from Poland, my mother use to tell us in Polish. It was about a hen and my mom would peck on the palms of our hand saying in Polish – tim o dawa tim o dawa – that’s what it sounded like to me but the spelling may be different in polish. I would appreciate it if someone could let me know if they have heard this. Thank you Carol
2) Shifra wrote:
My husband’s grandmother used to sing in Polish to the children – we continue to sing the one “Stuck” – I have tried in vain to discover what it means – if anything…
Here is the mangled version:
Choo choo baba, choo choo baba, choo choo baba, choo choo baba, (tapping on the palm of the baby’s hand)
Tommy tella, Tommy tella, Tommy tella, Tommy tella, Tommy tella, (holding and ‘wiggling’ each of the baby’s fingers)
Feesala feesala (tickling up to the elbow twice)
Polychava!! (tickling all the way.Usually followed by a very enthusiastic “again!!” by the child.
Any ideas?
We thought “train baby, train baby”… didn’t get much further.
Thanks in advance.
Shifra
3) Abi wrote:
Hi, my grandad used to sing a polish nursery rhyme to me but all i can remember is the english translation of the first line which is something like ‘a dog ran into a kitchen and stole a piece of meat…’ I can’t find it on the internet, any chance you’ve heard of it because i would love to remind him of it?
Thanks
AbiIf anyone can help with the original lyrics and/or translations of any of these songs and rhymes, please let us know in the comments below.
Thanks!
Mama Lisa
Does Anyone Know Where You Can Buy Ethnic Clothes for Kids
Sunday, December 6th, 2009Ed wrote:
Hi,
Do you know where I could purchase an ethnic Swedish dress for a little girl (2 years old)?
I would also be interested in Polish and/or German Dresses.
Thanks
Ed
I know you can find Chinese clothes for kids in Chinatown in New York, but I’m not sure where you can get Swedish, Polish or German dresses.
If anyone can help answer Ed’s question, please let us know in the comments below.
Thanks!
Mama Lisa
PS Perhaps there are outfits for real girls that you can buy from American Girl Dolls that would fit the bill?
Can Anyone Help with a Polish Lullaby that Translates as “Sleep My Baby Doll”?
Sunday, October 18th, 2009Theresa wrote:
I am looking for a Polish lullaby my mother used to sing…
Śpij laleczko moja mała, czas na ciebie już, ja cię będę kołysała, a ty oczka zmruz…
This is all I remember.
If anyone has all the words, I would be very grateful.
Theresa
A rough English translation of the above text is: Sleep my little baby doll, it is the time for you now, I will, I will rock, and you close your eyes.
This is the tune to the Polish Lullaby.
If anyone can help Therese with the original text of the lullaby and/or an English translation, please let us know in the comments below.
Thanks!
Mama Lisa
UPDATE:
Here’s the text of a slightly different version of the lullaby, thanks to Agnieszka Magnucka:
ŚPIJ LALECZKO
Pod pierzyną czarnej nocy
W blasku srebrnych gwiazd
Gwiżdże swoje kołysanki
Rozśpiewany wiatr.Księżyc wplata w warkoczyki
Kolorowe sny
Śpij laleczko moja mała
Śpij córeczko, śpij.W płatkach herbacianej róży
Calineczka śpi
Nawet przemęczony świerszczyk
Zasnął w trakcie gry.Wszystkie małe grzeczne dzieci
Już od dawna śpią
Dobra wróżka opowiada
Bajkę którą śnią.Księżyc wplata w warkoczyki
Kolorowe sny
Śpij laleczko moja mała
Śpij córeczko, śpij.Agnieszka Magnucka and I came up with this English translation…
SLEEP MY BABY DOLL
Under the blanket of dark night
In the glimmer of silver stars
It is whistling its lullabies…
- Singing wind.The Moon is braiding in plaits
Colorful dreams
Sleep my baby doll
Sleep my daughter, sleep.Between the tea rose* leaves
Thumbelina is sleeping
Also some overtired little cricket
Fell asleep while playing.All the good little children
Are sleeping for so long
The good fairy is telling that story
They are dreaming of.The moon is braiding in plaits
Colorful dreams
Sleep my baby doll
Sleep my daughter, sleep.*Tea Rose is called Herbaciana which is a rose with peachy/yellow leaves that sometimes have a little pink or cream in them.
*****
Enjoy!
Mama Lisa
PS Thanks so much for your help Agnieszka!
