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Can Anyone Help with a Czech or Slovak Kids Song?

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

Lewis Grimm wrote:

Hi. My grandmother used to sing a children’s song to me in Czech or Slovak. I believe it is about a little hunter. It went along the lines of (phonetically):

Ya simali nissli vechek…

Any ideas?

If anyone can help Lewis, please let us know in the comments below.

Thanks!

Lisa

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Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Czech, Czech Republic, Languages, Mama Lisa, Questions, Readers Questions, Slovak, Slovakia | 3 Comments »

Does Anyone Know a Song with the Line, “The Ship Sailed for the White Cliffs of Dover”?

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

Dan wrote,

I went to school in Chilton (England) when I was six (1972), in California now, and my class sang this song, but that is the only line I can recall, I even recall the melody…

“And when the journey was all over /
The ship sailed for the /
White Cliffs of Dover.”

Anybody? Was it maybe a song about a ship with two cats and the crew were all mice, and when they got home all that was left were two fat cats?

Dan

If anyone can help Dan, please let us know in the comments below.

Thanks!

Lisa

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Posted in British Folk Songs, Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, England, English, English Children's Songs, Folk Songs, Great Britain, Languages, Mama Lisa, Questions, Readers Questions | No Comments »

Can Anyone Help with a Korean Kids Song?

Sunday, November 15th, 2009

Curtis wrote asking about a Korean kids song…

Have you ever heard of a Korean song that school girls sing as they clap hands that goes like this:

Pong dong pong dong
dolel (stone) donjiora (throw)…

Thanks, Curtis

If anyone can help with this song, please email me or comment below.

Thanks!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, English, Korean, Korean Children's Songs, Languages, Mama Lisa, Questions, Readers Questions, South Korea | No Comments »

Can Someone Help with a German Lap Rhyme?

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

Gloria wrote to me:

Hi, my grandma (born in Eisleben in 1875, emigrating to the Midwest in 1902, married her second husband (my grandfather) in St. Paul, lived most of her life in Wisconsin with her third husband), recited a rhyme when dandling a baby on her extended foot, either with legs crossed at the hips (or just straight out, but the dad’s were best at that). The rest of the family did it for every baby/little child, including myself. We never saw it in print, and we only have the phonetic sound from listening to it. Phonetically, it went something like what follows. I would dearly love to know exactly what it meant, although it is obvious based on what happened to the child:

Grandma (and all the rest of us who had children) would cross her legs at her hips, sit the baby on her upper ankle, hold the baby’s two hands in hers, and bounce the baby lightly up and down, until the end of the rhyme, when she would let the child fall back, laughing, and then lift the child back up, and begin again!

Scheckle, scheckle, reiderlein,
Ven die kinder kleinerschein
Reiden zie auf steckerlein,

Ven zie greis auf verten
Reiden zie auferten
Zen zie verten,
Klip, Klop, Klip Klop
Reiden zi (then something like a scary word or sounds)

“Boom stehl leckta!” really loud!

The adult lets the child fall back, usually grinning happily. (Sometimes a baby didn’t like it but others wanted you to pull them up onto your ankle and do it again! Some kids got a little dizzy if you did this action too fast! But mostly they loved it. I don’t remember their doing it with me, but I am certain they did, that’s where the phonetic sound and rhythm of the lines as I remember them come in, as well as my mother’s saying it to me when I was older and wanted her to tell me what it was, but it would always have been a phonetic memory, since she never really learned much German except what was common… the words you aren’t supposed to say!) This was done several times, until either one’s leg was tired, or the child needed a rest. I just used the phonetic version when I treated my kids as babies to the fun game, but for some reason I never asked my grandma. I was told that it meant something like, “When a child is little it rides on a stick horse, but when it tries to ride a real horse, he will go faster and fall off.” Have you ever heard this? I possibly have some of the phonetics wrongly remembered, but the rhythm and sounds and actions are still in my brain.

Thanks for any help you can give. I do like your website, I found it by way of BING. I think it is very interesting as to the German, lots of Germans settled in America. My father’s ancestors may have come from Austria, as well as Germany, but came to Wisconsin in the 1840’s, met and married, learned English, so they never spoke German at all when we knew them. A grandson, age 12, who has been learning German, took to it immediately, and loves it, as well as Norwegian, so there must be an inherited acclimation to the sound of a language.

