Julie wrote:
I’m looking for the old czech rhyme/finger play ditty my grandma used to play with me. It was about an insect-spider who crawls up (your arm) finds a hole (ear) and crawls in (tickle ear). It phonectically sounds like “broczech leza pludla meza daya jerka tomza leza”.
Ideally, I would like the actual translation to English as well as the Czech words.
Thank you so much, Julie
If anyone can help, please comment below.
Thanks!
Lisa
This artilce was posted on Saturday, January 20th, 2007 at 8:19 pm and is filed under Countries & Cultures, Czech, Czech Republic, Finger Plays, Languages, Nursery Rhymes, Questions, Readers Questions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
February 3rd, 2007 at 10:50 am
I am from Czech Republic and I think that the Czech words are:
Brou?ek leze podle meze
kde je dírka tam zaleze.
In English:
A little beetle crawls along the balk
where is a whole there it crawls in.
Hana
February 3rd, 2007 at 11:42 am
In English:
A little beetle crawls along the balk
where is a little hole there it crawls in.
February 9th, 2007 at 12:33 am
Yes! That is the one. Thank you so much, Hana. You have made my day. And thank you too, Mama Lisa!
March 29th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
My great-grandmother was Czech, and when I was a child, she sang me this song/nursery rhyme all the time.
The problem is, she has passed away now, and all I can remember is what the title SOUNDED like… I was wondering if it sounded familiar?
“šlima linka”
(shleema linka)
?
If anybody could help, it would be greatly appreciated!
-Aly
March 31st, 2007 at 4:12 pm
The Czech words are:
Šla Nanynka do zelí, do zelí , do zelí
natrhala lupení, lupení?ka.
Přišel za ní Pepí?ek
rozšlapal jí koší?ek.
Ty, ty, ty, ty, ty, ty
ty to budeš platiti!
March 31st, 2007 at 9:37 pm
Thanks Hana!
If anyone can provide an English translation, that would be great! -Lisa
April 2nd, 2007 at 2:43 pm
yes, thank you so much!
I am very appreciative of this!
April 8th, 2007 at 9:14 am
An English translation is:
šla- went
Nanynka – Nancy
do zelí – to the cabbage field
natrhala – picked, plucked
lupení – leaves
přišel – came
Pepí?ek – Joe
rozšlapal – trampled (under foot)
koší?ek – a little basket
ty to budeš platiti – you will pay for it
The second strophe of this song is:
Já to platit nebudu, nebudu, nebudu
radši se dám na vojnu, na vojni?ku.
Na vojnu se nedávej, truc rodi?ům nedělej.
Udělám, udělám, na vojnu se přece dám.
In English:
I am not going to pay for it,
I will rather go to the army.
Don´t go to the army, don´t be stubborn (don´t do it against the will of your parents)
I will do it, I will do it, I will go to the army.
May 20th, 2007 at 3:50 am
Hello Mama Lisa,
I get big help from your sites to teach my boys english.
I can help with czech.
Julie asked about this I hope:
Brou?ek leze, leze
Najde dírku,
do ní vleze.
Little bug go up,up
find a hole
go in there
May 20th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Thank you all for helping with the Czech rhyme!
If you’d ever like to send me a recording of you singing any Czech songs or rhymes that would be wonderful!
If you’d like me to post a recording of an English song or rhyme – just let me know and I’ll try to help!
June 25th, 2007 at 9:53 pm
I learned two other Czech games as a child that I would love the real words and translations for. One was about butting heads with a goat and sounded like “Beronek, beronek, beronek, duz.” The other one sounded like “mu ti ti”.
I also learned a version of the “mother mouse” game, where the mother passed out a knife, fork, and spoon. Then she sliced the porridge into pieces, by making slicing movements up the child’s arm before tickling him. Do you have the words to it?
July 6th, 2007 at 11:02 am
Máme doma berana a ten trká rohama
Berany, berany, berany duc.
there is a lot of versions of this finger play:
Vařila myši?ka kaši?ku na zeleném rendlí?ku.
tomu dala na lži?ku – she gave it on a spoon to this one
tomu dala na vidli?ku – she gave it on a fork to this one
tomu dala na talířek – she gave it on a little plate to this one
tomu dala na misti?ku – she gave it on a little bowl to this one
a na toho malého nezůstalo nic!
Tak utíkal do komůrky na homolky a tam se napapal!
Look at http://www.mamalisa.com/world/europe.html
Czech Republic – Vařila myši?ka kaši?ku
(Mother Mouse Cooked Porridge)
July 7th, 2007 at 11:36 pm
These are the words I remember! Dekuju.