Mama Lisa Now Has a Facebook Group
Sunday, February 22nd, 2009We’d love it if you’d join the Mama Lisa Facebook Group. You can post anything you’d like about your culture. You can post your own musical recordings or YouTube videos… Links to culture and musical sites… Photos of your country… Questions about songs or cultural issues… Anything related to World Culture and Music…
Click on the icon below to access the group. If you have a Facebook account already, you just need to click on “Join the Group” to join. If you’re not a member, you simply have to sign up for free to become a member and then you can join the Mama Lisa Group…
Looking forward to seeing you in Facebook!
Mama Lisa
Can Anyone Help with a Rhyme with the Line “Round a Bit”? (It may be originally Polish.)
Wednesday, February 11th, 2009Lynda wrote looking for help with a rhyme…
I hope that you can help me with an old rhyme of sorts. It is spoken softly as to calm a child said while making small circles on a child’s skin and then traveling up and starting all over. We can only remember part of it, this is what we can recall:
“Round a bit, round a bit, round a bit” repeating as often as you make the small circles with your finger on the child’s skin.
Then while traveling up the arm or leg or etc… “Up a bit, up a bit”, stopping and starting the small circles again.We seem to remember something about a “wee little mouse”.
Does any of this ring a bell to you? The lady who used to do this was of Polish decent if that helps.
Thank you,
Lynda Dull,
If anyone can help with this rhyme, please let us know in the comments below.
Thanks!
Mama Lisa
Can Anyone Help with a Polish Circle Game Song?
Friday, January 23rd, 2009Lorena wrote:
Hi,
I’m Argentinian, my grandfather was Polish and he would always sing a circle game song in Polish. Now that I’m a Mommy, I’d like to sing it to my daughter. I don’t remember it well. Since my grandfather passed away some years ago, I’m writing to you to see if you can help me.
The song goes phonetically something like this…
Kowo miski sa te de reski, kowo…
I’m sorry but I don’t know anything about Polish, I remember that we used to end the game sitting on the floor.
Thanks so much… Lorena
If anyone can help Lorena with this song, please comment below.
Thanks!
Mama Lisa
Can Anyone Help with a Polish Kids Song that Sounds Like, “Sheevey Coy”?
Monday, November 3rd, 2008Tom wrote:
Maybe you can help me.
I seem to recall a Polish children’s song from 50 years ago. The opening lines sounded like Sheevey coy, sheevey coy. The only parts of the song I remember go something like this with English sounds as I do not know the actual Polish words. It was a short 4 line ditty that went:
First line – Sheevy coy, sheevy coy
Second line – unknown
Third line – Coya zhim, coya zhim
Fourth line – something, something, something, kocham cieMy father used to sing this to us when we were quite small 50 years ago. He is gone and I cannot find anyone who knows this rhyme.
Does this sound familiar to you or any of your contacts?
Thanks,
Tom Wisniewski
If anyone can help Tom, please comment below.
Thanks!
Mama Lisa
Can Anyone Suggest a Polish Children’s CD?
Thursday, August 28th, 2008Mary wrote:
I am looking to get a CD of Polish Children’s songs for a friend. Could you recommend one? How may I purchase it? Thank you. Mary Brady
If anyone knows of any good Polish kids cd’s and/or where to buy them, please let us know about it in the comments below.
Thanks!
Mama Lisa
May Celebrations
Tuesday, April 29th, 2008Guest blogger Ed Gawlinski sent me this short post about celebrations in May…
On May 5th a lot of people in the United States are going to have tacos or burritos for lunch to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. On May 5th of 1862 Troops led by Ignacio Zaragoza halted a French invasion of Mexico in the Battle of Puebla.
However, I would also suggest that before that, on May 3rd you plan a dinner of Kiełbasa i Kapusta (sausage and cabbage) to celebrate Constitution Day. In 1791 the Polish Sejm (congress) proclaimed Poland’s first written constitution. This makes Poland the first country in Europe and the second country in the world to establish a government based on a written constitution. The United States was the first and France was the third.
I would also suggest that on May 17th you have some tomatsuppe med macaroni, that would be Norwegian-style tomato soup. On that date in 1814, the Constitution of Norway was signed and the Danish Crown Prince Christian Frederik is elected King of Norway by the Norwegian Constituent Assembly.
The Symbolism of the Egg
Saturday, February 23rd, 2008As Easter approaches, it’s natural to think a little about eggs!
In days gone by the egg, due to its shape, was a symbol of the earth. Thanks to its obvious association with the beginning of life, it has also been the basis of many ancient creation stories. It has been a symbol of fertility, rebirth and the cycle of life. These latter symbols are so close to what Springtime is all about that it’s no wonder it’s been an important part of Spring celebrations since pre-Christian times.
