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A Poem about a Baby

Thursday, March 12th, 2009

I know sometimes people are looking for poems to give when a baby is born. I just came across this one today…

BABY’S EYES.

When the baby’s eyes are blue,
Think we of a summer day,
Violets, and dancing rills*.
When the baby’s eyes are gray,
Doves and dawn are brought to mind.
Brown—of gentle fawns we dream,
And ripe nuts in shady woods.
Black—of midnight skies that gleam
With bright stars. But blue or gray,
Black or brown, like flower or star,
Sweeter eyes can never be
To mamma than baby’s are.

*little brooks

This poem can be found in Harper’s Young People, January 20, 1880.

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Posted in Baby Showers, Countries & Cultures, English, Holidays Around the World, Languages, Mama Lisa, Parenting, Poems, Poetry, USA | 1 Comment »

Senzenina – A Zulu Protest Song and Funeral Song

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

This is a protest song and it is traditionally sung at funerals. It was important during the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. Senzenina means “What have we done” with the implication “what did we do to deserve this?” (Also spelled “senzeni na”.)

Here you can see the original lyrics, with an English translation and a wonderful mp3 recording that we just received by Élodie Chebat.

MP3 Recording of Senzenina

Senzenina
(Zulu/Xhosa)

Senzenina
Sono sethu ubumnyama
Sono sethu yinyaniso
Sibulawayo
Mayibuye i Africa.

What Have We Done?
(English Translation)

What have we done?
Our sin is that we are black
Our sin is the truth
They are killing us
Let Africa return.

We found that this song is considered to be in both the Zulu and Xhosa languages. Trying to figure out which language it was in, I looked up the words to this song, and found some of them in a Zulu dictionary and some in a Xhosa dictionary. On further research I found in the Encyclopedia Britannica: “The Zulu and Xhosa languages are similar enough to be considered dialects of one language, but speakers of Zulu and Xhosa consider them to be separate languages.” (FYI They are both Southeastern Bantu languages.)

Many thanks to Élodie Chebat for contributing and singing this beautiful song!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in African Children's Songs, Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Folk Songs, Languages, MP3's, Mama Lisa, Recordings of Songs, Senzenina, South Africa, Traditional Songs, Xhosa, Zimbabwe, Zulu | 3 Comments »

Could Anyone Help with a Song from Congo with the Line, “Oh oh oh lele, olibaba kase”?

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

Guillermo wrote:

Hi,

I’d like you to help me with this song… Would you know what it means? I think it’s a song from Congo, I checked and it’s a song from the Voodoo repertoire. “Baba” means “baby”. Here’s the song…

Oh oh oh lele
olibaba kase
oh dei bondei baba
olibaba kase

Thanks, Guillermo

If anyone can help with the meaning of this song, and/or if you know what language it’s in, please let us know in the comments below.

Thanks!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Children's Songs, Congo, Countries & Cultures, Languages, Mama Lisa, Questions, Readers Questions | No Comments »

Can Anyone Help with a Swedish Lullaby?

Monday, March 9th, 2009

Kristin wrote to me looking for help with a song:

Hi Lisa,

I was surfing and stumbled upon your site and I’m hoping you can help me. My Mother learned a song from her Grandmother. In fact, she remembers the song being sung to her every night as a child. My Great-Grandmother spoke little English and my Mother did not speak Swedish, so she never really got a translation. I’m also certain that my Mom is not really singing the words correctly either. I would love more than anything to find the words and translation for her because my Mother is now trying to teach the song to my children.

I’m going to type it out the first two lines as I hear it – I don’t know any Swedish at all…

Ocher (Aucher?) Lit Lit
Er bord sen tieden

Another option is that I record the tune as I know it and send it.

I know this is a total long shot. Thanks for taking a look.

My Best,

Kristin

If anyone can help Kristin with the lyrics to this song and/or an English translation, please let us know in the comments below.

Kristin, if you’d like to email me the tune, that might help! Thanks!

