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Can Anyone Help with Some Swiss German Songs?

Tuesday, October 30th, 2007

Renee wrote:

I’m looking for three children’s songs my grandmother sung to me.

One was: Here comes the bear, where does he want to go? He wants to go to (name of child)’s
house. She would say this in Swiss German.

The next was: Rumpity bumpity halter stock, vermind. She would also speak in Swiss German and I am unsure of the rest of it. The middle of the song she asked how many fingers she held up. If you were correct, the song continued, if not, she went back to the beginning. But the end was: What do you want water or wine? If you wanted water she would vigorously rub your back. If it was wine she would tell you were too young for wine and slap your behind.

The third was a song she would sing while walking with us. She would hold both our hands and she would criss cross hers and swing us from side to side while saying (hail a room boom boom) and I think it referred to the kaiser – something about kick him in the pants.

If you could help in Swiss and English I thank you.
Renee

If anyone can help Renee with any of these songs or nursery rhymes, please comment below.

Thanks!

Lisa

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Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, German, German Children's Songs, German Nursery Rhymes, Germany, Languages, Nursery Rhymes, Questions, Readers Questions, Swiss Children's Songs, Swiss German Dialects, Switzerland | 8 Comments »

“Roti Rösli – Red Roses” – A Swiss Song with it’s English Translation

Wednesday, March 8th, 2006

Julie Steiner has been kind enough to answer the request I posted a few days ago for the Swiss song Roti Rösli (Red Roses). Here it is in the original language, with an English translation…

Roti Rösli
(Swiss German Dialect)

Roti Rösli im Garte,
Maieriesli im Wald
Wänn de Wind chunt choge blase
so verwelked si bald

Chlini Fischli im Wasser,
grossi Fische im Meer
Hei lueg wie si gumped
und schwümed juhee

Liebi Sunne chum füre,
liebi Sune chum bald
Das mir chönd go spaziere
über Wiese und Wald

Red Roses
(English)

Red roses in the garden,
Lilies of the valley in the wood
When the wind comes blowing
They’ll fade soon.

Small fishes in the lake,
Big fishes in the sea
Hey look how they jump
And swim, yuhee!

Dear sun come forth,
Dear sun come soon
That we can go walking
Over meadow and wood.

Julie sent me the English translation. Here’s what she wrote about the dialect…

The dialect printed here is from Zurich, but it actually exists in all dialects (the words vary a little).

I know this because my mum and dad are originally from Bern and so my brother and I spoke the Bernese dialect until we went to school. As we lived in Zurich, we obviously learned the other dialect as well.

Normally there is no difficulty in understanding the different dialects (besides the ones they speak in the mountain regions, these are difficult to understand (even for Swiss people!). I don’t know exactly how many dialects of Swiss German exist, there are 21 cantons* in which German is spoken, but the dialects can differ even within one canton.

*Cantons are states or political divisions in Switzerland.

Many thanks to Julie for the translation and the interesting commentary!

-Lisa

Come visit the Mama Lisa’s World Switzerland Page for more Swiss Songs.

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Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, German, Languages, Questions, Roti Rösli - Red Roses, Swiss Children's Songs, Swiss German Dialects, Switzerland | 3 Comments »

Looking for the lyrics to a Swiss song called “Roti Rosli”

Tuesday, March 7th, 2006

Kimberly wrote me…

Hello Mama!

Actually, there is a very sweet Swiss bedtime childrens’ song called: “Roti Rosli”. My daughter learned this song when she was about 3, and I am trying to find the lyrics in both Swiss and English. How can I find them? Any suggestions? Or do you have them? I just happened upon your site by chance.

Thanks very much for any help.

Sincerely,

Kimberly Folts

If anyone knows the lyrics to Roti Rosli, please comment below.

Thanks! Lisa

UPDATE: The original lyrics have been posted in the comments below. If anyone can provide an English translation, that’d be great!

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Posted in Countries & Cultures, Questions, Swiss Children's Songs, Switzerland | 3 Comments »

The Turnip Fair in Switzerland – Marked by Thousands of Lanterns made out of Turnips!

Friday, November 11th, 2005

To celebrate the end of the harvest, people in the Swiss town of Richterswil have a turnip fair called Räbechilbi. The fair takes place every year on the second Saturday in November.

Nowadays, they harvest 25 tons of turnips! In honor of the festival they make lanterns out of the turnips. There are so many turnips that they’ve made a machine to help hollow them out. Once the turnips are hollow, they carve beautiful designs into them.

For a few days before the fair, the whole town is busy making these lanterns.

After dark on the day of the fair, they parade through town with their lanterns lighting the way.

The tradition of carving out the lanterns came out of a legend dating back to the mid nineteenth century, telling how the farmers’ wives living in the hills around the town would make lanterns out of turnips, to light the way home from church at night in the middle of the winter. The first known parade dates back to 1884. Nowadays the parade is led by churchgoing women dressed in dark colors.

The people in Richterswil also make large group sculptures by placing many lanterns in a pattern. Every year, on this night in November, the town glows in a beautiful yellow light.

I couldn’t find a song related to this festival, so I thought you might enjoy a different Swiss children’s song, courtesy of The Embassy of Switzerland…

Sepp Has a Little Hen

Sepp has a little hen
And in the morning on its perch
It cackles and it cackles.

Now that Seppy has a hen,
He wants to have a goat,
Shaggy Coat he’ll call his goat.

Now that Seppy has a goat,
He wants to have a cow,
Sturdy Brow he’ll call his cow.

Now that Seppy has a cow,
He wants to have a horse,
Steady Course he’ll call his horse.

Now that Seppy has a horse,
He wants to have a lad,
Not So Bad he’ll call his lad.

Now that Seppy has a lad,
He wants to have a maid,
Pull Her Braid he’ll call his maid.

Now that Seppy has a maid,
He wants to have a wife,
Strain and Strife he’ll call his wife.

Seppy has a little hen,
He calls her Henny Pen.

Come visit The Mama Lisa’s World Switzerland page for more Children’s Songs from Switzerland.

If anyone knows of any songs related to the Turnip Festival or other Swiss songs, please comment below.

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Posted in Animal Songs, Hen Songs, Holidays Around the World, Swiss Children's Songs, Switzerland, Turnip Fair in Switzerland called Räbechilbi | 1 Comment »

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Archive for the 'Swiss Children's Songs' Category

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Posts

Can Anyone Help with Some Swiss German Songs?

“Roti Rösli – Red Roses” – A Swiss Song with it’s English Translation

Looking for the lyrics to a Swiss song called “Roti Rosli”

The Turnip Fair in Switzerland – Marked by Thousands of Lanterns made out of Turnips!