Infanaj Kantoj Children's Songs

Chants d'Enfant Kinderlieder

Note:  If you know of any material presented here that is copyrighted, please contact me so that I can remove it.

Help!  Do you have suggestions for representing the music for songs, so that we can learn the proprer melodies?  I suppose that those of us with multimedia accessories could simply sing a verse and save it as a .wav file, for instance, but is there some representation which would let everyone learn the tunes?

Select the language you wish to jump directly to the appropriate section:

• Deutsch/German/Allemand/Germana
• ==> German (& other) folksongs: words, music (.GIF format), midi files
• English/English/Anglais/Angla
• Français/French/Français/Franca
• ==> French childrens' songs and poems, midi files (.WAV and .MOV format)
• Português/Portuguese/Portugais/Portugala
• /Russian/Russe/Rusa
• Svenska/Swedish/Suédois/Sveda
• Cymraeg/Welsh/Gallois/Kimra

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Deutsch

Brahms lullaby:

Guten Abend, gute Nacht
Von Englein bewacht
Die zeigen im Traum
Dir Christkindleins Baum
Schlaf nun selig und suß
Schau im Traums Paradies
Schlaf nun selig und suß
Schau im Traums Paradies.

Contributed by Christine Ausnit

Weißt Du wie viel Sternlein stehen
In der blauen Himmel Zelt?
Weißt Du wie viel Wolken gehen
Weit hinüber alle Welt?
Gott der Herr hat sie gezählet
Dass ihm auch nicht eine fehlet
An der ganzen grossen Zahl
An der ganzen grossen Zahl.

Weißt Du wie viel Mücken spielen
In der warmen Sommerglut?
Wie viel Fischlein auch sich kühlen
In der klaren Wasserflut?
Gott der Herr rief sie mit Namen
Dass sie all ins Leben kamen
Dass sie nun so fröhlich sind
Dass sie nun so fröhlich sind.

Weißt Du wie viel Kinder fruehe
Stehen aus ihren Bettchen auf
Daß sie ohne Sorg' und Mühe
Fröhlich sind am Tages Lauf.
Gott im Himmel hat an alle
Seine Freud' und Wohlgefallen
Kennt auch Dich und hat Dich lieb!
Kennt auch Dich und hat Dich lieb!

Weißt Du wie viel Brünnlein fließen
Dort im Himmelsparadies?
Weißt Du wie viel Blümlein sprießen
Auf der grünen Sommerwies?
Gott der Herr hat sie gesegnet
Dass es immer auf sie regnet
Und sie blühen wunderbar!
Und sie blühen wunderbar!

Contributed by Christine Ausnit and Stefanie Geiser

Wer hat die schönsten Schäfchen
Die hat der gold'ne Mond
Der hinter unser Bäume
Am Himmel droben wohnt.

Er kommt am späten Abend
Wenn alles schlafen will
Hervor aus seinem Hause
Wenn alles leis und still.

Da weidet er die Schäfchen
Auf seiner blauen Flur
Denn all' die weissen Sternlein
Sind seine Schäfchen nur.

Und soll er Dich eins bringen
So darfst Du niemals schreien
Muß freundlich wie die Schäfchen
Und ihren Schäfer sein!

Contributed by Christine Ausnit

Der Mond ist aufgegangen
Die goldenen Sternlein prangen
Am Himmel hell und klar.
Der Wald steht schwarz und schweiget
Und auf die Wiesen steiget
Der weisse Nebel wunderbar.

Seht Ihr den Mond dort stehen
Er ist nur halb zu sehen
Und ist doch rund und schoen.
So sind wohl manche Sachen
Die wir getrost(?) belachen
Weil unsere Augen sie nicht sehen.

So legt Euch denn Ihr Brüder
In Gottes Namen nieder
Kalt ist der Abendhauch.
Verschon uns Gott mit Strafen
Und lass uns ruhig schlafen
Und unsere kranken Nachbarn auch.