September 12th, 2007 at 12:45 am
Ms. Novotny — Thank you for asking the question about the Vařila myši?ka kaši?ku finger game.
Hana — thank you so much for the response! My mother used to play the game with 4 generations of Kadlec children and I have been looking for the actual words with diatrics for several years…
Thank you both so much!
October 6th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
Oh my gosh. Those are the words. I just connected the “tomu dala” words and the mouse/porridge idea. Thank you for your help. This is the right one. I just had the beginning of the rhyme wrong. Wow. My aunt will love to see this.
Thanks again.
March 18th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
My Mom used to say it all the time and I would love to pass on that poem. She can’t remember all of it. I always thought it was she gave this one some, this one some and this one some, and the last one got none or nitz in Czech. Then you tickle the little child under the arm. I hve tried to find this for so many years. I’m also looking for the full version of Happy Birthday in Czech. Can anyone help me? My mother was a Pavelka from Nebraska.
May 12th, 2008 at 8:12 am
I heard the same version as you where she gave this one some, this one some, and the other none.
May 13th, 2008 at 5:50 am
I can’t believe finding this site via a Czech reply on a Trip Advisor forum – I was seaching for the do zelí rhyme BUT in reading this page I realise that my mother used the Varila myšicka kašicku rhyme too. Sadly my parents could see no point in teaching me Czech in 50’s London where I was born (they used it to talk when I wasn’t supposed to understand & when I apparently said ‘I know what you’re saying’ they stopped). Tragic – the music of the language & various exclamations [Ježís marja!] & ‘bad words’ are totally familiar; I am writing a ‘book’ & so all this has been very helpful. Dík :)
June 2nd, 2008 at 5:16 am
Joan,
I think, that in Czech you can sing Happy Birthday:
Hodně štěstí , zdraví
Hodně štěstí, zdraví
Hodně štěstí, Joan,
Hodně štěstí , zdraví!
October 25th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
I am looking for the words to a rhyme that my Mother and Grandmother used to do. It was a type of finger rhyme where they would say words, tug on my fingers, and at the end, they would pinch my palm. The words went something like:
Bajay del sicso rah, pincse…..
And I am also looking for the lyrics to the rocking chair song that goes Ho, Ho, grava do, meso nico….
Thanks for you time. I appreciate your help!
November 10th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Unfortunately I can’t help with the first one, but the second goes this way:
Hou, hou, krávy jdou, nesou mlíčko pod vodou;
kde je ta jalovička? U božího kostelíčka.
Kostelíček hoří, stodola se boří,
skoč má milá do vody, pro ty černé jahody.
Proč já bych tam skákala, sukýnky si máchala,
kde bych si je usušila? U pana Víta.
Pan Vít není doma, jel do Berouna,
pro štyry ovce, pro pátýho berana, s velikejma rohama.
Have a nice day!
Tereza
November 10th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Thanks Tereza! Would you (or anyone else) be able to provide an English translation?
Thanks in advance!
Mama Lisa
November 11th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
Thank you so much Tereza! I appreciate your help. My Mother passed away two years ago and I have fond memories of her rocking my son singing bits and pieces of that song. Thank you! :-)
January 1st, 2010 at 5:15 am
Hi
My grandmother used to do a nursery rhyme where she made a circle in your hand, then wiggled each finger then, ran her hand up your arm…it sounds similar to the mouse porridge rhyme above..but may be different, from what I remember it sounded like
VUDDY CUSHEW
VUDDY CUSHEW
TOMO DALLY
TOMO DALLY
TOMO DALLY
TOMO DALLY
EESH CREESH VEESH ??
When I asked her what it meant, when I was an adult, she said something about men getting thier heads cut off..I know this is pretty gruesome, and maybe she was getting a little senile then. but if anyone could help, I would sure love to have the correct words and translation. thanks, Kathryn
February 9th, 2010 at 5:07 am
yes!!! ive been searching for that one too.. my grandma told me it was something like the little piggies on your toes.. that your stiring a pot of porridge and one gets a little, one gets some, one gets alot and one gets none.. and then last one runs screaming all the way home (up your arm)
all i can rememeber is it sounding like
vujula vujula kushestes ku,
domo dalo noviezsu,
tomo dalo, tomo vietz, tomo…tomo nietze
(im sure all my spelling is totally wrong)
thats all i know.. if anyone can find it i would be grateful as well
February 18th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Hana said…
What about this?
http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=1025&c=153
February 23rd, 2010 at 3:30 pm
For Whitney:
Vařila myšička kašičku
na zeleném rendlíčku,
tomu dala,
tomu taky,
tomu málo,
tomu víc,
a na toho maličkého
nezůstalo vůbec nic!
