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Dutch children's songs A - B - C
Dutch lullabies with music and English translation
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All the ducks are swimming in the water
falderalde riere falderalde rare,
all the ducks are swimming in the water
falde ralderalde ralderalde rarara.
Alle eendjes zwemmen in het water
falderalderiere, falderalderare,
alle eendjes zwemmen in het water
falde ralderalde ralderalde rarara.
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Amsterdam is built on piles
all of that big city.
If it should fell over once
who would pay the bill then?
Amsterdam, die grote stad
die is gebouwd op palen.
Als die stad eens ommeviel
wie zou dat betalen?
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Dutch children's song with music and sheet music.
Commentary: Because of the wet, swampy turf-soil and clay ground, in Amsterdam all buildings are built on piles that go down to the layer of sand (11 meter/35 feet deep). For example, the Royal Palace on Dam square is built on over 13.000 wooden piles.
Oldest source (Dutch Song Database): This children's song was noted around the 1850's-1870's from the oral tradition by Johannes van Vloten (1818-1883) and published in his Nederlandsche baker- en kinderrijmen (1894). The songwriter is unknown and the song can't be dated.
 Lyrics 'Amsterdam die grote stad' on Dutch website: Nederlandse kinderliedjes A.
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Are you mad?
Pick a rose!
Put it on your hat
then you'll feel better next day.
Ben je boos?
Pluk een roos!
Zet hem op je hoed
dan ben je morgen weer goed.
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Dutch children's rhyme.
Oldest source (Dutch Song Database): This children's rhyme was noted around the 1850's-1870's from the oral tradition by Johannes van Vloten (1818-1883) and published in his Nederlandsche baker- en kinderrijmen (1894). The writer is unknown and the rhyme can't be dated.
Tekst: The first line means something like 'Do you have a temper?'.
Lyrics 'Ben je boos' on Dutch website: Nederlandse kinderliedjes B.
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Berend Botje has gone sailing
with his sailboat to Zuidlaren.
A long straight road, a winding road
he was never seen again.
Berend Botje ging uit varen
met zijn scheepje naar Zuidlaren.
De weg was recht, de weg was krom
nooit kwam Berend Botje weerom.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven
where could Berend Botje be now?
He is not here, he is not there
he went to America!
Een, twee, drie, vier, vijf, zes, zeven
waar is Berend Botje gebleven?
Hij is niet hier, hij is niet daar
hij is naar Amerika!
America, America
turn around three times
like hopsasa!
Amerika, Amerika
drie maal in de rondte
van je hopsasa!
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Dutch children's songs with music.
Commentary: Zuidlaren is a village in the province Drenthe (in the north-east of The Netherlands).
It's unknown who Berend Botje has been. Some suggest a fisherman named Botje, who didn't want to become a soldier for Napoleon (around 1811). He went to sea and was never seen again. Another suggestion is Berend Drenth, who had very old ships. When they went down, he collected ensurance money (not he, but the sailors didn't get home again).
The text of the second verse is a variant of a 19th century dancing song and countdown song: 'One, two, three, four, five, six, seven / where did Jan and the maid took off to?'. This dancing song (with a completely different tune) is a polka.
The third verse is a later addition.
Oldest source (Dutch Song Database): The oldest version in print is in a novel (1894). The Drenthe Almanac (1902) did write it down from the oral tradition. The songwriter is unknown and the song can't be dated.
Lyrics 'Berend Botje ging uit varen' on Dutch website: Nederlandse kinderliedjes B or Wiegeliedjes en slaapliedjes.
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Between Paris and Cologne
lies the road to Rome.
If you want to come with us
you must understand our manners.
Tussen Keulen en Parijs
ligt de weg naar Rome.
Al wie met ons mee wil gaan
die moet onze manieren verstaan.
Just like this are our manners
just like this are our manners
just like this are our manners, our manners
just like this are our manners!