Contributed by Christine Ausnit

Ein großer, ein roter, ein runder Luftballon  (show the shape with your hands)
fliegt höher, immer höher, gleich fliegt er mir davon (hands flutter upwards)
doch an der Schnur, der langen, hol ich ihn mir zurück (pull on a string)
jetzt hab ich ihn gefangen, da hab ich aber Glück (clap your hands)

Ein großer, ein grüner, ein runder Luftballon.... (continue with different colours)

Contributed by Sara Tsudome

To the tune of Frère Jacques:

Wo ist der Daumen, wo ist der Daumen, (hands behind your back)
da ist er, da ist er (one thumb comes out, then the other)
guten Tag, wie geht es - danke, mir gehts gut  (thumbs crossing back and forth)
auf Wiedersehn, auf Wiedersehn (one hand and then the other goes behind your back)

Wo ist der Zeigefinger.....
(continue with all fingers...)

Wo sind die Hände......

Contributed by Sara Tsudome

Hände waschen, Hände waschen, das muß jedes Kind (show washing your hands)
Hände waschen, Hände waschen, bis sie sauber sind
Und wenn sie dann ziemlich sauber sind, dann ist kein Handtuch da,
dann schütteln wir und schütteln wir und schütteln wir und schütteln wir
bis sie trocken sind           (shake your hands)
dann schütteln wir und schütteln wir und schütteln wir und schütteln wir
bis sie trocken sind           (shake your hands)

Füße waschen, Füße waschen......

Haare waschen, Haare waschen.....

Popo waschen, Popo waschen......
...

Contributed by Sara Tsudome

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English

This little piggy

(touching each finger of one hand or toe of one foot)

Contributed by Christine Ausnit

This is the way the lady rides

This is the way the farmer rides
Hobbledy hoy, hobbledy hoy
This is the way the farmer rides
Hobbledy hobbledy hoy!

(bouncing the child on your lap, using different kinds of bounces for each verse--there's at least one other verse but I can't remember it; of course, it's fun to fun to make up your own as well!):

Contributed by Christine Ausnit

Itsy Bitsy Spider

(1st 2 lines, walk your fingers up the baby;
next 2 lines, let your hand run down the baby;
next line, spread your palm and wave your hand side to side;
next line, pretend to pick something up--wiggle your fingers while
raising your arm/hand [this may make no sense without a picture ;-) ];
last 2 lines, walk your fingers up the baby again):

p.s.  For the spider song, there's a bit of a sing-song tune that goes with it -- here's a poor imitation, omitting all rhythm (C = do ="middle C"; T = B flat; and c = the "C" an octave above middle C)"

C F F F G A A
A G F G A F
A A T c
c T A T c A
F F G A
A G F G A F
C C F F F G A A
A G F G A F

Contributed by Christine Ausnit

Five little monkeys:

 [Start with one hand, palm up, in front of you, and the five fingertips of the other hand touching that palm.]

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed
   [Fingers bouncing up and down to the rhythm of the rhyme.]
One fell off...
   [One finger falls off dramatically.]
..and bumped his head!
   [One hand to your forehead as though you bumped your head.]
Mommy called the doctor...
   [Hold one palm flat and move the index finger of the other hand against it in circles, as though dialing a phone]
...and the doctor said
   [Hold one hand against your cheek as though holding a phone handset]
"No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"
   [Shaking one finger in a scolding manner.]

Four little monkeys jumping on the bed.
   [Same motions as before, but with four fingertips "jumping on  the bed" this time.]
One fell off and bumped her head!
Mommy called the doctor and the doctor said,
"No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"

and so on down to...

One little monkey jumping on the bed.
He fell off and bumped his head!
Mommy called the doctor and the doctor said,
"Put those monkeys straight to bed!"

(Some of the families have the doctor saying "That's what you get for jumping on the bed!" each time except the last.)

Contributed by Cindy Kandolf

Ten bears in a bed
And the little one said
"Roll over!  Roll over!"
So they all rolled over
And one fell out.

Nine bears in a bed
...

One bear in a bed
And the little one said
"I'm lonely!  I'm lonely!"
So he rolled over
And the others jumped back!