Sincerely,

Gloria Koeser Laundrie

Thanks for sharing your song with us Gloria! If anyone can help with the German version and/or an English translation, please let us know in the comments below.

Cheers!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in 1512, Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, German, German Children's Songs, German Nursery Rhymes, Germany, Horse Trotting Rhymes, Languages, Lap Rhymes, Lap Rhymes, Mama Lisa, Nursery Rhymes, Questions, Readers Questions, Rhymes by Theme | 8 Comments »

Can Anyone Help with a Croatian Song that Sounds Like, “Kille killi jakasaka okoama bum”?

Monday, October 19th, 2009

Michael wrote:

Hi Lisa,

We just returned from a vacation in Croatia. We are German and have 3 little girls. They learned a song from a “mini disco”. I hope you can tell me the name of the song.

From what we understood it sounds like this:

Kille killi jakasaka okoama bum (repeats) Olee mal jole…….

Do you know how this song is named and what the lyrics are?

Thanks in advance for any information.

Regards,

Michael Andres

If anyone can help Michael, please let us know in the comments below.

Thanks!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Croatia, Croatian, Languages, Mama Lisa, Music, Questions, Readers Questions | 2 Comments »

Can Anyone Help with a Polish Lullaby that Translates as “Sleep My Baby Doll”?

Sunday, October 18th, 2009

Theresa 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!

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Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Languages, Lullabies, Mama Lisa, Poland, Polish, Polish Kids Songs, Polish Lullabies, Questions, Readers Questions | 4 Comments »

Does Anyone Know an Old Serbian Rhyme that Sounds Like, “Studda Bubba rumpa tee”?

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

Connie wrote:

I was hoping you could help me with an old Serbian rhyme. My mother-in-law grew up in a Serbian neighborhood. She always remembered one old rhyme. Now that she has Alzheimer’s that poem is the only thing she connects too. Problem being we only know the beginning of it, don’t know how to spell the words correctly and don’t know what it means.

It goes something like this… (forgive the spelling)

Studda Bubba rumpa tee
Polenta cookin poperdy
Hoy hoy mommy say…

That is all she can remember anymore, but it makes her smile and when we say it to her she joins in. I wish we could know how to finish it and what it means. If you have ever heard it and can help I would really appreciate it so much. Thanks for any help you could give me.

Connie

If anyone can help Connie, please let us know in the comments below.

Thanks!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Countries & Cultures, Languages, Nursery Rhymes, Questions, Readers Questions, Serbia, Serbian, Serbian Nursery Rhymes | No Comments »

Can Anyone Help with a Czech Rhyme that Sounds Like “Hou-py, hou-py, hou-py”?

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

Anna wrote:

Do you know the nursery rhyme that begins:

Hou-py, hou-py, hou-py,
Ko-cka sue-dla krou-py
Do-cour hruch

I’ll try my best to write this poem-rhyme out for you. Of course, I will not be able to add the correct accent marks, punctuations marks, etc. The writing I have to copy is very small, so I hope my letters are accurate! Here goes!

Hou-pa-cka

hou-py, hou-py, hou-py!
ko-cka sue-dla krou-py,
ko-cour hrac
na ka-mnach;
ko-la-la se hue-va-ly,
ze jim ta-ky ne-da-ly.
hou-py, hou-py, hou-py!
by-ly vsec-ky hlou-py.

A friend of mine gave me a beautiful framed gift of this rhyme… he says his grandfather would sing it to him. But he doesn’t know what it means.

My mother is Czech, Vlasta, but she no longer can help me with this.

Your help would be very nice.

Thank you, Anna Vdolek Bratney

If anyone knows the correct spelling of the rhyme and/or if you can provide an English translation, please let us know in the comments below.

Thanks in advance!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Czech, Czech Nursery Rhymes, Czech Republic, Flower Arranging, Languages, Mama Lisa, Nursery Rhymes, Poetry, Questions, Readers Questions | 3 Comments »

Can Anyone Help with a Maori Song that Sounds Like, “Nane paku ana”?

