Alternative lyrics to Frère Jacques

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The Frère Jacques melody might be among the most well-known tunes that exist on Earth. There are many alternative lyrics that have been created for this melody that have nothing to do with bells or sleeping. A few appear here, serving as illustrative examples.

Contents

[edit] In English

[edit] Where is Thumbkin?

The song (like many other children's songs) has other popular lyrics in English, such as "Where is Thumbkin?":

Where is Thumbkin?
Where is Thumbkin?
Here I am!
Here I am!
How are you today, Sir?
I'm very well, thank you!
Run and hide!
Run and hide!

Another version replaces "run and hide" with "run away". The song "Where is Thumbkin?" has several other verses.[1]

[edit] I hear thunder

In India, English-speaking children are taught another version of this rhyme in the nursery. Perhaps it is related to the monsoon season on the Indian subcontinent:

I hear thunder,
I hear thunder,
Hark don't you? (oh don't you)
Hark don't you? (oh don't you)
Pit-a-patter raindrops,
Pit-a-patter raindrops,
I'm wet through,
I'm wet through (so are you).

[edit] Christmas down under

In Australia, there is a Christmas song that is sung to the tune of Frère Jacques:

Where is Santa?
Where is Santa?
Here I am.
Here I am.
Merry, merry Christmas.
Merry, merry Christmas.
Ho, Ho, Ho.
Ho, Ho, Ho.

There are dances that go with this song.[2]

[edit] Happy Birthday

In the Garfield and Friends episode "Peace and Quiet", Binky the Clown sings a Happy Birthday song set to the tune of Frère Jacques:

Happy Birthday,
Happy Birthday,
Whoop-tee-doo,
Whoop-tee-doo,
May your day be pleasant,
Open up your present,
Just for you,
Just for you.

[edit] Star Wars

A version of Frère Jacques exists with lyrics based on the names of characters from the original Star Wars movies:

R2D2, R2D2,
C-3PO, C-3PO,
Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan Kenobi,
Han Solo, Han Solo.

[edit] Tartan Army

The Tartan Army is a group of soccer enthusiasts who follow the Scottish team. From a soccer tournament in St. Etienne:

Frere Jacques, Frere Jacques,
Norway drew, Norway drew,
Gaunnae beat Morocco, gaunnae beat Morocco
We're gaun' through, we're gaun through.

This was later amended to:

Frere Jacques, Frere Jacques,
Norway drew, Norway drew,
Beaten by Morocco, beaten by Morocco,
We're stuffed noo, we're stuffed noo.

[edit] Other subjects

There are numerous other sets of alternative lyrics to the Frere Jacques melody in English, about the water cycle,[3] snow,[4] marsupials,[5] garbage,[6] infectious diseases,[7] squares,[8] counseling,[9] lead pollution,[10] groundhogs,[11] educational theories, [12] Chinese New Year,[13] and many more.

[edit] In Cantonese

A song in Cantonese:

打开蚊账。
打开蚊账。
有一只蚊子。
有一只蚊子。
快点打它。
快点打它。
打死它。
打死它。

Translation: Open the mosquito net. There is a mosquito. Hurry a little and hit it. Hit and kill it.

Another Cantonese version:

Ta hoi meng cheong,
Ta hoi meng cheong,
Yau chek meng,
Yau chek meng,
Fei tik lor pa sin lei,
Fei tik lor pa sin lei,
phut chor hui, Phut chor hui.

Translation: Open the mosquito net, Open the mosquito net, There's a mosquito, There's a mosquito, Quickly bring a hand-fan, Quickly bring a hand-fan, Fan it away, Fan it away.

[edit] In Esperanto

Per okuloj, per okuloj
vidas ni, vidas ni,
vidas per okuloj, vidas per okuloj,
vidas ni.

Per oreloj - aŭdas ni ...
Per la nazo - flaras ni ...
Per la buŝo - kantas ni ...
Per la mano - skribas ni ...
Per la gamboj - kuras ni ...

Another song:

Eta raŭpo, eta raŭpo,
venas jen, venas jen,
grimpas sur Christina, grimpas sur Christina,
iras for, iras for.

