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Contents

Willie Take Your Little Drum – An English Christmas Carol with YouTube Renditions

Patapan – The French Christmas Carol with a YouTube Video

“Patapan”, a Christmas Carol from Burgundy, France (in French, Burgundian and English) with an MP3 Recording

Posts

Willie Take Your Little Drum – An English Christmas Carol with YouTube Renditions

Sunday, December 7th, 2008

Willie Take Your Little Drum is a well-known English Christmas Carol, even though it’s based on a French Carol from Burgundy called Patapan. In my last blog entry, I posted the French lyrics to Patapan, with an English translation and a video of a French rendition of the song.

Here, I’m going to post some English videos of different renditions of the song. The first one is a more traditional choir performance. The second one seems like it’s from the renaissance, with pretty clothing that young kids will enjoy seeing. The last one is more raucous with lots of percussion! They all use the same lyrics – the ones I’m posting below.

These lyrics to Willie Take Your Drum seem to be the most popular ones that exist. I believe they come from a translation by Rev. Percy Dearmer (1867- 1936) for the Oxford Book of Carols (1928). There is one line that I must point out as being a bit funny. It’s “When they hear the fife and drum, Sure our children won’t be dumb.” (We think this means that when they hear the fife and drum, the children will start cheering.)

In any case, Willie Take Your Drum is a pretty song to listen to. So, sit back and enjoy the show!

Here’s the Cantamus Training Choir performing ‘Pat-a-Pan’ at the Mansfield Palace Theatre in 2007 for a Christmas concert…

Here’s are the English lyrics:

Willie, Take Your Little Drum
(English Lyrics)

Willie, take your little drum;
With your whistle, Robin, come!
When we hear the fife and drum,
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, Pat-a-pat-a-pan,
When we hear the fife and drum,
Christmas should be frolicsome.

Thus the men of olden days
Loved the King of kings to praise.
When they hear the fife and drum,
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, Pat-a-pat-a-pan,
When they hear the fife and drum,
Sure our children won’t be dumb.

God and man are now become
More at one than fife and drum.
When you hear the fife and drum,
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, Pat-a-pat-a-pan,
When you hear the fife and drum,
Dance and make the village hum!

Here are the Madrigals singing Willie Take Your Drum, with their wonderful costumes:

Here’s a fun, upbeat version of the song by Loosely Woven:

Enjoy!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Christmas, Christmas Songs, Countries & Cultures, England, English, France, Great Britain, Holiday Songs, Holidays Around the World, Languages, Mama Lisa, Patapan, USA, Willie Take Your Little Drum, YouTube | No Comments »

Patapan – The French Christmas Carol with a YouTube Video

Sunday, December 7th, 2008

Patapan is one of the most popular French Christmas songs. I’ve posted Patapan before with an mp3 recording. I thought it was worthwhile to repost it for the holiday season with another rendition – this time from YouTube.

Patapan, or Guillaume prends ton tambourin, is a traditional song from the Burgundy region in France. It’s also known in English as Willie Take Your Little Drum. It was written by Bernard de la Monnoye (1641-1728) around 1700. Monnoye wrote many other Burgundian carols around the same time.

A tambourin is a small cylindrical drum, usually made out of wood and covered with an animal skin. It’s hung from the shoulders and played with the hands. ‘Turelurelu’ is the sound the flute makes and ‘patapatapan’ is the sound of the drum. This is most likely the inspiration for the English Christmas song, The Little Drummer Boy.

Below you’ll find a YouTube video rendition of Patapan in French (it cuts off slightly at the end – yet it’s worth watching). It’s followed by the French lyrics, an English translation and then the original Burgundian version…

Performed by “Choir Ars XXI”

Patapan
(French)

Guillaume prends ton tambourin
Toi, prends ta flûte, Robin;
Au son de ces instruments
Turelurelu, patapatapan
Au son de ces instruments
Je dirai Noël gaîment.

C’était la mode autrefois
De louer le Roi des rois
Au son de ces instruments
Turelurelu, patapatapan
Au son de ces instruments
Il nous en faut faire autant.

L’homme et Dieu sont plus d’accord
Que la flûte et le tambour;
Au son de ces instruments
Turelurelu, patapatapan
Au son de ces instruments
Chantons, dansons, sautons en!

Here’s a fairly literal English translation of the original Patapan song…

Willie Take Your Little Drum
(English)

Willie take your little drum,
Robin take your flute, come!
To the sound of these instruments
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, pat-a-pat-a-pan,
To the sound of these instruments
I will joyfully sing Merry Christmas!

It was the way of yonder times
To praise the king of kings
To the sound of these instruments
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, pat-a-pat-a-pan,
To the sound of these instruments
We must do the same.

Man and god agree
About the flute and the little drum…
To the sound of these instruments
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, pat-a-pat-a-pan,
To the sound of these instruments
Sing! Dance! Jump around!