A ten maličký utíkal
do komůrečky
na homolečky
a tam se napapal.
Look at this:
http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=1025&c=153
July 18th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
I have been trying to find the words and translation for an old Bohemian rhyme/finger play that my Grandfather use to say. It went something like this(my english phonetic words):
Vajshula Vajshula kutches koo
Najshula Venda Brendesh koo
Tocdomolala, Tocdomolala, Tocdomolala, Tocdomolala, Androstrawpesku?
Tacolila, Tacolila,
Beajshala, Beajshala, Beajshala,
Androstrawpesku!
This said while swirling a finger in the palm of the hand and up the finger then around the wrist then walking fingers up the arm and tickling the arm pit.
Anyone able to help?
July 24th, 2010 at 3:30 pm
There are many versions of this fingerplay. I think that this could help you a little:
http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=1025&c=153
August 24th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
My grandmother taught me a version of that fingerplay…it’s similar, but different. I’d love to know the actual Czech spelling of this one. She always said it was about a mother fox cooking a stew of peas and carrots. Then she gave some to this one, this one, this one, but there wasn’t any left for the last one, so she twisted off his little head and ran and hid in her hole (armpit).
any insight?
Vaszrila liska krupke hrah
Vaszro lato nukem nah
domolala
domolala
domolala
domo nezbitala
zacrocheela hlavichku
Beajshala, Beajshala, Beajshala,
Shupsetum Scovala
August 24th, 2010 at 2:48 pm
There was also a song she would sing that started off (phonetically)
bubyupka shtidiupka
I will try to unearth the old recordings I have, but the ones on my computer currently are oddly blank.
August 25th, 2010 at 6:50 am
bubyupka …..
I think it is this one:
Měla babka čtyři jabka
a dědoušek jen dvě
dej mi babko jedno jabko
budeme mít stejně.
Grandmother had four apples
grandfather had only two
give me grandmother one apple
we will have as well
Vařila liška krupky, hrách
vařila to na kamnách.
tomu dala
tomu dala
tomu dala
tomu nezbývala
zakroutila hlavičkou
běžela, běžela, běžela
šup se tam schovala.
August 25th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
For Karisa
You can hear “bubyupka” (Měla babka) in the end of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6M5hGfAJ0Q
And this is the way, how children in Czech Republic are usually singing this song and dancing a dance callled “MAZURKA” :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41-IaHBvs9A&feature=related
August 25th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
Hana,
Thank you so much! My grandmother just passed away yesterday, so I was trying to get some recordings properly labeled to share with family.
She would also always say a phrase “Bombi czech les putras stra” which essentially meant “What goes around comes around” or “you’ll get what’s coming to you”.
Karisa
August 26th, 2010 at 10:58 am
Your Grandmother used to say :”Pánbíček vás potrestá” meaning “God will punish you”.
“Pánbíček” – is very informal and diminutive of “Pán Bůh” (God The Lord)
September 7th, 2010 at 10:42 pm
My grandfather, 100% czechloslovakian, used to sing a song to my sister and I when we were little. He has since passed and I am looking to find the entire song/ translation. I don’t even know the correct spelling but phenetically it was like, “Jesh bil yo shinko, jesh bil derana, hoopi shoopi hoopi shoopi”
I wish I knew the correct spelling I am sure it would make it much easier to figure out! If anyone could help at all, it would be greatly appreciated!
September 14th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
I am sorry, I do not know this song, but the words could be :
Kdes byl, Jožinko, Where were you, Joe
Kdes byl do rána? Where were you till morning?
hupi šupi hupi šupi!
November 16th, 2010 at 9:22 am
Hi, I’m looking for the childrens song “Jan Jiskra ze Brandyska”, is it available or did anyone ever hear of it? I was told such a song was sung by children many years ago. Jan Jiskra was in Slovakia in the mid 1400’s.
Thank you for your kind reply.
Don Jiskra ze Chicago U.S.A.
December 22nd, 2010 at 3:29 pm
I am looking for a polish or slovak nursery rhyme that my grandma used to do with the grandkids…I only know a very little of a phoenetic translation…it’s something about a grandma mixing porridge and it has the baby using his finger on his open palm like he’s mixing…
mele baba (or babka) muchku….
at then end the baby will pretend he eats the porridge.. any ideas?
December 25th, 2010 at 10:28 am
For Matt:
Can you add more ( slovak ) words?
January 16th, 2011 at 12:30 pm
My grandmother was from Slovakia and came to America via Austria. She used to tell us a nurery rhyme that’s about a mouse cooking rice all us kids call “Vazula”. Phonetically “in English” it sounds like this but I’m sure the spelling is wrong. I’d like to see it in the origional (Bohemian?) language and translated into English.
