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Contents
A French Lullaby called “Dodo, l’enfant do” in French with an English Translation and the Midi Music
Posts
How Cranes Stay Awake
Monday, June 26th, 2006David Solomons has shared many of his songs with Mama Lisa’s World. He’s just posted a piece of music by the Italian composer Michele Pesenti, who lived during the Renaissance. The song involves a crane (bird).
David has asked me whether anyone can provide further background on the symbolism of cranes, particularly in Europe.
David told me an fascinating story about cranes, which may relate to the symbolism he’s interested in: Some mediaeval writers write about the behavior of cranes as they take turns watching over the flock while the others sleep. In order to keep vigil, the watcher crane puts a stone in its claw; this prevents it from nodding off, because, thanks to the stone, it cannot keep the perfect balance that it would require for sleep.
You can hear David’s performance and read what else he has found out so far here: http://www.dwsolo.com/pesenti.htm
The original words of the song are…
Dal lecto me levava per servir il Signor
Alhor quando arrivava la grua suo servidor
Gru gru gu gentil ambasciador
Che disse non leve, torna a dormir.Here’s an English Translation…
I was just arising from my bed to serve the Lord
When his servant the crane, his kindly ambassador,
arrived and told me “Don’t get up, go back to sleep.”David wrote…
Of course there is also the nagging suspicion that the writer of the song simply wants an excuse not to get up…
If anyone can help out please comment below.
Thanks!
Lisa
“Chipmunk, Chipmunk, Come, Come, Come”
Friday, January 13th, 2006
– A Song in Tamil from India with an MP3 RecordingAnile Anile Vaa Vaa Vaa (Chipmunk, Chipmunk, Come, Come, Come) is a song from India, in the Tamil language, which is spoken in the southern part of India. Here is the song in the original Tamil, with an English translation, and an mp3 recording.
MP3 of Anile Anile Vaa Vaa Vaa
Anile Anile Vaa Vaa Vaa
(Tamil)Anile Anile vaa vaa vaa
Azhagiya Anile vaa vaa vaa
Goiyya maram yeri vaa
Gundu pazham kondu vaaHere’s an English translation of Anile Anile Vaa Vaa Vaa…
Chipmunk, Chipmunk, Come, Come, Come
(English)Chipmunk chipmunk come come come
Beautiful chipmunk come come come
Climb high up a guava tree
Bring a ripe fruit back to me.Many thanks to the Kidambi Family for contributing this song, and to Gayatri Sriram, a carnatic singer, for singing it!
Rumba nandri!
Come visit the Mama Lisa’s World India page to hear more Songs from India.
“Turkey in the Straw” Lyrics
Thursday, November 17th, 2005Here’s another traditional song for Thanksgiving…
Turkey in the Straw
As I was a-goin’
On down the road
With a tired team
And a heavy load
I cracked my whip
And the leader sprung
I says day-day
To the wagon tongueTurkey in the straw
(Whistle)
Turkey in the straw
(Whistle)
Roll ‘em up and twist ‘em up
A high tuck a-haw
And hit ‘em up a tune called
Turkey in the StrawWent out to milk
And I didn’t know how
I milked the goat
Instead of the cow
A monkey sittin’
On a pile of straw
A-winkin’ at
His mother-in-lawTurkey in the straw
(Whistle)
Turkey in the straw
(Whistle)
Roll ‘em up and twist ‘em up
A high tuck a-haw
And hit ‘em up a tune called
Turkey in the StrawI came to the river
And I couldn’t get across
So I paid five dollars
For a big bay hoss
Well, he wouldn’t go ahead
And he wouldn’t stand still
So he went up and down
Like an old saw millTurkey in the straw
(Whistle)
Turkey in the straw
(Whistle)
Roll ‘em up and twist ‘em up
A high tuck a-haw
And hit ‘em up a tune called
Turkey in the StrawDid you ever go fishin’
On a warm summer day
When all the fish
Were swimmin’ in the bay
With their hands in their pockets
And their pockets in their pants
Did you ever see a fishie
Do the Hootchy-Kootchy Dance?Turkey in the straw
(Whistle)
Turkey in the straw
(Whistle)
Roll ‘em up and twist ‘em up
A high tuck a-haw
And hit ‘em up a tune called
Turkey in the StrawCome visit Mama Lisa’s Thanksgiving Pages for more Thanksgiving Songs, Poems, Nursery Rhymes and Recipes.