Here’s Patapan in the old Burgundian dialect, which has an additional verse (#3)…

Guillô, pran ton tamborin
(Burgundian Dialect)

Guillô, pran ton tamborin;
Toi, pran tai fleúte, Rôbin!
Au son de cé instruman,
Turelurelu, patapatapan,
Au son de cé instruman
Je diron Noei gaiman

C’ étó lai môde autrefoi
De loüé le Roi dé Roi,
Au son de cés instruman,
Turelurelu, patapatapan,
Au son de cés instruman,
Ai nos an fau faire autan.

Ce jor le Diale at ai cu
Randons an graice ai Jesu
Au son de cés instruman,
Turelurelu, patapatapan,
Au son de cés instruman,
Fezon lai nique ai Satan.

L’homme et Dei son pu d’aicor
Que lai fleúte & le tambor.
Au son de cés instruman,
Turelurelu, patapatapan,
Au son de cés instruman,
Chanton, danson, sautons-an.

There’s a popular English version of Willie Take Your Little Drum that I posted with English renditions of the song – come check it out! You can also check out the blog of the “Choir Ars XXI” to hear more of their wonderful recordings and watch videos of them performing!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Burgundy, Christmas, Christmas Songs, Countries & Cultures, English, France, French, Holiday Songs, Holidays Around the World, Languages, Mama Lisa, Patapan, USA, YouTube | 3 Comments »

“Patapan”, a Christmas Carol from Burgundy, France (in French, Burgundian and English) with an MP3 Recording

Wednesday, December 14th, 2005

Patapan, or Guillaume prends ton tambourin, is a traditional song from the Burgundy region in France. It’s also known in English as Willie Take Your Little Drum. It was written by Bernard de la Monnoye (1641-1728) around 1700. Monnoye wrote many other Burgundian carols around the same time.

A tambourin is a small cylindrical drum, usually made out of wood and covered with an animal skin. It’s hung from the shoulders and played with the hands. ‘Turelurelu’ is the sound the flute makes and ‘patapatapan’ is the sound of the drum. This is most likely the inspiration for the English Christmas song, The Little Drummer Boy.

The French lyrics to Patapan are below, followed by an English translation and the original Burgundian version… Here you can listen to an MP3 of Patapan in French, as sung by Choral singer David W. Solomons.

Patapan
(French)

Guillaume prends ton tambourin
Toi, prends ta flûte, Robin;
Au son de ces instruments
Turelurelu, patapatapan
Au son de ces instruments
Je dirai Noël gaîment.

C’était la mode autrefois
De louer le Roi des rois
Au son de ces instruments
Turelurelu, patapatapan
Au son de ces instruments
Il nous en faut faire autant.

L’homme et Dieu sont plus d’accord
Que la flûte et le tambour;
Au son de ces instruments
Turelurelu, patapatapan
Au son de ces instruments
Chantons, dansons, sautons en!

Here’s a fairly literal English translation of Patapan…

Willie Take Your Little Drum
(English)

Willie take your little drum,
Robin take your flute, come!
To the sound of these instruments
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, pat-a-pat-a-pan,
To the sound of these instruments
I will joyfully sing Merry Christmas!

It was the way of yonder times
To praise the king of kings
To the sound of these instruments
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, pat-a-pat-a-pan,
To the sound of these instruments
We must do the same.

Man and god agree
About the flute and the little drum…
To the sound of these instruments
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, pat-a-pat-a-pan,
To the sound of these instruments
Sing! Dance! Jump around!

Here’s Patapan in the old Burgundian dialect, which has an additional verse (#3)…

Guillô, pran ton tamborin
(Burgundian Dialect)

Guillô, pran ton tamborin;
Toi, pran tai fleúte, Rôbin!
Au son de cé instruman,
Turelurelu, patapatapan,
Au son de cé instruman
Je diron Noei gaiman

C’ étó lai môde autrefoi
De loüé le Roi dé Roi,
Au son de cés instruman,
Turelurelu, patapatapan,
Au son de cés instruman,
Ai nos an fau faire autan.

Ce jor le Diale at ai cu
Randons an graice ai Jesu
Au son de cés instruman,
Turelurelu, patapatapan,
Au son de cés instruman,
Fezon lai nique ai Satan.

L’homme et Dei son pu d’aicor
Que lai fleúte & le tambor.
Au son de cés instruman,
Turelurelu, patapatapan,
Au son de cés instruman,
Chanton, danson, sautons-an.

Many thanks to David W. Solomons for letting me link to his wonderful mp3 recording of Patapan. David is a one man choral singer who has been playing instruments and singing for over 30 years. Here’s a link to more of David Solomons’ Christmas music or visit his home page.

Come visit the Mama Lisa’s World France page for French children’s songs with their English translations and…

Mama Lisa’s World en français for children’s songs around the world with their French translations.

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Posted in Burgundy, Christmas, Christmas Songs, Countries & Cultures, France, French, French Kids Songs, Guillaume prends ton tambourin, Holiday Songs, Holidays Around the World, Languages, MP3's, Patapan, Recordings of Songs, Willie Take Your Little Drum | 2 Comments »

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