-Mama Lisa

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Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Languages, Lullabies, Mama Lisa, Questions, Readers Questions, Sweden, Swedish, Swedish Children's Songs, Swedish Lullabies | 2 Comments »

A Haitian Lullaby: “Dodo Titit” – Sleep Little One

Sunday, March 8th, 2009

“Dodo Titit” is a widely known lullaby in Haiti. It means “sleep little one”. It sounds like “titit” comes from the French petit.

Dodo Titit
(Haitian Creole)

Dodo titit*
Si ou pa dodo,
krab la va manje ou
Dodo titit,
krab lan kalalou**

Sleep Little One
(English Translation)

Sleep little one,
If you don’t sleep,
The crab will eat you
Sleep, little one.
Crab in Okra Gumbo**

*Alternatively, this line can be “Dodo ti titit” – “ti” means “small”. Sometimes “mamman” or “papa” is at the end of the line – making it “Sleep mommy’s little one” or “Daddy’s little one”.
**Kalalou means both “okra” and “gumbo”. Kalalou in the Caribbean often have okra and crab in them. Kalalou is sometimes spelled: “calalu”, “calalou”, or “calaloo”. The word comes from Africa.

You can find variations of this lullaby at: Caribbean Living – Dodo ti pitit manman and The Lullabologist – Dodo Titit – with recording.

If anyone would like to share their version, and/or a recording, feel free to in the comments below or by emailing me at lisa@mamalisa.com .

Thanks and enjoy!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Creole, English, Haiti, Haitian Children's Songs, Haitian Creole, Haitian Lullabies, Kalalou, Languages, Lullabies, Mama Lisa, Words & Phrases | No Comments »

Does Anyone Know Any Haitian Nursery Rhymes?

Friday, March 6th, 2009

Keyanne Jacob wrote:

I am preparing to go to teach school in Haiti. I want to teach nursery rhymes. Are there many Haitian nursery rhymes? If so where can I find them?

My impression is that there are traditional Haitian lullabies and folk songs, but that the nursery rhymes in Haiti are based on the traditions from other countries – such as France and England (though I could be wrong).

If anyone knows of any Haitian nursery rhymes (even if they’re based on rhymes from other countries), please share them in the comments below.

Thanks in advance!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Countries & Cultures, Creole, French, Haiti, Haitian Nursery Rhymes, Languages, Mama Lisa, Nursery Rhymes, Questions, Readers Questions | 4 Comments »

Strange Take on Childhood Back in the Late 1800’s

Friday, March 6th, 2009

Harper’s Young People was an illustrated weekly published in New York in the late 1800’s. I came across this poem called Spoon-faces from an 1879 issue.

It’s hard to imagine this poem being written in the US today. Parents might still want to dissuade their kids from whining and frowning… but from giggling? If a kid is frowning, shouldn’t the parent figure find out what’s wrong in the first place? Not many American parents today would want to try to stop their children from laughing and giggling or disregard a frown. Here’s the poem…

SPOON-FACES.

When they’re bright and shining
Like the summer moons,
Two queer faces look at you
From the silver spoons.
One is very long, and one
Broad as it can be,
And both of them are grewsome things,
As ever you did see.

Then careful be, young people,
And do not whine or frown,
Lest some day you discover
Your chin’s a-growing down.
Nor must you giggle all the time
As though you were but loons;
We want no children’s faces
Like those in silver spoons.

It’s interesting to see how parenting ideas change over time. What will people say about how we parent in 100 years? Just this week I read an article in the New York Times about how our generation is making our kids obsessed about eating healthy foods (organic only, no trans-fats, low salt, etc.) – potentially encouraging eating disorders down the road. Maybe the key is not to push anything too hard on kids of any generation.

Feel free to let us know what you think in the comments below.

This poem can be found online at Project Gutenberg: Harper’s Young People, December 16, 1879.

-Mama Lisa

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Posted in Countries & Cultures, English, Languages, Parenting, Poems, Poetry, USA | 2 Comments »

Can Anyone Help with a Mandarin Song with the Line “Xiao me xiao er lang”?