Vaz-a-la, vaz-a-la, meesh-ka hair-ah-shik
Spa-lay-la hoe-na-pra-shik
First va-shil
Den sma-shil
Den becht
Den Yet
Den a-not-a-hoe sen-yetz-ned-i-sta-lo
Dock mee-shik
Dock vee-a-zala, vee-a-zala
Ah see stah-dee sko-vah-la.
January 19th, 2011 at 5:26 am
Hi Cindy
I am sorry I do not know this nursery rhyme, but it is about a mouse cooking green peas. Maybe this could help you a little (in Czech):
Vařila vařila myška hrášek (in Slovak hrášik)
Spálila ho na prášek (in Slovak prášik)
První den vařila
druhý den smažila
Třetrí den brečela
Čtrvrtý den ječela
Pátý den a noc se nic nestalo
Tak myška vařila, vařila
Pak se takhle schovala
A mouse cooked peas
She burned it to the powder
The first day she was cooking it
The next day she fried it (the second day)
the third day she was crying
The next day she was yelling (the fourth day)
On the fifth day and night, nothing happened
So mouse cooked, boiled
Then he hid itself
I am sorry my English is not good enough, but I hope you understand it.
January 19th, 2011 at 5:30 am
I am sorry I made some mistakes. Correct spelling:
Třetí den brečela
Čtvrtý den ječela
January 20th, 2011 at 7:50 pm
Hana, thank you so much, my family and I have looked your version and agree that it is so very close. and don’t worry about your English…it was as if I were in my aunts kitchen again, listening to her talk.
March 27th, 2011 at 8:04 am
Whitney, my grandmother’s version sounded very similar to yours, especially the beginning.
April 1st, 2011 at 8:27 am
slovak – remember something like “ken kavama ken” from childhood but not knows what from. nursery rhymes? song? carttoon? tv or raadio ad? Maybe words be different like “ken kava ma ken” or “ken kava maken” “ken ka va maken” c ould be slovak hungarian czech … exposed meny languages on childhood
April 4th, 2011 at 3:22 am
I really do not know, but could it be for examlple something like:
Kolo kolo mlýnský….
Can you add more?
April 21st, 2011 at 10:57 pm
Hello all!
I was wondering what the funny question marks are in this czech word that were a part of the rhyme I asked about all the way at the top of this: Brou�?ek
Thanks to anyone who can help!!
-Julie
April 22nd, 2011 at 2:06 am
Julie, it’s brouček (I hope it will show right, a c with a reverse circumflex)
June 30th, 2011 at 11:51 am
Here’s a link to more lyrics to Czech songs.
September 16th, 2012 at 10:39 am
Hi! I realize this is a really old thread, but I have been searching all over for an answer to a question. When I was a little girl, my mother would tap a rhyme on my palm. It was essentially like “This Little Piggy,” but it was about these little chickens eating, and at the end, the one flies away. My grandmother died a few years ago, and my mother makes up the words toward the end. I know virtually no Czech, but it’s killing me to know.
Thanks!
March 18th, 2013 at 6:03 pm
Hi, I would like to get back to what Cindy wrote on January 16th, 2011 and to Hana´s answer. I think I found a version closer to the original that Cindy recalled. This is how it goes:
Vařila vařila myška hrášek
Spálila ho na prášek
Ten vařil (squeezing the first finger of a child)
Ten smažil
Ten pekl
Ten jedl
Na toho se nedostalo
Tak myška běžela, běžela,
Až se tady schovala
A mouse cooked peas
She burned it to the powder
This one cooked it
This one fried it
This one baked it
This one ate it
For this one, nothing was left
So the mouse ran, ran
Until he hid himself here
I must say that this discussion is very interesting for me. I am Czech and I think I know many traditional nursery rhymes, but it seems that only some have survived in our country to this day while many were forgotten and are not actively used by parents any more. Yet they were preserved overseas, in the memories of you who heard them from your ancestors so long ago, and we can actually learn them back from you now! For example, I have never heard “A little beetle crawls along the balk…”. I am sure some Czechs know it, but my parents and grandparents never played this one with me.
March 18th, 2013 at 6:35 pm
Thanks for writing! If would like to share any of the rhymes you know, we’d love to add them to our Czech songs and rhymes pages. -Mama Lisa
April 8th, 2013 at 5:29 pm
My husband’s grandfather sings a song to our daughter, and I’d like to know the English translation. It starts off “slow baby posable . . ”
He says it’s about a baby walking with a basket full of eggs . . .
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
April 8th, 2013 at 8:35 pm
Mandy – If you can get a recording of him singing the song we can probably find someone who can help with the lyrics. -Lisa