Contributed by Cindy Kandolf

There were ten in the bed,
And the little one said,
"Roll over!  Roll over!"
So they all rolled over
And one fell out,
There were nine in the bed,
And the little one said,
...
There was one in the bed
And the little one said
"Good night!"

( Note: This is the variation of the previous rhyme which I grew up with.)

Contributed by Ken Caviness

Six little ducks that I once knew (kids line up and follow the leader)
Fat ones, skinny ones, fair ones too. (use hands to show "fat, skinny and fair")
But the one little duck with the feather on his back, (touch back in front of you)
He lead the others with his Quack, Quack, Quack,
Quack, Quack, Quack,
Quack, Quack, Quack,
He lead the others with his Quack, Quack, Quack.  (flap wings with each quack)

Down to the river they would go (follow the leader again)
Wibble, wobble, wibble, wobble to and fro (wiggle bottom)
But the one little duck... (just like first verse)

Back from the river they would come (follow the leader)
Wibble, wobble, wibble, wobble ho, hum, hum (wiggle bottom)
But the one little duck... (just like first verse)

Contributed by Lynette Kirschner

[This song is sung to the melody of Brother John]

(start with both hands behind your back)

Where is thumper, where is thumper?
Here I am. Here I am. (bring out one thumb and then the other. Wiggle each thumb that "talks")
How are you today, sir? Very well, I thank you. (thumbs "talk" to each other)
Go away, go away.
(hide one thumb then the other behind your back- some people say "run and hide" instead of go away)

[Use the same pattern for the rest of the hand: pointer, middle man (or middle finger), ring finger and pinky (or little finger)]

Contributed by Lynette Kirschner

[Note:  my kids know a version of this from the big purple dinosaur: Barney  --kc]

We are clothes in a washing machine (hug yourself)
We wiggle and we giggle until we're clean (rock back and forth)
Then mama shakes us out to dry (grab "clothes" and shake)
And hangs us on the clothes line high (hang up the clothes)

[When my childern were very small, my lap was the washing machine and they were the clothes.]

Contributed by Lynette Kirschner

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Français

Un Eléphant

Deux éléphants
se balançaient
sur une toile d'arraignée
Ils trouvèrent ça
si amusant
qu'ils appelèrent un autre éléphant.
O éléphant!
 ...

One elephant
went out to play
out on a spider's web one day
He had such
enormous fun
that he called for another elephant to come.
Oh elephant!

Two elephants
went out to play ...

(We wave our hand in the air with the appropriate number of fingers. When we call for the other elephants we put one hand on each side of our mouth as if yelling.  Then we bang on the floor with our hands tomake the sound of a herd of elephants.)

Contributed by Mary Ellen Wessinger

Une souris verte

ces messieurs me disent:
trempe la dans l'huile,
trempe la dans l'eau,
ça fera un escargot tout chaud!

(not a counting or finger rhyme, but one we used to jump rope to.)

Contributed by leila belhadjali

Un, deux, trois

Contributed by Jim Foley

Ainsi font, font, font

[Lines 1-3: hold your hands out in front of you, turn them face up, then face down, repeat in rhythm (~7 times).  "Trois p'tits tours": loose fists pointed at each other, make several rapid "bicycle-pedalling"motions.  "et puis s'en vont": hands disappear behind your back or head.]

Contributed by Ken Caviness

Frère Jacques

Note:  In French singing one often pronounces syllables that would normally be silent:  [Frè-re Jac-ques,  Dor-mez vous? Son-nez les ma-ti-nes!  Try for the correct nasal "de~ de~ dõ"]

Contributed by Ken Caviness

Savez-vous planter les choux?

On les plante avec le doigt,
A la mode, à la mode,
On les plante avec le doigt,
A la mode de chez nous?

On les plante avec le pied, ...
On les plante avec le g'nou, ...
On les plante avec le coude, ...
On les plante avec le nez, ...
On les plante avec le tête, ...

