Alysa emailed me asking for help with some Scottish nursery rhymes and songs. The ones I could help her with I posted on the Mama Lisa’s World Scottish Song pages. The rest I will post below after Alysa’s letter. Here’s what Alysa wrote:
Hey there.
My nanna passed away a couple of years ago and I am trying to compile all her Scottish nursery rhymes and lullabies she used to sing to us. We have no idea on how to spell any of the words and some have probably been lost in translation. There may be a few extras you would like to know yourself and put up on your site, but if you could correct any major flaws in my translation I would be eternally grateful.
Thank you so very very much.
Alysa Wakefield
New ZealandP. S. Nanna was from Dumbarton in Scotland, but moved to New Zealand when she was 4 years old, but still sung all of these with a Scottish accent, it was fantastic!
Here are the songs and rhymes:
The monkey and the dromedary shovelling up coal.
The monkey shovelled the shovel up the dromedary’s diddley diddley dumpty dae.The higher up the mountain the greener grows the grass.
The higher up the monkey goes the more you see of his diddley diddley dumpty dae.***
Pussy willow are you sleeping
Pussy willow are you sleeping
Pussy willow are you sleeping
Pussy willow are you sleeping
The spring time will soon be here
Pussy willow are you sleeping
Pussy willow are you sleeping
Put your little fuzzy bonnet on
Pussy willow are you sleeping
Pussy willow are you sleeping
The winter will soon be gone***
Jean Jean my bonnie jean
Come for a trip on my aeroplane
Sit on my knee
And be allright with me
Flying from Glasgow to bonnie Dundee***
Hai ka hoochie, running through the town.
Do you no care that your brigs are hanging down.
Stand up straight and be manly if you can.
You canne make a soldier of a knocked kneed man.***
It’s a sin to tell a lie
***
Nanna’s little baby
Nanna’s baby girl
Nanna’s little baby
Nanna’s baby girl***
Diddle umm a diddle umm a diddle umm a dooo
Diddle umm a diddle umm a diddle umm a dooo***
If anyone knows any of the songs above, and can let us know if we have all the lyrics, or provide any info to help, please let us know in the comments below.
Thanks!
Mama Lisa
This article was posted on Tuesday, May 18th, 2010 at 2:19 pm and is filed under Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Languages, Lullabies, Mama Lisa, Nursery Rhymes, Questions, Scotland, Scottish, Scottish Children's Songs, Scottish Lullabies, Scottish Nursery Rhymes, United Kingdom. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
June 24th, 2010 at 3:54 pm
scottish nursery rhyme about a big red bus – “Pimpernel petroleum is a big red bus it takes her passengers from glasgow to luss”
October 31st, 2010 at 2:48 pm
Hi Lisa-
Can you tell me about a nursery rhyme?
This is how it sounded to me as a child:
“Apple Davy, Cousin Tom.
Sugar Ollie Block Mon”.
Thanks !
-Don
February 7th, 2012 at 5:21 am
Fae Scotland
Regarding: Hai ka hoochie, running through the town.
Do you no care that your brigs are hanging down.
Stand up straight and be manly if you can.
You canne make a soldier of a knocked kneed man.
Scottish Version:
Hai ka hoochie, runnin’ through the toon.
Dae ye no care that yer breeks are hangin’ doon. (breeks=pants)
Staund up straight and be manly if ye can.
You cannae mak’ a sodger o’ a knocked-kneed man. (sodger=soldier)