Thursday, March 5th, 2009

Heather wrote asking for help with a Chinese folk song…

Lisa,

I’m not sure if you can help me but I am searching for the lyrics for a children’s folksong in Mandarin that is about a little boy who carries a backpack on his back and doesn’t want to disappoint his father. I sang this about 13 years ago with my college choir. I remember the melody but only parts of the words.

Phonetically, the first line is: Xiao me xiao er lang

If possible, your help will be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Heather Ramirez
Houston, TX

If anyone can help with this song, either with the transliterated Mandarin, the Chinese characters and/or an English translation, please either let us know in the comments below or by emailing me at lisa@mamalisa.com .

Thanks in advance!

Mama Lisa

UPDATE: Evan wrote: “Ah! The good ol’ days… I sang this as part of my elementary school music class, quite some time ago. With the repetitions, it goes…”

小呀嘛小二郎
背着那书包上学堂
不怕太阳晒
也不怕那风雨狂
只怕先生骂我笨
没有学问无颜见爹娘
没有学问无颜见爹娘
小呀嘛小二郎
背着那书包上学堂
不是为做官
也不是为面子管
只为穷人要翻身
不受人欺负
哎不做牛和羊
不受人欺负
哎不做牛和羊
小呀嘛小二郎
背着那书包上学堂
不怕太阳晒
也不怕那风雨狂
只怕先生骂我笨
没有学问无颜见爹娘
没有学问无颜见爹娘
小呀嘛小二郎
背着那书包上学堂
不是为做官
也不是为面子管
只为穷人要翻身
不受人欺负
哎不做牛和羊
不受人欺负
哎不做牛和羊
小二郎嘛小二郎
小二郎嘛小二郎
小二郎嘛小二郎
小二郎嘛小二郎
小呀嘛小二郎
背着那书包上学堂
不是为做官
也不是为面子管
只为穷人要翻身
不受人欺负
哎不做牛和羊
不受人欺负
哎不做牛和羊
不受人欺负
哎不做牛和羊

Thanks Evan! If anyone can provide a transliteration, the Pinyin and/or an English translation, that would be great! Thanks! Lisa

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Posted in Children's Songs, China, Chinese, Countries & Cultures, Folk Songs, Languages, Mama Lisa, Mandarin, Mandarin Children's Songs, Questions, Readers Questions | 7 Comments »

Walter de la Mare Poem “SOME ONE”

Thursday, March 5th, 2009

Nancy wrote to me looking for: “the complete poem by Walter de la Mare which starts with: ‘Someone came a-knocking on my wee small door….’”

Here is Walter de la Mare’s poem called SOME ONE:

SOME ONE

Some one came knocking
At my wee, small door;
Some one came knocking,
I’m sure – sure – sure;
I listened, I opened,
I looked to left and right,
But naught there was a-stirring
In the still dark night;
Only the busy beetle
Tap-tapping in the wall,
Only from the forest
The screech-owl’s call,
Only the cricket whistling
While the dewdrops fall,
So I know not who came knocking,
At all, at all, at all.

You can find this poem online in PEACOCK PIE A Book of Rhymes by Walter de la Mare.

Here’s another poem from the book you might like…

SILVER

Slowly, silently, now the moon
Walks the night in her silver shoon:
This way, and that, she peers and sees
Silver fruit upon silver trees;
One by one the casements catch
Her beams beneath the silvery thatch;
Couched in his kennel, like a log,
With paws of silver sleeps the dog
From their shadowy cote the white breasts peep
Of doves in a silver-feathered sleep;
A harvest mouse goes scampering by,
With silver claws and silver eye;
And moveless fish in the water gleam
By silver reeds in a silver stream.

Hope you enjoy them!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Authors, Books, Canada, Countries & Cultures, England, English, Great Britain, Languages, Mama Lisa, Online Books, Poems, Poetry, Poets, SOME ONE, USA, Walter de la Mare | No Comments »

2 French Tongue Twisters with a YouTube Video with Translations

Wednesday, March 4th, 2009

These tongue twisters were recited by François Martini, who gives the instructions: “À dire très vite” (To say very quickly). Below the video, you’ll find the tongue twisters written in French with their English translations…

“Un chasseur sachant chasser sait chasser sans son chien.”
(A hunter knowing how to hunt knows how to hunt without his dog.)