Another song:

Urso bruna, urso bruna
estas mi, estas mi
bruna kaj malgranda, bruna kaj malgranda
estas mi.

[14]

[edit] In French

A Frère Jacques-like tune is used as a refrain in the song Frère Jacques which has lyrics by F. Pothier and music by Léon Raiter:

Frère Jacques, Frère Jacques
Sonnait les matines, Sonnait les matines,
Dig, ding, don, Dig, ding, don,
; Pendant que son frère, en chemin, criait :
« Voilà du fromage, du bon fromage au lait »
Dig, ding, don, Dig, ding, don.

Rough translation: Brother James, Brother James, They are sounding the bells, They are sounding the bells, Dig, ding, don, Dig, ding, don, While his brother in the road cries out, Here is some cheese, some good cheese with milk, Dig, ding, don, Dig, ding, don.

Another French version, from Dominique de Villepin:

Cher Jacques, cher Jacques,
Dormez vous, dormez vous?
Sauvez le Parti, sauvez le Parti,
Dingue, dingue, donc, Dingue, dingue, donc.

Rough translation: Dear James, Dear James, Do you sleep, Do you sleep? Save the party, Save the party, Dingue, Dingue, donc. Dingue, dingue, donc.

Another French song that is sung as a round with a Frère Jacques-like melody is:

Londres flambe, Londres flambe,
Quelle affaire, quelle affaire,
Au feu, Au feu,
Plus d'eau, rien à faire!


A version of Frère Jacques sung on Mayotte:

Sur la plage, Sur la plage,
Il y a un nid, Il y a un nid,
Les oiseaux y chantent, Les oiseaux y chantent,
Cui cui cui, Cui cui cui.

[edit] In German

This Grammar song is sung in German classes.

Aus, bei, mit, nach, (2x)
seit, von, zu, (2x)
alle brauchen Dativ, (2x)
immerzu. (2x)

Translation: From, with, after, / since, from, to, / all need dative / always.

[edit] In Hebrew

There is a verse in Hebrew entitled "Ahinu Ya'akov" (Hebrew: אחינו יעקב, Brother Jacob) which is sung to this tune, but it is not about sleeping or bells:

אחינו יעקב!
אחינו יעקב!
סע לאט!
סע לאט!
אם תסע מהר,
יתפוס אותך שוטר!
סע לאט!
סע לאט!

This can be translated as:

Brother Jacob!
Brother Jacob!
Drive slowly!
Drive slowly!
If you drive fast,
A policeman will catch you!
Drive slowly!
Drive slowly!

[edit] In Mandarin

Various Mandarin versions:

三个老虎。(Sān ge lǎohǔ.)
三个老虎。(Sān ge lǎohǔ.)
跑得快。(Pǎo de kuài.)
跑得快。(Pǎo de kuài.)
一个没有尾巴。(Yī ge méi yǒu wěiba.)
一个没有尾巴。(Yī ge méi yǒu wěiba.)
真奇怪。(Zhēn qíguài.)
真奇怪。(Zhēn qíguài.)

Translation: Three tigers, Three tigers / Running fast, Running fast / One's without a tail, One's without a tail / Really strange, Really strange. --- By Lie-Hap-Po


两只老虎。(Liǎng zhī lǎohǔ.)
两只老虎。(Liǎng zhī lǎohǔ.)
跑得快。(Pǎo de kuài.)
跑得快。(Pǎo de kuài.)
一只没有眼睛。(Yī zhī méi yǒu yǎnjīng.)
一只没有嘴巴。(Yī zhī méi yǒu zuǐbā.)
好奇怪。(Hǎo qíguài)
好奇怪。(Hǎo qíguài)

Translation: Two tigers, two tigers / Run so fast, run so fast / One has no eyes, One has no mouth / So strange! So strange!


两只老虎。(Liǎng zhī lǎohǔ.)
两只老虎。(Liǎng zhī lǎohǔ.)
跑得快。(Pǎo de kuài.)
跑得快。(Pǎo de kuài.)
一只没有耳朵。(Yī zhī méi yǒu ěrduo.)
一只没有尾巴。(Yī zhī méi yǒu wěiba.)
真奇怪。(Zhēn qíguài.)
真奇怪。(Zhēn qíguài.)

