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 Zealand

P. 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