“Rat vit rôt, rôt tenta rat, rat mit patte à rôt, rôt brûla patte à rat, rat secoua patte et quitta rôt.”
(Rat saw a roast, roast tempted rat, rat put leg to roast, roast burnt rat’s leg, rat shook leg and left roast.)

Thanks to Monique Palomares of Mama Lisa’s World en français for help with the rat translation and to François Martini for his recitation!

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Posted in Belgium, Canada, Countries & Cultures, France, French, Languages, Mama Lisa, YouTube | No Comments »

CD’s with Spanish Songs including Los pollitos

Thursday, February 26th, 2009

Adrinel emailed me…

To whom it may concern:

I was wondering if you had a CD available to purchase of the children’s nursery rhymes… I was looking for Los pollitos especially..

Thanks!
Adrinel

Below are some CD’s and MP3’s from Amazon I found with Los Pollitos on them. I’m giving the links below to buy the cd’s as regular cd’s (but you can download the whole disc in mp3 form if you’d like). You can listen to samples of all of them before buying…

CD’s to Buy from Amazon with Los pollitos:

Los Merenguitos: Canciones Infantiles
¡A Bailar! Let’s Dance! (Spanish learning songs for kids/Canciones infantiles)

MP3’s of Los pollitos – You can also buy single mp3’s of the song:

Los Pollitos (The Little Chicks) by Elizabeth Mitchell – I like this one a lot!

Los Merenguitos: El Barquito – El Cartero – Los Pollitos – Patito Patito – MP3 Download for .99 cents
Los Pollitos (The Little Chicks) – from ¡A Bailar! Let’s Dance! – MP3 Download for .99 cents

If anyone would like to recommend any other versions of Los pollitos, feel free to in the comments below.

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Argentina, Bolivia, CD's, Children's Songs, Chile, Costa Rica, Countries & Cultures, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Languages, MP3's, Mama Lisa, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Questions, Readers Questions, Recommendations, Recordings of Songs, Spain, Spanish, Spanish Kids Songs, USA, Venezuela | No Comments »

Traditional Dutch Children’s Songs from 1895

Thursday, February 26th, 2009

Peter pointed out an online collection of traditional Dutch songs published in 1895. The site is only in Dutch. Some of the songs may have archaic language. But it may be interesting for those of you who speak the language.

Thanks for letting us know about this site Peter!

-Mama Lisa

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Posted in Belgium, Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Dutch, Dutch Children's Songs, Languages, Mama Lisa, Netherlands, Nursery Rhymes | No Comments »

Is There a CD with The Hawaiian Alphabet Song on It?

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

Rhonda wrote to me looking for help with the Hawaiian Alphabet Song…

Good Morning Lisa

I have been looking for the Hawaiian Alphabet song and I have searched the internet for it. Are you able to tell me where I can purchase it or the name of the singer or a name of a CD it might be on.

Any information you can provide would greatly be appreciated.

Thank you

Rhonda Schmidt

My friend, Stephanie Baxter, helped with part of the answer to this one:

As I understand it, the song was written by Mary Kawena Pukui, who was quite a famous teacher here in Hawaii, responsible for getting much of the Hawaiian language down in writing, transcribing a lot of the folklore. The song might be available through the Bishop Museum, where she donated a lot of her time. I’ve not heard it sung, but if were anywhere, it would be Kamehameha Schools… only students there have to be native Hawaiian.

The lyrics are:

E nâ hoa kamali`i,
E a`o mai kâkou
I pa`ana`au ka pîâpâ.

`Â, `ê, `î, `ô, `û,
Hê, kê, lâ, mû, nû.
`O pî me wê nâ panina
O ka pîâpâ.

In English…

O fellow children,
Let us learn together
Til we’ve memorized the alphabet.

A, e, i , o, u,
H, k, l, m, n.
P and w are the last two
Of the alphabet

Thanks for the help Stephanie!

