"I have a nursery rhyme that's been passed down for generations in my family. I've never seen it listed anywhere. It was taught to my grandmother by her grandmother, who was from the Abruzzo region. It's in the Neapolitan language, Abruzzese dialect. With the help of an Italian linguist, I've been able to piece it together and provide a translation into English. It is sung in a high-low sing-song, with the first word in each line higher than the second. It goes…" –Joseph Galloy

Notes

*Puppete = expression to get attention or make a baby smile.

Game Instructions

You hold the baby by the hands and place her on your knee. When singing "sega sega" you start rocking the baby back and forth. At pupa, you start to gently bounce the baby up and down with your knee.

Thanks and Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Joseph M. Galloy, PhD, RPA for sharing this nursery rhyme and the translation!