As Europe became Christian, eggs became a symbol of Easter and the resurrection of Jesus. In the past, Christians gave up eggs for Lent (the 40 days before Easter when it’s customary to give up different types of food). But even though people didn’t eat them, the hens kept laying them! So people would hard boil and decorate them. This would help preserve them longer and serve as part of the holiday festivities.
The egg is also part of the Jewish Passover holiday that takes place in the Spring. The egg is placed on the Seder plate and is a symbol of sacrifice and loss. Yet to some it also symbolizes the full cycle of life, and therefore hope and rebirth. (The egg is a more recent addition to the Seder plate compared to the other symbolic items that are found there and its symbolic meaning seems to be more open to interpretation.)
In China, red eggs are given out at the one month birthday of a new baby. It’s customary to hold a Red Egg and Ginger Party at this time. Once again, the source seems to be the egg’s role as a symbol of fertility and the beginning of life.
So here we come full circle (or oval) with the egg as a wonderful symbol of birth, renewal and rebirth. This is something wonderful to consider as Springtime approaches in the northern hemisphere, where the Earth will soon come back to life!
Feel free to let us know about any special symbolism of the egg in your culture in the comments below.
Elaborately Decorated Eggs for Easter In Eastern Europe
Wednesday, February 20th, 2008Guest Blogger, Ed Gawlinski, has been involved in many cultural organizations throughout his life. Here, he discusses Easter traditions in several Eastern European cultures.
A common custom is to color hard boiled eggs for Easter. We usually colored them on Good Friday, while eating hot cross buns…
Hot cross buns,
Hot cross buns,
one ha’ penny,
two ha’ penny,
hot cross buns.If you have no daughters,
give them to your sons,
one ha’ penny,
two ha’ penny,
Hot Cross BunsIn Eastern Europe (Poland, Ukraine, Czech, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Russia, Bulgaria, etc.) coloring Easter eggs is a highly developed folk art. In the Polish language there are several different words for colored Easter eggs, each indicating a different technique. The style I know best is called Pisanki. In this you use a stylus to draw on the egg with melted wax. After you draw, you put the egg in the dye. After it dries, you draw some more and then put the egg in a different colored dye. The wax keeps that part of the egg from being dyed. It’s a process similar to batik. Intricate and beautiful patterns are made by skilled artists. I am not a skilled artist, so my eggs were never works of art. But I did have fun trying.
Another style is called Kraszanki. We had an exchange student from Switzerland whose family colored eggs this way. They put onion peels in the water they used to boil the eggs. The eggs came out brown. You could use oak bark or walnut shells to make the eggs black. You could use Marigold flowers to make the eggs yellow.
The opposite approach to pisanki is drapanki. These eggs are first died and then, using a sharp tool, you scratch off the dye to make your designs.
Although elaborately decorated eggs are part of the tradition of all Eastern European countries, each one has its own tradition as far as the patterns used to decorate these eggs.
Lent Season and Pancakes
Tuesday, February 19th, 2008Guest Blogger, Ed Gawlinski, has been involved in many cultural organizations throughout his life.
The season of Lent has started. Lent is a season during which Christians prepare for Easter. The English custom is to start Lent by having pancakes on Shrove Tuesday (the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday). A children’s rhyme goes with this…
Pancakes and fritters,
Say the bells of Saint Peter’s.Or
Hark I hear the pancake bell
And fritters make a gallant smell.One of the Lenten disciplines is to avoid foods made with fat, which is the reason for the English custom of using up your fat by making pancakes the day before Lent starts. The Polish custom is to make Pączki, a type of donut.
At these links below you can find some recipes for Pączki:
Recipe for Paczki
Another Recipe for Paczki
One more Recipe for Pączki
Could Someone Help with an English Translation of the Polish Song “Krakowiaczek Ci Ja” (I am from Cracow)?
Monday, February 11th, 2008We have a version of the Polish song “Krakowiaczek Ci Ja” (I am from Cracow) that’s called “Krakowiaczek jeden” (One Man from Cracow). Recently, I was emailed a version of the song called “Krakowiaczek Ci Ja” (I am from Cracow). However, I wasn’t sent a full English translation. Here’s the song I received in Polish:
Krakowiaczek Ci Ja
Krakowiaczek ci ja,
Któż nie przyzna tego.
Siedemdziesiąt kótek,
U pasika mego.Krakowiaczek ci ja,
W Krakowiemsię rodził,
Trzy lata mi było,
Do szkołym już chodził.Chodziłem do szkoły
Uczyłem się gładko,
A teraz już czytam,
Jak za panią matką.Krakowiaczek jeden.
Miał koników siedem,
Pojechał na wojnę
Został mu się jeden.If anyone can help out with an English translation of this version – that would be great! Please comment below or email me.