Saturday, October 10th, 2009

Sharon wrote:

Hi Lisa,

This is really a shot in the dark, but I’m wondering if you know of a song, which I believe is Maori. A friend of mine taught it to me, but she doesn’t know the translation or anything else about it. I’m wondering if you’ve heard of it, and if so, if you could tell me anything about it – what it means, who sings it, etc, and perhaps the proper words. My best attempt at writing it out is as follows:

Nane paku ana
Nane paku ana
eh eh eh ua
ua ua
ipea ipea ipea
Kuana Kuana Kuana Kuana Kua…Choo!
Kuana Kuana Kuana Kuana Kua…Choo!

It is a rhythmic song with clapping on the off beats.

Does this seem at all familiar?

Thank you so much!

-Sharon

If anyone can help Sharon with the original Maori words to this song and/or an English translation, please let us know in the comments below. If you have the original text, please email me a copy at lisa@mamalisa.com – so I can make sure the accents show up properly.

Thanks!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Countries & Cultures, Folk Songs, Languages, Mama Lisa, Maori, New Zealand, New Zealand Children's Songs, Questions, Readers Questions | 1 Comment »

Can Someone Help with a Hungarian Lullaby that Sounds Like, “Boulah boulah…”?

Saturday, October 10th, 2009

Nicole wrote:

I have been trying to find an old Hungarian lullaby that my grandmother sang to me and I sing to my kids. I do not know what it means and I do not know all the words. The verse is something like:

Boulah boulah, boulah, boulah boopin do ya.

I am sure I am misspelling everything.

Do you know it? Can you help me find the whole song and the meaning?

Thank you,

Nicole

If anyone can help Nicole with the original Hungarian words to this lullaby and/or an English translation, please let us know in the comments below.

Thanks!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Hungarian, Hungarian Lullabies, Hungary, Languages, Questions, Readers Questions | No Comments »

Can Someone Help with a Swedish Kids Song about Being Little Now, But Soon Being as Big as Mama?

Monday, September 14th, 2009

Joyce Johnson wrote:

Does anyone know the Swedish children’s song that goes something like this? (Translation from dictionary is…)

JAG er litten nu , så du se min vän , utom snart I’ll bli så stor så mama.

I believe translates into “I am little now, as you see my friend, but soon I’ll be as big as mama…”

It goes on to say that the child will do the things mama did – cooka, baka, diska… etc.” Does anyone know of this song?

I can’t remember the words but remember the tune very well. Has anyone ever heard this song and do they know the words?

I really want to find this song. My father taught it to my mother and they sang it to us all the time. The family originated in Ostergotland, Sweden.

It seems we never pay enough attention to these things when they are here but yearn for them after they are gone. It is a song for girls and I want to sing it to my granddaughter.

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

Thanks!

Mama Lisa

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

Can Someone Help with the Lap Rhyme, “Run run horsey with your long hair”?

Friday, August 21st, 2009

Karla wrote:

Hi, My name is Karla Wass.

Recently my grandmother has passed, and as a child she would place us (15 grandkids + 10 great grandkids) on her knee and sing to us. Unfortunately, none of us could remember the name and she left so suddenly we were unable to ask her it. I would love to have the lyrics to the song or even some help finding how to sing, well just to know the words that she was saying would be great. She did sing it to us in English, and what i remember is “run run horsey with your long hair, the faster the horsey runs the short goes his hair”. She always said they would sing this while they were sewing.

If you are not able to help i understand, after searching the web and talking with some family members no one can properly sing this song, Her service is next Tuesday and she will be laid to rest with our grand father the following Saturday.

I appreciate and assistance thank you for your time.

If anyone can help Karla, please let us know in the comments below. (Even if it’s after the date of the service, I’m sure Karla will be glad to find the song any time.)

We appreciate it.

Mama Lisa

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Posted in American Nursery Rhymes, Australia, Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, England, English, English Nursery Rhymes, Great Britain, Languages, Mama Lisa, Nursery Rhymes, Questions, Readers Questions, USA | 3 Comments »

Can Anyone Help with the Swedish Lullaby, “Spin, spin, spin, min dotter min”?