Translation: Two tigers, two tigers / run fast, run fast / one has no ears / one has no tail / truly strange, truly strange.


打开蚊账。(Dakai wenzhang.)
打开蚊账。(Dakai wenzhang.)
有一只蚊子。(You yi zhi wenzi.)
有一只蚊子。(You yi zhi wenzi.)
快点打它。(Kuai dian da ta.)
快点打它。(Kuai dian da ta.)
打死它。(Da si ta.)
打死它。(Da si ta.)

Translation: Open the mosquito net. There is a mosquito. Hurry a little and hit it. Hit and kill it.

[edit] In Portuguese

The song "Os Dedinhos" (The Fingers) was made famous in the 1990s by the Brazilian children's television show hostess Eliana:

Polegares, polegares
Onde estão
Aqui estão
Eles se saúdam
Eles se saúdam
E se vão
E se vão

Indicadores, indicadores
Onde estão
Aqui estão
Eles se saúdam
Eles se saúdam
E se vão
E se vão

Dedos médios, dedos médios
Onde estão
Aqui estão
Eles se saúdam
Eles se saúdam
E se vão
E se vão

Anulares, anulares
Onde estão
Aqui estão
Eles se saúdam
Eles se saúdam
E se vão
E se vão

Dedos mínimos, dedos mínimos
Onde estão
Aqui estão
Eles se saúdam
Eles se saúdam
E se vão
E se vão

Todos os dedos, todos os dedos
Onde estão
Aqui estão
Eles se saúdam
Eles se saúdam
E se vão
E se vão

The translation for the first verse would be:

Thumbs, thumbs
Where are they?
Here they are
They salute each other
They salute each other
And go away
And go away

These lyrics are clearly similar to the alternative English lyrics entitled "Where is Thumbkin?".

[edit] In Spanish

Buenos días, buenos días,
¿Cómo estás? ¿Cómo estás?
Muy bien, gracias. Muy bien, gracias.
Adiós. Adiós.

A rough translation: Good day, good day, how are you ? how are you? Very good thank you, very good thank you, goodbye, goodbye.

[edit] In Vietnamese

[edit] Yellow Butterfly

Kìa con bướm vàng
Kìa con bướm vàng
Xoè đôi cánh
Xoè đôi cánh
Tung cánh bay năm ba vòng
Tung cánh bay năm ba vòng
Em ngồi xem
Em ngồi xem.

[edit] Mealtime

Giờ ăn đến rồi
Giờ ăn đến rồi
Mời anh xơi
Mời em xơi
Nâng chén lên cho cao này
nâng đũa lên cho cao này
Ta cùng xơi
ta cùng xơi.

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/thumbkin.htm
  2. ^ http://www.earthlydelights.com.au/xmas6.htm
  3. ^ http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/Francais/breeze/Issue6_Sept99-fr.pdf
  4. ^ http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/summer/archives/2004/planners/manual/chap-3-pt-2.pdf
  5. ^ http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/ld/youth/03SumRead/Manual/Exploring.pdf
  6. ^ http://www.deq.state.va.us/education/pdf/ps4.pdf
  7. ^ http://www.yuccacentric.com/writings/etc/songs-infectious.html
  8. ^ http://www.sde.state.id.us/Dept/documents/earlychildhoodarchive/earlychildhoodnewslettermay04.pdf
  9. ^ http://www.dhs.ca.gov/pcfh/wic/breastfeeding/downloads/PCManual_english/PCM_PDF/03_Session.pdf
  10. ^ http://72.14.205.104/unclesam?q=cache:6d5DeClf3G4J:www.state.nj.us/humanservices/OPMRDD/publications/1_Lead_Teachers_Manual20042.doc
  11. ^ http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems12.html
  12. ^ http://72.14.205.104/unclesam?q=cache:wTraWNgWMMUJ:wvde.state.wv.us/titlei/documents/Fogarty.ppt
  13. ^ http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems54.html
  14. ^ http://www.u-matthias.de/kulturo/kantoj.htm
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