Thanks in advance.
Lisa
Symbolic Foods Eaten Around the World for New Years
Saturday, December 29th, 2007In many parts of the world, the foods eaten on New Years Eve and New Years Day have important symbolic meanings. These symbols seem to fall into several major categories.
The first class symbolizes financial prosperity. This type of food is round like coins. Often, the dish will be round beans, like lentils, that will expand when it cooks, symbolizing expanding fortunes. Another financial symbol is food with big green leaves, representing paper money. The green may also be for growth. Foods like this are cabbage, collard greens and kale. Golden colored foods are also good for financial rewards in the New Year.
The second type of New Years food symbol represents the hope of having food on the table throughout the year. Pork is one important symbol of eating well year round. It’s also a sign of prosperity. In the olden times, if your family had a pig, you were doing well!
In some countries, actually having food on your table and/or plates at the stroke of midnight is a sign that you’ll have food throughout the year.
A third symbol involves eating sweet food in order to have a sweet year. In some countries people bake a coin in a sweet cake and the person who gets the coin will have good luck throughout the year. In Spain, Portugal, and parts of South and Central America, 12 sweet grapes, one for each month of the year, are eaten at midnight. The hope is to eat 12 sweet grapes to have 12 sweet months!
Fish is thought to symbolize good luck in many countries.
Another symbol for good luck involves eating food in a ring shape – like doughnuts or ring shaped cakes. This represents coming full circle to successfully complete the year – that’s good luck.
In Japan, long Buckwheat Soba noodles symbolize long life. Just don’t break them while you’re eating them!
Here’s a list of some symbolic food types and the places where they’re eaten for the New Year. Feel free to let us know what’s eaten for New Years in your country, in the comments below.
Round Food (Like Coins for Monetary Luck)
Italy, Brazil & Germany (Lentils)
Germany (Pancakes)
Philippines (Round Fruit)
Southern US (Black-eyed Peas)Green Leafy Vegetables (Like Paper Money for Monetary Luck)
Southern USA (Collard Greens & Turnips)
Denmark (Kale)
Germany (Sauerkraut)Golden Food (Like Gold for Monetary Luck)
Southern USA (Corn Bread)
Pig (Symbol of Plentiful Food in the New Year)
Hungary (Roast suckling pig with a 4 leaf clover in its mouth)
Italy (Cotechino con lenticchie – pork sausage with lentils)
Germany (Kassler mit Sauerkraut – financial luck)
Pennsylvania Dutch (USA – Pork with Sauerkraut)
Austria
ChinaFood on the Table or Plate at Midnight (Symbol of Plentiful Food in the New Year)
Germany
PhilippinesSweets (Symbolic of a Sweet Year or Good Luck)
Hungary (Doughnuts)
Greece (Round cake called Vasilopita – made with a coin baked inside – whoever gets the coin is lucky throughout the year)
Israel (Jewish New Year – Apple dipped in honey & grapes)
India
Egypt (Candy for kids)
Korea (Sweet Fruits)
Norway (Rice Pudding with an almond inside – good luck to the one who gets the almond)12 Grapes at Midnight (Symbolizing 12 Sweet Months)
Spain
Portugal
Mexico
Cuba
Ecuador
PeruRing Shaped Food (Good Luck)
Mexico (Rosca de Reyes – Luck)
Netherlands (Olie Bollen – Doughnut)Fish (Symbol of Good Luck)
Germany (Herring & Carp)
Poland (Pickled Herring)
Denmark (Boiled Cod)
Italy (Dried Salted Cod)
Japan (Red Snapper – Pink is a lucky color)
Vietnam (Carp)
China
Sweden (Seafood Salad)A Happy, Lucky and Prosperous New Year to All of You!
Mama Lisa
Many thanks to Ed Gawlinski for pointing out that they eat lentils in Italy for the New Year, which lead me on this long quest that resulted in this discussion!
“Silent Night” – A Christmas Song that’s Popular around the World
Saturday, December 8th, 2007Silent Night was originally a German Austrian song called Stille Nacht which was written as a poem by Joseph Mohr in 1816 and set to music by his friend Franz Gruber in 1818.
John Freeman Young translated Stille Nacht into the English version called Silent Night that’s so well known today. He was an Episcopal priest at the time, working at Trinity Church in New York City.