Rhonda – I would contact the Bishop Museum Store and ask them if any of their cd’s have the song on it. Otherwise, I’d contact the school to see if they sell cd’s.

If anyone else knows of any cd’s with this song on it – or where you can find/buy the mp3, please let us know in the comments below.

Thanks in advance!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in ABC's, Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Hawaii, Hawaiian, Hawaiian Children's Songs, Languages, Mama Lisa, Questions, Readers Questions, USA | 3 Comments »

Recipe for Spaghetti Squash with Pasta

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

Spaghetti Squash with Pasta is a great dish to make in the Winter – since it involves baking the squash – it heats up the house. Squash is also inexpensive and easy to find in the North East U.S. in the Winter, making it an ideal cold weather staple.

This is an easy dish to make. Here’s what you’ll need:

1 Spaghetti Squash
1 pound Pasta (we use whole wheat)
Parmesan Cheese to Taste
Butter to Taste (we use about 1-2 Tablespoons)
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Here’s what you do:

Preheat oven to 375F.

-Place squash on baking dish and bake for about 45 minutes – turning it every 15 minutes. It’s done when a fork easily goes through the skin.
-Meanwhile, boil water and cook the pasta – timing it to be ready around when the squash is done. When the pasta is ready, drain it.
-When the squash is done, cut it in half. Spoon out the seeds and discard.
-Spoon out the good flesh of the squash, breaking it up a little.
-Mix the squash with the pasta, a slab of butter, salt and pepper and parmesan cheese. (Or any sauce that will support pasta.)

Bon appetit!

Many thanks to Kimberly Marrero for teaching me this recipe. We’ve made it just about every week this Winter!

Mama Lisa

UPDATE: Corrine Lewack wrote to me about this recipe: “Yum.. I’ve even used tomato sauce and parmesan cheese on top of the spaghetti squash only.. good for those of us who need carb control!” -Thanks for the tip Corrine! I’m going to try this the next time I make a pot of tomato sauce! -Lisa

PS I usually try to bake another vegetable while I have the oven on (to save on electricity): either another type of squash (like acorn or butternut squash) or eggplant to make Baba Ganouj for another day.

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Posted in Countries & Cultures, English, Languages, Main Course, Mama Lisa, Recipes of the World, Spaghetti Squash with Pasta, USA | No Comments »

Can Anyone Help with an Italian Song that Starts, “Cinque e cinquanta” to the tune of “Giro Giro Tondo”?

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

Nicholas emailed me asking for help with an Italian song…

My grandmother used to sing me a song, and I learned it but don’t know the correct words. It goes to the melody of Giro Giro Tondo. When I first heard Giro Giro Tondo, I thought perhaps it was another verse to my grandmother’s song which, as I remember it, (and not knowing if the words even make sense) goes:

Cinque e cinquanta,
Michallina canta,
La se la canta,
Case vuole marita.

If anyone knows if this is part of a larger nursery rhyme or song, please let me know.

Nicholas G. Licata

If anyone can also help Nicholas with the words to his song and/or an English translation, please let us know in the comments below.

Thanks in advance!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Italian, Italian Children's Songs, Italian Nursery Rhymes, Italy, Languages, Mama Lisa, Midis, Nursery Rhymes, Questions, Readers Questions | 12 Comments »

Does Anyone Know a Spanish Lullaby about a Bug that Lost its Leg or Wing?

Saturday, February 21st, 2009

Sabrina wrote to me looking for help with a Spanish lullaby, possibly from the Dominican Republic…

Hey Lisa,

I don’t know if you can help me out. My name is Sabrina, I am 29 years old and I was married to a Dominican man who unfortunately passed away of cancer last year. I am originally from Germany, so my Spanish is rather horrible, also I always wanted to learn this beautiful language…

I remember my husband singing a Spanish lullaby or children’s song for me from time to time. If I remember right, this song was about a bug/beetle who lost a leg or a wing. Searching for the lyrics and melody of this song through the internet I found your homepage. Can you help me to find this song? I am grateful for every hint or tip.

Thanks so much, SABRINA.