Zo zijn onze manieren
zo zijn onze manieren
zo zijn onze manieren, manieren
zo zijn onze manieren!
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Dutch children's song with music and translation.
Lyrics: Jan Pieter Heije (1809-1876).
In: Kinderliederen (1843).
Commentary: Song with movements of the hands.
Melody is the same as: 'In Den Haag daar woont een graaf' ('Our earl from The Hague').
Lyrics 'Tussen Keulen en Parijs' on Dutch website: Nederlandse kinderliedjes T.
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Big clocks chiming sound like:
ding dong, ding dong.
Small clocks chiming sound like:
ding dong, ding dong, ding dong, ding dong.
And the little pocket watch sounds:
ticke-tacke ticke-tacke ticke-tacke tick!
Grote klokken zeggen:
bimbam, bimbam.
Kleine klokken zeggen:
bimbam, bimbam, bimbam, bimbam.
En het kleine polshorloge:
tikketakke tikketakke tikketakke tik!
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Clap your hands together
full of joy
on your little angry head
both your hands.
Put up both your hands now
and put them both aside
boats sail along just like this
boats sail along just like this.
Klap eens in je handjes
blij, blij, blij
op je boze bolletje
allebei.
Handjes in de hoogte
handjes in je zij
zo varen de scheepjes voorbij
zo varen de scheepjes voorbij.
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Dutch children's songs with English translation.
Commentary: Song with motions of the hands. Line 1-2: clap in your hands. Line 3-4: put hands on your head. Line 5: hands in the air. Line 6: hands in the waist. Line 7-8: imitate waves in the water with your fingers.
Text: Line 3: in Dutch not literally 'hoofd' (head), but 'bolletje', something like round/spherical little ball (an affectionated, funny way to say little head). 'Boze' means not really 'angry', but having a littlebit of a temper.
Oldest source (Dutch Song Database): This children's song was noted around 1850 from the oral tradition in the collection Volkseigen (1840-1935). The songwriter is unknown and the song can't be dated.
Lyrics 'Klap eens in je handjes' on Dutch website: Nederlandse kinderliedjes K or Wiegeliedjes en slaapliedjes.
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The churchwarden was frightened
ding ding dong
by the chiming of the church bells
ding ding dong.
De koster is geschrokken
bim bam bom
door 't luiden van de klokken
bim bam bom.
'Cause the church bells in the tower
ding ding dong
are heared at a great distance
ding ding dong.
Want de klokken van de toren
bim bam bom
die kun je heel ver horen
bim bam bom.
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Cold little redbreast did tap, tin tin tin
please let me in, please let me in
it is so cold and so freezing outside
please let me in, tin tin tin.
Roodborstje tikt tegen 't raam, tin, tin, tin
laat mij erin, laat mij erin.
't Is hier te guur en te koud naar mijn zin
laat mij erin, tin, tin, tin.
She opened the window and laid on her lap
small grains of sugar and small crumbs of bread.
Cold little redbreast was happy and pleased
later flew back to the wood.
't Meisje deed open en gaf op haar schoot
kruimeltjes suiker en kruimeltjes brood.
Dat was het roodborstje wel naar de zin
vloog toen het bos weder in.
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Dutch children's song with music and English translation.
Author (translator): Jan Goeverneur (1809-1889).
In: Fabelen en gedichtjes voor kinderen (1837).
Commentary: Free interpretation from German fable for children (1833).
Text: first line is in Dutch literally 'Little redbreast is tapping against the window, tin tin tin'. Line 5: 'she' is literally 'the little girl'.
Lyrics 'Roodborstje tikt tegen 't raam' on Dutch website: Nederlandse kinderliedjes R or Wiegeliedjes en slaapliedjes.
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Search all Dutch children's songs
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Didn't you find the song you were looking for?
Visit our Dutch website 'Kinderliedjes met muziek' with Dutch songtexts:
About 500 Dutch children's songs:
www.kinderliedjes.overtuin.net
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