Dodo Titit
"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
Sleep Little One
Lullaby
Lullaby
(Haitian Creole)
(English)
Dodo titit*
Si ou pa dodo,
krab la va manje ou
Dodo titit,
krab lan kalalou**
Sleep little one,
If you don't sleep,
The crab will eat you
Sleep, little one.
Crab in Okra Gumbo**
Notes
*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.
Comments
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 .