Friday, July 24th, 2009

Wendy wrote:

I can remember my grandfather holding me on his lap an singing the following: (some in phonetics)

Spin, spin, spin, min dotter min
E meran kommer free and fran
dotter spun och tor en run
aldrigt kommer (free and fran?)

Does anyone remember the correct wording? My daughter, whom I sang this to when she was little, now has a little one and wants to sing it correctly. Can you help?

Wendy Copeland

If anyone can help with this song, please let us know in the comments below. Thanks!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Languages, Lullabies, Questions, Readers Questions, Sweden, Swedish, Swedish Children's Songs, Swedish Lullabies | 5 Comments »

Can Someone Help with the Song, “Down in Mexico It’s Sunny”?

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

Ray asked:

Hi,

I learned this song in the 5th grade (in my 60’s now) and wanting to find the lyrics… Here is what I remember of the song…

Down in Mexico it’s sunny
Days are warm and sweet as honey
Children in the lazy weather
Laugh and sing and play together.

Mothers… don’t remember…
Weaving long and weaving well…

All I recall…

Just hoping you might have some info… would love lyrics and chords (guitar)… if possible…

Thanks,

Ray C

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

Thanks!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in American Kids Songs, Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, English, Languages, Mama Lisa, Questions, Readers Questions, USA | 7 Comments »

Can Someone Help with an Italian Kids Song Called “Quand ero piccolino”?

Thursday, July 16th, 2009

I recently received this email below:

I would like to find the words to a children’s song called “Quand ero piccolino”. A couple of the lines are:

Chi, chi qui belle wa, wa, wa
chi, chi qui belle wa, wa, wa
chi, chi qui belle wa, wa, wa
a ventren drai, a ventren drai
qui belle divertimento
a ventren drai, a ventren drai
sa liva su la don

I am trying to remember the words as I remember them from sound so the words may not be spelled correctly at all.

If you might be able to give me a site or the correct words I would certainly appreciate that. Thanks.

A. Wiebenga

If anyone can help with this song, please let us know in the comments below. Thanks!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Italian, Italian Children's Songs, Italy, Languages, Questions, Readers Questions | 4 Comments »

Can Anyone Help with a Song with the Line, “Like a Tree, We Would Grow”?

Monday, July 13th, 2009

Alicia wrote:

Dear all,

I have had a friend at home that goes to a Canadian school in Cuba. He sings a song:

Like a tree
We would grow
We’re a family
Don´t you know
We were planted a long time ago
Like a tree we would try
Branches reaching
Towards the sky…

Or something like that. He sang it very quickly and I couldn’t write the whole song. I’m searching on the internet for the song, but I can’t find it, and the children travel abroad…

Please, do you know the lyrics of this song?

Thank you very much for your help.

Sincerely.

Alicia Gómez.

If anyone can help with this song, please let us know in the comments below. Thanks!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Canada, Canadian Children's Songs, Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Cuba, English, Languages, Mama Lisa, Questions, Readers Questions | No Comments »

Can Anyone Help with a Norwegian Rhyme with the Line, “Kan du gleme gammel Norge”?

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

David Russett wrote:

I’m trying to find the words to a Norwegian rhyme or song. The only part I know goes something like:

Kan du gleme gammel Norge?
O vey! Ya, ya, gleme kan!

Or it may be:

Kan du huske gammel Norge?
Ove! Ya, Ya, huske kan!

Does anyone know the rest of this little rhyme? Some of the old Norwegians when I was a kid knew this and would recite it. I know there is much more to it that those two lines.

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

Thanks!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Languages, Norway, Norwegian, Norwegian Children's Songs, Norwegian Nursery Rhymes, Nursery Rhymes, Questions, Readers Questions | 2 Comments »

Can Anyone Help with a Rhyme Sounding Like, “Oddly boddlee finga hoof”? It’s Most Likely German!

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009

David Stewart wrote:

Lisa, maybe you can help me with a poem my mother (now 78) learned from her grandmother when she was a child. I believe it is German and she has no idea what it means but has asked many people the meaning and has never found out. Your help would be greatly appreciated. It goes something like this (of course the spelling is off):

Oddly boddlee finga hoof
Steck ta bow wow
Also goot
Katch s-mouse
Bow wow schnauz

If anyone can help David with the original words to this rhyme and/or a translation, please let us know in the comments below.