Here are the versions we have posted this year for the Christmas season:
-The original Stille Nacht, with three additional verses, with a fairly literal English translation
-John Freeman Young’s English Translation of Stille Nacht, callled Silent Night, plus one additional verse that’s commonly sung with it
-The Swedish version of Stille Nacht, called Stilla natt, heliga natt, with an English translation of the Swedish lyrics
-The Polish version of Stille Nacht, called Cicha noc, święta noc, with an English translation
We would also welcome any other versions of Stille Nacht, preferably with an English translation. Feel free to comment below or email me.
-Mama Lisa
The St. Nicholas Tradition in Poland and a Way to Teach Your Children about Holiday Customs Around the World
Wednesday, December 5th, 2007Ed Gawlinski wrote to me about his family’s holiday traditions. His letter shows how you can be creative and expose your children to many different customs around the world at this time of year…
Lisa,
The Polish Custom is for Saint Nicholas (świętego Mikołaja) to bring children presents on December 6th …. The traditions that go with this parallel those in Germany, Austria, and elsewhere in Europe. I found a short poem for Saint Nicholas that you might enjoy.
“On St. Nicholas Day,
The band of children waits;
For the good cookie he brings,
But for the naughty a switch that stings.”Na świętego Mikołaja,
czeka dzieci cała zgraja,
Da posłusznym ciasteczko,
Złe przekropi różeczką.I also have a story about Saint Nicholas. We would give our kids little gifts on Saint Nichols Day, Saint Lucia Day, Three Kings Day, etc. Our son-in-law referred to this as the 45 days of Gawlinski Christmas… One year as Saint Nichols day approached our second child, Allison was not being well behaved. She didn’t get a Saint Nicholas day present that morning. By noon, we had found where St. Nick hid the present. From then on, until well after Christmas, she was the best behaved little girl you ever saw.
Edward M. Gawlinski
Giving little gifts on the different international holidays gives you an opportunity to explain to kids how people do things differently around the world. You could also give a gift for a day of Chanukah and the Indian festival of Diwali (if you don’t celebrate these holidays already).
Feel free to comment below or email me to share your holiday customs with us!
-Lisa
Can Anyone Help with a Polish Poem about a Brother and a Sister Riding Through a Village?
Thursday, July 19th, 2007Diana wrote:
My father passed away and I miss him. He always sang many songs in Polish and Russian, but one poem in particular that I called my own he always told me before I went to bed was… Jadom jadom dzecie drogu szochika I brat… Do you have the entire verse?
It’s about a brother and a sister riding through a village and they are talking about their travels and what a wonderful sight it is. The poem talks about how they pass a white hut with a roof made out of straw. They see a crane in the sky, a peasant boy playing a flute, bailing hay and so on… Please help me.
Thank you Diana Meynart Hanzel
If anyone can help with the words to this poem, please comment below or email me.
Thanks!
Mama Lisa
Can Anyone Help with a Polish Nursery Rhyme That Sounds Like “”Oushi Coushi Wapchee”"
Saturday, May 26th, 2007Mike wrote:
Hi Mamalisa,
In my family we have a nursery rhyme that we sing to babies… we have always been told that it means something to the affect of a chicken with his head cut off or something like that. This is at least two generations from anyone who could actually speak Polish, so who knows how badly we’re murdering the pronounciation!
Sounded like this:
Oushi Coushi Wapchee,
Oye Chendo Bapchi,
OpaChee Da Choochi,
Cuchee Cuchee Cuchee Cuchee (tickling baby).It looks somewhat like the rhyme you have called Kosi Kosi Lapci in that the first two lines follow the same rhyme scheme… Any help is much appreciated on where this rhyme might have come from and if we are pronouncing it even close to correctly!
Mike
There is a Polish nursery rhyme that involves a chick getting his head taken off – but to me it sounds different from the one above – click the link to read about it on another Mama Lisa’s World Blog post.
Otherwise, if anyone can help, please comment below.
Thanks!
Lisa
Can You Help with a Polish Poem?
Sunday, March 25th, 2007Annamaria wrote looking for the meaning of a Polish poem:
Hi Lisa,
When I was a little girl……. my father taught me a poem. He died when I was 3 years old. I don’t speak much Polish but remember these words. To the best of my knowledge, here it goes…
Elly melly dodkey gosh mus dush makloke gosp per dieaney smar tar.
I would like to know what they mean. If you can, it would be a great help to me, as I remember them in my head always.
Many Thanks Annamaria
If anyone can help with the meaning of this poem, and the correct spelling, please comment below.
Thanks!
Lisa
Looking for a Polish Song about a Kitten in a Wood Pile
Saturday, February 3rd, 2007Christine wrote:
I am looking for a Polish song that has a kitten in a wood pile meowing. My sister remembers this but I do not. Can anyone help me?
If anyone can help with this song, please comment below.
Thanks!
Lisa
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