Children’s Day in India – Celebrated on November 14th
Sunday, November 13th, 2005The history of Children’s Day in India, plus a Rhyme called My Cousin Monkey Goes to Wed, with an MP3 Recording
Jawaharlal Nehru was born on November 14, 1889. He was the first prime minister of India, after his country gained independence from Britain.
He was extremely outspoken about the importance of children for the future of India. He loved roses and felt that people needed to cultivate children just like roses. And that, above all else, children should be nurtured. Children affectionately called him “Chacha”!
He felt that girls should be given the same opportunities as boys. We can see just how well he put this into practice by viewing the life of his own daughter Indira: she eventually went on the become the third prime minister of India!
His love of children was so well known throughout India, that his birthday was made into a national holiday, “Children’s Day”.
Children’s Day is celebrated mainly in schools and colleges. There’s dancing and singing and contests, and sometimes teachers put on fun performances for their students and give them sweets.
Perhaps best of all for kids is that they’re excused if they don’t do their homework!
I couldn’t find any songs that are specific to Children’s Day, but here’s a fun rhyme from India. It’s called My Cousin Monkey Goes to Wed and it’s in the Telugu language, with an English translation below it, and an mp3 recording…
Koti Baavaku Pellanta
(Telugu)Koti baavaku pellanta
Kondaa konaa vididi anta
Kukka nakkala vindu anta
Enugu vaddana cheyunu anta
Elugu vintha choochunu anta
Kodi, kokila, kaakamma
Koti pelliki paata antaMy Cousin Monkey Goes to Wed
(English)My cousin monkey goes to wed
Hill and dale are well bedecked
Dog and fox have come to dine
Trumpeting elephant’s serving fine
Bear has come to watch the fun
Cock and crow and cuckoo sing
My cousin monkey’s wedding songMP3 of My Cousin Monkey Goes to Wed – Koti Baavaku Pellanta
Many thanks to Midhun for reciting this rhyme and to Dr. Srinivas Gummaraju for sending it to me with the English translation. Dhanyavaadaalu!
Come visit The Mama Lisa’s World India Page for more Children’s Songs from India.
If anyone would like to send me a song that specific to Children’s Day or any other kids songs from India, please comment below.
Thanks! Lisa
Another Five Little Turkeys Finger Play Rhyme
Saturday, November 12th, 2005Here’s another poem for Thanksgiving…
Five Little Turkeys
Five little turkeys standing in a row. (Hold up 5 fingers)
First little turkey said, “I don’t want to grow.” (Hold up 1 finger)
Second little turkey said, “Why do you say that?” (Hold up 2 fingers)
Third little turkey said, “I want to get fat.” (Hold up 3 fingers)
Fourth little turkey said, “Thanksgiving is near.” (Hold up 4 fingers)
Fifth little turkey said, “Yes, that’s what I hear.” (Hold up 5 fingers)
Then the five little turkeys that were standing in a row,
All said together, “Come on, let’s go!” (Move fingers like they’re running away)Come visit Mama Lisa’s Thanksgiving Pages for more Thanksgiving Songs, Poems, Nursery Rhymes and Recipes including another version of 5 Little Turkeys plus the rhyme 5 Little Pilgrims.
The Turnip Fair in Switzerland – Marked by Thousands of Lanterns made out of Turnips!
Friday, November 11th, 2005To 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.
Five Little Turkeys Rhyme
Saturday, November 5th, 2005It’s November and that means Turkeys! Here’s a favorite Thanksgiving song…
Five Little Turkeys
Five little turkeys by the barn door,
One waddled off, then there were four.Four little turkeys under a tree,
One waddled off, then there were three.Three little turkeys with nothing to do,
One waddled off, then there were two.Two little turkeys in the noonday sun,
One waddled off, then there was one.One little turkey – better run away!
Soon will come Thanksgiving Day!Here’s Mama Lisa’s Thanksgiving Page with more Thanksgiving Songs, Poems, Nursery Rhymes and Recipes plus another version of 5 Little Turkeys.