Thanks!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Countries & Cultures, English, German, German Nursery Rhymes, Germany, Languages, Mama Lisa, Nursery Rhymes, Questions, Readers Questions, USA | No Comments »

Can Anyone Help with a Ghanaian Song “Be Be Be Lay Bo”?

Friday, June 5th, 2009

Susan Gerber Berning wrote:

Hi Lisa. I’m looking for the Ghanaian words to the song that sounds like this “Be Be Be lay bo, Eiyhah yay ah yay,” I remember it as a song they used to pull boats into the shore. Help!? Tough one, I know. It’s a Ghana traditional song– everyone seemed to know it. Thanks!

If anyone can help out Susan with the lyrics and/or an English translation, and/or identifying the language, please let us know in the comments below. Thanks!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Ghana, Ghanaian Children's Songs, Languages, Mama Lisa, Music, Questions, Readers Questions | 5 Comments »

Can Anyone Help with a Russian Childrens Music CD?

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

Chris wrote:

Hi my name is D. I’m on a mission to find Russian children’s songs. I found your page on the web and liked what I saw. I’m looking to make a CD of Russian children’s songs for personal use. I’ll explain why.

My mom is a foster mom for medically fragile kids (wheelchair and medical miracle kids). she has adopted many handicapped children and is currently going through the process of adopting a 7 yr old boy from Russia. he has severe handicaps that have been complicated over the years by medical experiments gone wrong. she’s a great mom and truly has a heart for these kids. she leaves soon for her first trip to meet him.

Since i have my hands full with my family, i can’t contribute much to her, but would like to show my support for what she is doing. i would love to have a CD of Russian kid’s songs for her to take with her so she can start working at bonding with her new son.

I lack the knowledge of how to obtain such a CD and am looking for help. Your page off google was the best I’ve seen and it really got my hopes up that i can do what I’m looking to do. please help me.

Thank you,
D Chris

Here’s what I found so far…

I found one cd on Amazon of Russian kids songs at:

Children Songs – Constellation of the Hits vol. 2 (in Russian)

If anyone can recommend any other Russian kids cd’s, or if you can help out D., please let us know in the comments below…

Thanks!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in CD's, Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Languages, Mama Lisa, Music, Questions, Readers Questions, Recommendations, Russia, Russian, Russian Children's Songs | 1 Comment »

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Posts

Can Anyone Help with a Czech or Slovak Kids Song?

Does Anyone Know a Song with the Line, “The Ship Sailed for the White Cliffs of Dover”?

Can Anyone Help with a Korean Kids Song?

Can Someone Help with a German Lap Rhyme?

Can Anyone Help with a Croatian Song that Sounds Like, “Kille killi jakasaka okoama bum”?

Can Anyone Help with a Polish Lullaby that Translates as “Sleep My Baby Doll”?

Does Anyone Know an Old Serbian Rhyme that Sounds Like, “Studda Bubba rumpa tee”?

Can Anyone Help with a Czech Rhyme that Sounds Like “Hou-py, hou-py, hou-py”?

Can Anyone Help with a Maori Song that Sounds Like, “Nane paku ana”?

Can Someone Help with a Hungarian Lullaby that Sounds Like, “Boulah boulah…”?

Can Someone Help with a Swedish Kids Song about Being Little Now, But Soon Being as Big as Mama?

Can Someone Help with the Lap Rhyme, “Run run horsey with your long hair”?

Can Anyone Help with the Swedish Lullaby, “Spin, spin, spin, min dotter min”?

Can Someone Help with the Song, “Down in Mexico It’s Sunny”?

Can Someone Help with an Italian Kids Song Called “Quand ero piccolino”?

Can Anyone Help with a Song with the Line, “Like a Tree, We Would Grow”?

Can Anyone Help with a Norwegian Rhyme with the Line, “Kan du gleme gammel Norge”?

Can Anyone Help with a Rhyme Sounding Like, “Oddly boddlee finga hoof”? It’s Most Likely German!

Can Anyone Help with a Ghanaian Song “Be Be Be Lay Bo”?

Can Anyone Help with a Russian Childrens Music CD?