Contributed by Ken Caviness

Le pont d'Avignon

1. Les belles dames font comme ça, Et puis encore comme ça. [Refrain]
2. Les beaux messieurs font comme ça, Et puis encore comme ça. [Refrain]
3. Les cordonniers font comme ça, Et puis encore comme ça. [Refrain]
4. Les blanchisseuses  font comme ça, Et puis encore comme ça.  [Refrain]

Contributed by Ken Caviness

Au clair de la lune

Au clair de la lune,
Pierrot répondit:
- Je n'ai pas de plume,
Je suis dans mon lit.
Va chez la voisine,
Je crois qu'il y est,
Car dans sa cuisine,
On bat le briquet.

Au clair de la lune
Pierrot se rendort.
Il rêve à la lune,
Son coeur bat bien fort;
Car toujours si bonne
Pour l'enfant tout blanc,
La lune lui donne
Son crossant d'argent.

Au clair de la lune,
On n'y voit qu'un peu:
On chercha la plume,
On chercha le feu.
En cherchant d'la sorte
Je n'sais c'qu'on trouva,
Mais j'sais que la porte
Sur eux se ferma.

Contributed by Ken Caviness

Alouette

Je te plumerai la tête, je te plumerai la tête,
Et la tête, et la tête,
Alouette, Alouette, Ah! (Refrain)

Je te plumerai le bec, je te plumerai le bec,
Et le bec, et le bec,
Et la tête, et la tête,
Alouette, Alouette, Ah! (Refrain)

Je te plumerai les yeux, je te plumerai les yeux,
Et les yeux, et les yeux,
Et le bec, et le bec,
Et la tête, et la tête,
Alouette, Alouette, Ah! (Refrain)

Je te plumerai le cou, ...
Je te plumerai les ailes, ...
Je te plumerai les pattes, ...
Je te plumerai la queue, ...
Je te plumerai le dos, ...

Contributed by Ken Caviness

Le chat et le soleil

Voilà pourquoi le soir,
Quand le chat se réveille,
J'aperçois dans le noir
Deux morceaux de soleil.

de: Maurice Carême (L'Arlequin)

Nu, vot prishla lyagushka,
prozhorlivoe bryushko.
Prozhorlivoe bryushko,
i sela kuznetsa!

A little grasshopper sat in the grass,
Just like a little pickle.
Just like a little pickle,
He was quite green.

Well, here came a frog,
a bottomless pit.
A bottomless pit,
And she ate up the grasshopper!

Contributed by Andrei, Boris, Carolyn & Isabella Pestovski

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Svenska

IMSE VIMSE SPINDEL (Itsy Bitsy Spider)

Contributed by Natasha Gustavsson

BRODER JAKOB (Brother Jacob /  Frère Jacques)

Contributed by Natasha Gustavsson

HERR OLSSON HADE EN BONNAGÅRD (Old McDonald Had a Farm)

häst - gnägg (horse)
gris - nöff (pig)
får - bä (sheep)
katt - mjau (cat)
hund - vov (hund)
tupp - kucku (rooster)
and - kvack (duck)

Contributed by Natasha Gustavsson

HUVUD, AXLAR, KNÄN OCH TÅR (Heads and Shoulders, Knees and Toes)

Contributed by Natasha Gustavsson

EN ELEFANT BALANSERADE (Un éléphant ce balançait)

Två elefanter balanserade...
(Tre, fyra, fem, sex, sju, åtta, nio, tio)

Contributed by Natasha Gustavsson

PELLE PLUTT (rhyme)

(*) Pelle is short for Per and Peter, Plutt is just a nonsensical surname

Contributed by Natasha Gustavsson

BLINKA LILLA STJÄRNA [Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star]

Contributed by Natasha Gustavsson

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Welsh

Here comes Mam across the white stile
Something in her apron, an ewer (water jug?) on her head
The cow in the byre is calling to its calf
And the calf on the other side playing Jim Crow
Jim Crow Crusty, One Two Four
The little pig sits so nicely on the stool

(This is very much a North Welsh vernacular.  I have no idea who Jim Crow is, and by the way, "Wan, T, Ffor" are not Welsh words - the English words are just being used as sort of "nonsense words".)

Contributed by Roberts Nia

Ken Caviness' homepage 

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