A Lullaby from Belgium called “The White Hen” or “Une Poule Blanche”
Monday, October 17th, 2005A couple of weeks ago I posted the French lullaby Dodo, l’enfant do. Here is a lullaby from Belgium called Une Poule Blanche. It shares part of the 1st verse (the first four lines) with the French lullaby. The English translation is first, then the French version.
A White Hen
A white hen
Is in the barn.
She made a small egg
For the child who sleeps.
Sleepy time, sleepy time, pussy-cat,
Sleepy time, sleepy time, kitty-cat.A black hen
Is in the cupboard.
She made a small egg
For the child who sleeps.
Sleepy time, sleepy time, pussy-cat,
Sleepy time, sleepy time, kitty-cat.Here’s the original lullaby in French from Belgium.
Une Poule Blanche
Une poule blanche
Qui est dans la grange,
Elle a fait un petit coco
Pour l’enfant qui fait dodo,
Dodo, dodo, minette,
Dodo, dodo, Mino.Une poule noire
Qui est dans l’armoire,
Elle a fait un petit coco
Pour l’enfant qui fait dodo,
Dodo, dodo, minette,
Dodo, dodo, Mino.Come visit the Mama Lisa’s World Belgium Page for more Belgian Children’s Songs and the France Page for French Children’s Songs with their English translations.
You can also visit Mama Lisa’s World en français for children’s songs from around the world with their French translations.
Many thanks to Monique Palomares for creating the midi!
Stay tuned because more lullabies are coming soon!
-Lisa
Little Bunny Foo Foo Lyrics with mp3 recording by Mandy
Wednesday, October 12th, 2005A song about a Bunny who likes to Bop the Field Mice on the Head!
Mandy wrote me,
I grew up singing Little Bunny Foo-Foo…
Little Bunny Foo-Foo
Little Bunny Foo-Foo
went hopping through the forest
scooping up the field mice
and bopping them on the head.Down came the good fairy and
said Little Bunny Foo-Foo
I don’t want to see you
scooping up the field mice
and bopping them on the head.I’ll give you three chances.
Little Bunny Foo-Foo
went hopping through the forest
scooping up the field mice
and bopping them on the head.Down came the good fairy
and said Little Bunny Foo-Foo
I don’t want to see you
scooping up the field mice
and bopping them on the head.I’ll give you two chances.
Little Bunny Foo-Foo
went hopping through the forest
scooping up the field mice
and bopping them on the head.Down came the good fairy
and said Little Bunny Foo-Foo
I don’t want to see you
scooping up the field mice
and bopping them on the head.I’ll give you one last chance.
Little Bunny Foo-Foo
went hopping through the forest
scooping up the field mice
and bopping them on the head.Down came the good fairy
and said Little Bunny Foo-Foo
I already told you to stop
scooping up the field mice
and bopping them on the head.
Poof – your a mouse.I lived in Colorado for a while so we changed the song.
Instead of the forest it was the summit. Instead of field mice it was geeks. Instead of the good fairy it was the summit county chamber of commerce.With Love, Mandy
Listen to Mandy singing on the mp3 of Little Bunny Foo-foo
Many thanks to Mandy for sending me this song! – Lisa
Come visit the Mama Lisa’s World USA Page for more American Kids Songs!
Yesterday Evening I Went Out – A German Children’s Song
Tuesday, October 11th, 2005About a conversation between a rabbit and his possible hunter…
Here’s a German kids song called Yesterday Evening I Went Out, in German, Gestern abend ging ich aus, with it’s English translation and the midi music…
Yesterday Evening, I Went Out
Yesterday evening, I went out
I went to the forest
A little rabbit sat in a bush
He watched me with his little eyes
The little rabbit came near to me
So he could tell me this…Aren’t you the hunter
Who hunts me down with his dogs?
When the wind game catches me,
Hunter, have you caught me?
When I think of my fate,
My heart aches straight away!Poor little rabbit, you are so pale!