If anyone can help with the lyrics to this lullaby, and/or and English translation, and/or the tune, please let us know in the comments below…

Thanks!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Argentina, Bolivia, Children's Songs, Chile, Costa Rica, Countries & Cultures, Cuba, Dominican Children's Songs, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Languages, Lullabies, Mama Lisa, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Questions, Readers Questions, Spain, Spanish, Spanish Kids Songs, Spanish Lullabies, USA, Venezuela | 1 Comment »

Abe Lincoln the Boy

Friday, February 20th, 2009

This week I started reading Abraham Lincoln by Carl Sandburg. It’s very well written.

In the early pages of this book, you realize that Abe was a kid just like any other kid. For example, he wrote this at about eleven (can’t you imagine your kid writing this?):

Abraham Lincoln is my nam[e]
And with my pen I wrote the same
I wrote in both hast[e] and speed
and left it here for fools to read

Abraham Lincoln his hand and his pen
he will be good but god knows When

Kids love to write poems like this one!

Earlier in the book you realize what a different world Abe really grew up in. When he was seven, his family moved from Kentucky to Indiana. Though Abe was only at that point nearly eight, he helped his father build their family a log cabin, with the help of neighbors.

Now every time my poor kids have a little chore to do and they complain about it, I can’t help but say, “Abe Lincoln helped his father build a log cabin when he was only 7 years old!”

Here’s how Sandburg described that time in Abe’s life: “It had been a hard year… They had to chop down trees, clear away underbrush, on what few acres they planted after plowing the hard unbroken sod. Their food was mostly game shot in the woods nearby… One drawback was water supply. Abe or Sarah (his sister) had to walk nearly a mile to fetch spring water… They were part of the American Frontier, many others like them breaking ground never before broken, settling a new midwest territory.”

This makes you think how different and difficult life was back then. Yet it’s part of what helped shape who Abraham Lincoln was to become as a man.

Many thanks to Lila for the drawing of Abe!

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Posted in Abraham Lincoln, Authors, Books, Countries & Cultures, English, Languages, Mama Lisa, People, USA | No Comments »

Can Anyone Help with a Hindi Song about a Pussy Cat? It’s from an English Album – Also looking for the album!

Friday, February 20th, 2009

Kathy emailed me asking for help finding a 30 year old album…

Hi Lisa,

My daughter had an album of children’s songs, which came out about 30 years ago. The album has long since disappeared but we really enjoyed one song on it. It starts off in English…

Pussy cat, pussycat with eyes so bright,
You sleep all day and you go out in the night,
There’s another line I can’t remember, and then..
…that a doggie doesn’t catch you up a tree!

The singer then sings in Hindi (I think). It’s very lively – my daughter sang it all the time. Have you any idea where we can find it? Thanks,

Kathy

If anyone can help with the song or album, please let us know in the comments below.

Thanks!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in British Children's Songs, Canada, Children's Songs, Children's Songs from India, Countries & Cultures, England, English, English Children's Songs, Great Britain, Hindi, India, Languages, Mama Lisa, Questions, Readers Questions, USA | 2 Comments »

Can Someone Help Translate an Icelandic Kids Song?

Thursday, February 19th, 2009

Nancy Bienski wrote me:

Can anyone translate this Icelandic nursery song?

Mér um hug og hjarta nú

Mér um hug og hjarta nú
hljómar sætir líða.
Óma vorljóð óma þú
út um grundir víða.
Hljóma þar við hús þú sér
hýrleg blómin skína.
Fríðri rós, ef fyrir ber,
færðu kveðju mína.

If anyone can help Nancy, please comment below.

Thanks!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Iceland, Icelandic, Icelandic Children's Songs, Languages, Mama Lisa, Nursery Rhymes, Questions, Readers Questions | 3 Comments »

Danish Kids Songs Sites plus a Danish Children’s Song

Thursday, February 19th, 2009

Richard wrote to me recommending a Danish kids song site…

Hi

On this web page Rimogremser.dk there are several Danish kids songs with midi files.

