Tapent, tapent, petites mains
Tourne, tourne, joli moulin,
Nage, nage, gentil poisson
Vole, vole papillon

Clap, clap, little hands,
Turn, turn, pretty mill,
Swim, swim, nice fish,
Fly, fly, butterfly!

We’d love for you to share a Pat-a-cake song from your country in the comments below or by emailing me.

Cheers!

Mama Lisa

PS I’m curious if there are Pat-a-cake Songs in Asia and Africa.

Auf der Mauer, auf der Lauer
sitzt ‘ne kleine Wanze.
Seht euch nur die Wanze an,
wie die Wanze tanzen kann!
Auf der Mauer, auf der Lauer
sitzt ‘ne kleine Wanze.

Auf der Mauer, auf der Lauer
sitzt ‘ne kleine Wanz.
Seht euch nur die Wanz an,
wie die Wanz tanz kann!
Auf der Mauer, auf der Lauer
sitzt ‘ne kleine Wanz.

Auf der Mauer, auf der Lauer
sitzt ‘ne kleine Wan.
Seht euch nur die Wan an,
wie die Wan tan kann!
Auf der Mauer, auf der Lauer
sitzt ‘ne kleine Wan.

Auf der Mauer, auf der Lauer
sitzt ‘ne kleine Wa.
Seht euch nur die Wa an,
wie die Wa ta kann!
Auf der Mauer, auf der Lauer
sitzt ‘ne kleine Wa.

Auf der Mauer, auf der Lauer
sitzt ‘ne kleine W.
Seht euch nur die W an,
wie die W t kann!
Auf der Mauer, auf der Lauer
sitzt ‘ne kleine W.

Auf der Mauer, auf der Lauer
Sitzt ‘ne kleine -.
Seht euch nur die – an,
wie die – - kann!
Auf der Mauer, auf der Lauer
Sitzt ‘ne kleine -.

This song works a bit like BINGO where you take one letter out of the word in each verse – but you pronounce the word instead of spelling it out like BINGO. In this case there are two words that work like this in the song: “wanze” (bug) and “tanzen” (dance) in German. Wanze means bedbug or bug. I’m going to use “buggy” like the diminutive for bug in my translation to keep a 5 letter word like the German word “wanze”. I used “boogie” for “dance” (the German “tanzen”). I made this change based on the sound of the words, since buggy and boogie are closer to a rhyme like the German “wanze” and “tanzen”.

English Translation

On the wall, on the lookout,
Sits a small buggy.
Look at just the buggy,
How the buggy can boogie!
On the wall, on the lookout,
Sits a small buggy.

On the wall, on the lookout,
Sits a small bugg.
Look at just the bugg,
How the bugg can boog!
On the wall, on the lookout,
Sits a small bugg.

On the wall, on the lookout
Sits a small bug.
Look at just the bug,
How the bug can boo!
On the wall, on the lookout
Sits a small bug.

On the wall, on the lookout
Sits a small bu.
Look at just the bu,
How the bu can bo!
On the wall, on the lookout
Sits a small bu.

On the wall, on the lookout
Sits a small b.
Look at just the b,
How the b can b!
On the wall, on the lookout
Sits a small b.

On the wall, on the lookout
Sits a small ___.
Look at just the ___,
How the ___ can ___!
On the wall, on the lookout
Sits a small ___.

I always welcome comments, criticism or corrections on my translation or on the original German lyrics.

Enjoy!

Mama Lisa

So let’s have a little fun today… below is the original Pig Latin Musical Video, followed by the lyrics translated from Pig Latin into English, and then, if you’re really hooked, you can watch the video with the Pig Latin lyrics on the screen. It is sort of mesmerizing.

But first, here are the rules of Pig Latin…

Take the first letter off the beginning of each word and add it to the end of the word. Then put “ay” after that. So, the word “tomorrow” becomes “omorrow-tay”. If the first two letters of the word are two consonants making one sound, (like “st”, “sp”, “tr”, etc.) both letters get moved to the end of the word. Thus, “star” becomes “ar-stay”.

Enjoy the show!