Don’t go on the peasant’s grass,
Don’t go in the peasant’ s cabbage patch
Or else you pay for it with your skin,
You can spare yourself much misery and pain,
You can be a happy rabbit!Here’s the original German version…
Gestern abend ging ich aus
Gestern abend ging ich aus,
Ging wohl in den Wald hinaus ;
Saß ein Häslein in dem Strauch,
Guckt mit seinen Äuglein ‘raus,
Kommt das Häslein dicht heran,
Daß mir’s was erzählen kann.“Bist du nicht der Jägersmann,
hetzt auf mich die Hunde an ?
wenn dein Windspiel mich ertappt,
hast du, Jäger, mich geschnappt
wenn ich an mein Schicksal denk’,
ich mich rect von Herzen kränk’.”Armes Häslein, bist so blaß !
Geh dem Bauer nicht ins Gras,
Geh dem Bauer nicht ins Kraut,
Sonst bezahlst mit deiner Haut ;
Sparst dir manche Not und Pein,
Kannst mit Lust ein Häslein sein !Listen to the midi music of Gestern abend ging ich aus!
Many thanks to Ulrike Bernhard for contributing this song, to Maguy Cabrol and Monique Palomares at Mama Lisa’s World en français for the translation from German and to Monique Palomares for creating the midi music . Vielen Dank!
Come and visit the Mama Lisa’s World Germany Page for more German Children’s Songs and Nursery Rhymes.
Little Peter Rabbit – An American Children’s Song
Monday, October 10th, 2005Emma wrote me,
Hi Lisa,
My name is Emma and I thought I would send you a song that I know. It’s called Little Peter Rabbit.
Little Peter Rabbit
Little Peter rabbit got a fly upon his nose
Little Peter rabbit got a fly upon his nose
Little Peter rabbit got a fly upon his nose
So he flicked and it flew away buzz buzzPowder puffs and curly whiskers
Powder puffs and curly whiskers
Powder puffs and curly whiskers
So he flicked and it flew away buzz buzzClever clever Peter rabbit
Clever clever Peter rabbit
Clever clever Peter rabbit
So he flicked and it flew away buzz buzzI’m not sure if know it, but it’s my fave.
Thank you very much
Love Emma Rowbottom =0)This song is sung to the tune of the Battle Hymn of the Republic.
Thanks Emma!
Come visit the Mama Lisa’s World USA page for more American Children’s Songs!
“A Frog He Would A-wooing Go”, “Georgie Porgie” and the Meaning of Roly-Poly
Friday, October 7th, 2005A Connection Between A Frog He Would A-wooing Go and Georgie Porgie, Which Involves the Meaning of Rowley Powley.
I’ve always been fond of the song A Frog He Would A-wooing Go, which seems to have originated in Scotland in the sixteenth century. There are countless variations of this old favorite – most Americans know it as Froggy Went A Courtin’, He Did Ride, which has been recorded by Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan, among others.
Here’s the best known British version:
A Frog He Would A-wooing Go
A frog he would a-wooing go,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
A frog he would a-wooing go,
Whether his mother would let him or no.
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.So off he set with his opera hat,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
So off he set with his opera hat,
And on the road he met with a rat,
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.Pray, Mr. Rat will you go with me?
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
Pray, Mr. Rat will you go with me,
Kind Mrs. Mousey for to see…
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.They came to the door of Mousey’s hall,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
They gave a loud knock, and they gave a loud call.
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.Pray, Mrs. Mouse are you within?
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
Oh yes, kind sirs, I’m sitting to spin.
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.Pray, Mrs. Mouse will you give us some beer?
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
For Froggy and I are fond of good cheer.
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.Pray, Mr. Frog will you give us a song?
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
Let it be something that’s not very long.
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.Indeed, Mrs. Mouse, replied Mr. Frog,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
A cold has made me as hoarse as a dog.
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.Since you have a cold, Mr. Frog, Mousey said,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
I’ll sing you a song that I’ve just made.
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.But while they were all a-merry-making
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
A cat and her kittens came tumbling in.
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.The cat she seized the rat by the crown,
Heigh ho! says Rowley,
The kittens they pulled the little mouse down.
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.This put Mr. Frog in a terrible fright,
Heigh ho! says Rowley.
He took up his hat and he wished them goodnight.
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.But as Froggy was crossing over a brook,
Heigh ho! says Rowley.
A lily white duck came and gobbled him up.
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.So there was the end of one, two, three,
Heigh ho! says Rowley.
The rat,
the mouse, and the little froggy.