Thanks for a good a good web-site ;)

Best regards

Richard

Thanks for the recommendation Richard. The site is nice! It has cool line drawings to go with most of the songs and tunes – though no English translations.

I picked one of the songs on the site that’s in the public domain (possibly 100 years+ old) and tried my hand at translating it. Below you’ll find the lyrics in Danish, the illustration from the site, a link to the midi and my translation…

Når vi sejler op og ned

Når vi sejler op og ned,
ser vi fisken svømme.
Ære, være, du er min.
Lise, Lise, hvor vi elsker dig.

Når vi sejler op og ned,
ser vi fisken svømme.
Ære, være, du er min
Michael, Michael, hvor vi hader dig.

Midi of Når vi sejler op og ned

Rough English Translation:

When we sail up and down,
We see the fish swim.
Glory, be, you are mine,
Lisa, Lisa, we love you.

When we sail up and down,
We see the fish swim.
Glory, be, you are mine,
Michael, Michael, we hate you.

I welcome improvements to my translation!

I searched around some more and found another nice Danish site called Dansk Folkemindesamling (the link here is for the kids song section of the site). This one had a different version of the same song (also in Danish only). This one also had a Quicktime recording of children singing it. It’s where I learned that the song goes back to at least 1900. It’s a circle game. One goes “swimming” under the “circles” raised arms. At the end of each verse one joins the circle. One joins them to walk around so that together they form a chain which gets longer and longer.

Here’s the second version of the song…

1 Når vi sejler op og ned
så ser vi fisken svømme
ære være vi er her
for Mia, Mia hvem elsker du?

2 Når vi sejler op og ned
så ser vi fisken svømme
ære være vi er her
for Per, Per hvem elsker du?

3 Når vi sejler op og ned
så ser vi fisken svømme
ære være vi er her
for Ebbe, Ebbe hvem elsker du?

This version is friendlier. Here’s the English translation I came up with:

1 When we sail up and down,
We see the fish swim.
We are honored to be here
For Mia, Mia, who loves you?

2 When we sail up and down,
We see the fish swim.
We are honored to be here
For Per, Per, Who loves you?

3 When we sail up and down,
We see the fish swim.
We are honored to be here
For Ebbe, Ebbe, Who loves you?

Once again, I welcome improvements to my translation!

Mama Lisa’s World also has some Danish kids songs with English, French and Spanish translations and midis. We always welcome more songs if anyone would like to contribute any and also if anyone would like to sing any for us… Feel free to comment below or email me!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Children's Songs, Circle Games, Countries & Cultures, Danish, Danish Children's Songs, Denmark, Games, Language Sites, Languages, Mama Lisa, Midis, Recommendations, Recordings of Songs, Sites about Music | 5 Comments »

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A Poem about a Baby

Senzenina – A Zulu Protest Song and Funeral Song

Could Anyone Help with a Song from Congo with the Line, “Oh oh oh lele, olibaba kase”?

Can Anyone Help with a Swedish Lullaby?

A Haitian Lullaby: “Dodo Titit” – Sleep Little One

Does Anyone Know Any Haitian Nursery Rhymes?

Strange Take on Childhood Back in the Late 1800’s

SPOON-FACES.

Can Anyone Help with a Mandarin Song with the Line “Xiao me xiao er lang”?

Walter de la Mare Poem “SOME ONE”

2 French Tongue Twisters with a YouTube Video with Translations

CD’s with Spanish Songs including Los pollitos

Traditional Dutch Children’s Songs from 1895

Is There a CD with The Hawaiian Alphabet Song on It?

Recipe for Spaghetti Squash with Pasta

Can Anyone Help with an Italian Song that Starts, “Cinque e cinquanta” to the tune of “Giro Giro Tondo”?

Does Anyone Know a Spanish Lullaby about a Bug that Lost its Leg or Wing?

Abe Lincoln the Boy

Can Anyone Help with a Hindi Song about a Pussy Cat? It’s from an English Album – Also looking for the album!

Can Someone Help Translate an Icelandic Kids Song?

Danish Kids Songs Sites plus a Danish Children’s Song