Translated Lyrics…

Do you speak pig latin?
if you speak pig latin then you’re cool like me!
I love to mess with people cause I am dumb
I speak pig latin every day and you should too! x 2
I believe everybody has brains
I also believe only half get used
I may say that I am dumb, I am
but don’t think I don’t use my own brains, cause I do
are you ready to test your mind with Mr. Safety
REVERSE
RIDDLE*
Do you speak pig latin?

*If you can’t figure out the riddle (in the second part of the lyrics)… it’s not in the lyrics above… it’s a riddle… If you can’t figure it out yourself, you can pause the second video (below) at 1 minute 29 seconds for the answer.

aveHay unFay!

amaMay isaLay

Here’s yet another version below from Matt Vaughan and his friend Pam. They explain how to make it spookier for Halloween!

Here are the chords from Matt…
Am – Dm Am / Am Dm Am – ://

There was an old woman all skin and bones
Ooo oo-oo-oooo
She lived down by the old graveyard
Ooo oo-oo-oooo
One night she thought she’d take a walk
Ooo oo-oo-oooo
She walked down by the old graveyard
Ooo oo-oo-oooo
She saw the bones a-laying around
Ooo oo-oo-oooo
She went to the closet to get a broom
Ooo oo-oo-oooo
She opened the door and…
BOO!

Have a spooky-fun Halloween!

Mama Lisa

Playing for Change made the Chanda Mama video with musicians around the world. Playing for Change creates music all over the world to make money to build music and art schools in communities that are in need of inspiration and hope. Music and art can have meaning across cultures and be appreciated by people of all economic classes and educational backgrounds. What better way to improve the world!

The lyrics to the Playing for Change version of Chanda Mama (in the video) are something like this…

Chanda maama chanda maama raavayyaa
nannu yettukoni muddulaadu kovayyaa

maaraalu nenenni cesinaa gaaraalu nive cupinaa
maaraalu nenenni cesinaa gaaraalu nive cupinaa

Chanda maama chanda maama raavayyaa
nannu yettukoni muddulaadu kovayyaa

If anyone can help with the meaning of these lyrics (and/or if you can verify or correct the original lyrics), please let us know in the comments below.

We have another version of Chanda Mama which is a Telugu children’s rhyme, with an mp3. You can click the link to hear it and to read the lyrics in Telugu with an English translation.

Enjoy!

Mama Lisa

If anyone would like to send me the Japanese lyrics and/or an English translation, I’d love to add them here. You can add a transliteration or translation in the comments below or email me the Japanese text at lisa@mamalisa.com .

Meanwhile, you can enjoy watching and listening… they repeat it so you can try to learn it by ear.

Enjoy!

Mama Lisa

Here you can hear someone doing a nice reading of it on YouTube…

Enjoy!

Mama Lisa

WARNING: It really is CATCHY!!! You might find yourself singing it all day!

Great Green Gobs of Greasy, Grimy Gopher Guts

Great green gobs of greasy, grimy gopher guts,
Mutilated monkey meat,
Bloody, little dirty birdie feet,
Great green gobs of greasy, grimy gopher guts,
And me without my spoon…

But I brought my straw.

I’d love to learn more versions of this song, please post any versions you know in the comments below!

Thanks!

Mama Lisa

This is a song from the revolutionary period, when Indonesia fought for freedom and sovereignty. (Independence was declared on August 17, 1945 – before that the Netherlands had ruled Indonesia.)

Bandung is the capital city of Priangan Province/State (now West Java). It was the second largest city in Indonesia at that time.

All Indonesian kids know and can sing this song, since it is taught in every elementary school. Especially in August (the Indonesian anniversary), this is one of the many independence theme songs we love to hear and sing.

Hallo Hallo Bandung
By Ismail Marzuki

Hallo hallo Bandung
Ibukota Periangan
Hallo hallo Bandung
Kota kenang-kenangan
Sudah lama beta
Tidak berjumpa dengan kau
Sekarang telah menjadi lautan api
Mari bung rebut kembali

English Translation:

Hallo Hallo Bandung
(Indonesian)

Hallo hallo Bandung
Capital city of Priangan
Hallo hallo Bandung
City of many memories
It’s been so long
Since I met you
Now burning like a sea of fire
Let’s go take Bandung back.

Sincerely,

Lin Fdln

Many thanks to Lin for sharing this song with us! Happy Independence Day!

Mama Lisa