With a Rowley,
powley, gammon, and spinach,
Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.Monique, my colleague at Mama Lisa’s World en français, has been translating many old songs into French. When she came to A Frog He Would A-wooing Go she was unsure what to make of “rowley powley” and she asked me what it meant. Hum, good question I thought. I really didn’t know.
When I thought about it, at first it seemed “With a Rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach” was just a nonsense call or phrase. Was that all there was to it? I decided to investigate.
So, I looked up “gammon” which is also not a common word, at least not in the States. I found out it refers to meat from the hind leg of a pig, often cured. It seems this “nonsense phrase” is talking about food.
Next I took out my Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes by Iona and Peter Opie to see if they refer to “rowley powley”. That’s usually the first book I’ll refer to when there’s a question about a nursery rhyme. Here’s what it had to say:
A Notes and Queries correspondent remembered seeing ‘rowley powley’ given as a name for a plump fowl.
This fit in with the food theme. Next I wanted to see if I could verify what they said. I typed “rowley powley” into Google and found a surprising connection to another popular rhyme: Georgie Porgie
Georgie Porgie, pudding and pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry;
When the boys came out to play,
Georgie Porgie ran away.It turns out Georgie Porgie was originally called Rowley Powley. (The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes confirms this.)
The rhyme was first recited as…
Rowley Powley, pudding and pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry;
When the girls begin to cry,
Rowley Powley runs away.Interesting… I decided to go back to Google and type in “rowley powley” again. This time I found the quote…
“Here’s your large Rowley Powlies, no more than Six-pence a Peck . . . Rowley Powley, jolly Pease.” -Cries of London (1784)
The quote was on a site called Food Reference Website under food quotes for “peas”. I wrote to James T. Ehler, the publisher of the site, to see if he knew anything more about “rowley powley”. He sent me back the definitions given in the Oxford English Dictionary, pointing out that the quote on his website refers to peas. Peas could also fit into a food theme.
In the definitions of “rowley powley” in the OED I noticed another way to spell it, “roly-poly”, which is in use in modern English. That changed the way I thought of the phrase.
I had thought it rhymed with towel. But seeing it spelled as “roly-poly”, would make it rhyme with roll or bowl. This changes things a little since “roly-poly” can mean short and plump, usually referring to a child. I believe Georgie Porgie can also mean the same thing in modern day usage.
The OED is amazingly comprehensive! Here are some other definitions for “rowley powley” it has, which are interesting in the context of the song A Frog He Would A-wooing Go and the nursery rhyme Georgie Porgie:
1) A rascal (mentioned in the year 1601) – could work for Georgie Porgie – since he’s kissing the girls and running away.
2) The name of different games based on rolling a ball (referred to in 1713) – could work for Georgie Porgie, only because it’s a nursery rhyme and it’s based on playing. I find this interpretation unlikely.
3) Short and pudgy, usually referring to kids. This could fit Georgie Porgie too, seeing as the current day usage of both “roly-poly” and “Georgie Porgie” can refer to a plump child.
4) A funny name for a pea – again, it could work for A Frog He Would A-wooing Go since it’s in the context of other foods.
5) “A kind of pudding, consisting of a sheet of pastry covered with jam or preserves, formed into a roll and boiled or steamed.” (Quoted directly from the OED, they found it mentioned this way in print as early as 1841). This definition obviously fits “Georgie Porgie, pudding and pie” and here we go with a food reference again, so it would fit in with A Frog He Would A-wooing Go too.Starting with A Frog He Would A-wooing Go, let’s go back to the original context… “With a Rowley, powley, gammon, and spinach”. We’re left with the following choices:
1) A plump fowl
2) Peas
3) The pudding dishAnd for Georgie Porgie, we’re left with the following possibilities:
1) A rascal
2) A short, plump kid
3) A kind of puddingI’m not sure how we can determine which definition to use for A Frog He Would A-wooing Go, but for Georgie Porgie, “rowley, powley” could well be playing on words and mean all of the above.
In the end, as with so many nursery rhyme mysteries, we can only surmise. Maybe someday someone will invent a time machine and we’ll be able to travel back in time and find out for sure!
Many thanks to James T. Ehler from the Food Reference Site and Jason Pomerantz for help with this investigation.
