Já jsem muzikant
The order of the verses can be sung differently. Verses with additional instruments can be added too.
Já jsem muzikant
I am a Musician
Children's Song
Children's Song
(Czech)
(English)
(Refrén)
Hlavný spevák: Já jsem muzikant
A přicházím k vám z české země
Skupina: My jsme muzikanti,
Přicházíme k vám.
Hlavný spevák: Já umím hráti.
Skupina: My umíme taky.
Hlavný spevák: A to na housličky.
Skupina: Jak se na ně hraje?
Hlavný spevák: Fidli, fidli, staré vidli,
fidli, fidli, housličky.
Skupina: Fidli, fidli, staré vidli,
fidli, fidli, housličky.
(Refrén)
Hlavný spevák: A to na basu.
Skupina: Jak se na ni hraje?
Hlavný spevák: Stála basa u primasa,
za kamnama stála,
kdyz primaska zatopila,
basa sama hrála.
Skupina: Stála basa u primasa,
za kamnama stála,
kdyz primaska zatopila,
basa sama hrála.
(Refrén)
Hlavný spevák: A to na trumpetu.
Skupina: Jak se na ni hraje?
Hlavný spevák: Já rád játra, ty rád játra
on rád játra, trumpeta.
Skupina: Já rád játra, ty rád játra
on rád játra, trumpeta.
(Refrén)
Hlavný spevák: A to na bubínek.
Skupina: Jak se na něj hraje?
Hlavný spevák: Bumtarata, bumtarata
bumtarata bubínek.
Skupina: Bumtarata, bumtarata
bumtarata bubínek.
(Chorus)
Leader: I'm a musician
and I come to you from Czech-land.
Group: We are musicians,
we come to you.
Leader: I can play.
Group: We know how to too.
Leader: And the little violin.
Group: How do they play it?
Leader: Fidli, fidli, old garden fork*,
fidli, fidli, violin.
Group: Fidli, fidli, old garden fork,
fidli, fidli, little violin.
(Chorus)
Leader: And the double bass.
Group: How do you play it?
Leader: The double bass was standing in the mayor's kitchen**
Behind the tiled stove,
When his wife made a fire,
The double bass played itself.
Group: The double bass was standing in the mayor's kitchen
Behind the tiled stove,
When his wife made a fire,
The double bass played itself.
(Chorus)
Leader: And the trumpet.
Group: How do you play it?
Leader: I like liver, you like liver***
He likes liver, trumpet.
Group: : I like liver, you like liver
He likes liver, trumpet.
(Chorus)
Leader: And on the little drum.
Group: How do you play on it?
Leader: Dumblebee, dum
Dumtarata little drums.
Group: Dumblebee, dum
Dumtarata little drums.
Notes
Hana gave us the following explanations about what the instruments "play":
*"The words fidli fidli remind us of the sound of the violin. 'Staré vidli' means 'old garden fork', it's only used because of the rhyme with FIDLI – VIDLI.
**Primas. primaska - mayor and his wife - nowadays we do not use word 'primaska' but the meaning is something like 'town councilor'.
Basa - double bass - musical instrument
Kamna - tile stove/tiled stove - in the past tiled stoves were in every old kitchen.
The double bass was standing in the town councilor's kitchen, behind the tiled stove,
when his wife (primaska) made a fire, the double bass played itself (of its own accord).
***I think that they use the word liver – 'játra' – only because the consonant R is in 'tRumpeta', 'játRa' and 'Rád'."
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Thanks to Jan Kanturek for sharing this song with us! Many thanks to Hana Cice for helping with the translation and for the explanations.