Here’s a recipe for Roly-Poly Jam Pudding.
A French Lullaby called “Dodo, l’enfant do” in French with an English Translation and the Midi Music
Thursday, October 6th, 2005Marie-Thérèse wrote me looking for a French lullaby…
My maman used to sing a lullaby to me, and then to my children when they were born, that I want to remember all the words to, and sing now to my grandchildren. I wonder if you would know the lyrics? I know the first was Do Do L’enfant Do. If you know this lullaby can you email me the lyrics – it has great sentimental meaning to me – and my mère has passed and will never be able to sing to my grandbabies as she did my children. Thank you so much for any help. – Marie-Thérèse
I wrote to Monique, my partner at Mama Lisa’s World en français, asking if she was familiar with the song. Monique wrote back…
I am – my mother used to sing that to me too a loooooooooooooooong time ago (only the first four lines).
The lyrics are:
Dodo, l’enfant do
Dodo, l’enfant do,
L’enfant dormira bien vite
Dodo, l’enfant do
L’enfant dormira bientôt.Une poule blanche
Est là dans la grange.
Qui va faire un petit coco*
Pour l’enfant qui va fair’ dodo.Dodo, l’enfant do,
L’enfant dormira bien vite
Dodo, l’enfant do
L’enfant dormira bientôt.Tout le monde est sage
Dans le voisinage
Il est l’heure d’aller dormir
Le sommeil va bientôt venir.*Monique said, “…young children call an egg an ‘egg’ and not a ‘coco’ any more.”
Monique also sent me the Midi Music for Dodo l’enfant do.
I translated the lullaby into English.
Sleepy Time, The Young One Sleeps
Sleepy time, the young one sleeps,
The child will sleep very soon
Sleepy time, the young one sleeps,
The child will sleep oh, so soon.A white hen
Is in the barn.
It’ll make a small egg
For the child who goes to sleep.Sleepy time, the young one sleeps,
The child will sleep very soon
Sleepy time, the young one sleeps,
The child will sleep oh, so soon.Everyone is calm
All around
It’s the time for all to sleep
Sleep will come soon.Many thanks to Monique for the lyrics, the midi and help with the translation and to my husband Jason, for help with the English version. – Lisa
Please visit The Lullaby Page in French for French Lullabies and other Lullabies from Around the World with their French translations. The English version is coming soon.
and
The Mama Lisa’s World France page for more French children’s songs with their English translations
and
Mama Lisa’s World en français for Children’s Songs from Around the World with their French translations.
Lyrics to Down in the Valley aka Spider’s Web – An American Folk Song
Monday, October 3rd, 2005Patsi wrote me,
I used to sing this a long time ago but I only remember the chorus. We sang this at Girl Scout Camp…
Down in the Valley
Down in the valley,
There is a mission
Down by the old oak tree
Down by the mission,
There is a fountain
Where my love told me:There’s a web like a spider’s web
Made of silver light and shadows
Spun by the moon in my room at night
It’s a web made to catch a dream
Hold it tight ’til I awaken
As if to tell me my dream is all rightOn the evening
I was leaving
My love dreamed of me
I was sleeping,
She was weeping
When she said to me:There’s a web like a spider’s web
Made of silver light and shadows
Spun by the moon in my room at night
It’s a web made to catch a dream
Hold it tight ‘til I awaken
As if to tell me my dream is all rightI met a stranger,
His name was Danger
We rode side by side
Way down in Santa Fe,
I killed a man they say
Danger told me, “Ride!”There’s a web like a spider’s web
Made of silver light and shadows
Spun by the moon in my room at night
It’s a web made to catch a dream
Hold it tight ‘til I awaken
As if to tell me my dream is all rightAnd now if I return,
They will hang me
High from the old oak tree
Down by the mission,
Down by the fountain
Where my love told me:There’s a web like a spider’s web
Made of silver light and shadows
Spun by the moon in my room at night
It’s a web made to catch a dream
Hold it tight ‘til I awaken
As if to tell me my dream is all right.Enjoy!
Lisa
UPDATE: I’ve learnt that the song above is most commonly called Spider’s Web. Down in the Valley is a different American Folk Song.
Please go to Mama Lisa’s World’s USA Page for more American songs.
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