GCompris incorporates children's melodies from around the world. Below is a list of melodies already included in the activity. My goal is to package the activity with at least 25 melodies, and I need your help to find these melodies! If you know a melody to contribute, simply add the necessary information to this page. Fill out as much as you can. Providing a link to the sheet music is very helpful. This website contains lots of sheet music of children's songs. Contact Beth Hadley at bethmhadley@gmail.com for more information. Thanks!
indicates that this melody has been added to GCompris 
indicates that this melody has not yet been added (perhaps not enough information is provided?)
Country of Origin |
Name of Melody |
Description |
Lyrics (in native language) |
Lyrics (translation to English or other languages if possible) |
sheet music, URL, Tiny Notation, etc. |
Contributed By |
United States |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star |
English Lullaby |
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are; Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are. |
N/A |
||
|
Yankee Doodle |
Patriotic, America |
Yankee Doodle went to town, Riding on a pony; He stuck a feather in his hat, And called it macaroni |
N/A |
||
|
Simple Gifts |
Shaker Tune, America |
Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free, 'tis the gift to come down where we ought to be |
N/A |
||
|
Old Macdonald Had a Farm |
Nursery rhyme, America |
Old Macdonald had a farm, EE-I-EE-I-O, And on that farm he had a [animal name], EE-I-EE-I-O |
N/A |
||
Mexico |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A Balancing Elephant |
Mexico |
Un elefante se columpiaba sobre la tela de una araña. Como veia que resistía fue a llamar a otro elefante |
An elephant was swinging on a spiderweb; he saw that it held just fine, so he went to invite another elephant. |
sent in email |
|
|
A la rueda de San Miguel |
Mexico |
A la rueda, a la rueda de San Miguel / Todos traen su caja de miel. / A lo maduro, a lo maduro / Que se voltee (nombre del niño) de burro. |
(Round around St. Miguel's round, everybody carries their honey box) |
sent in email |
|
|
Arroz con leche |
Children's song |
Arroz con leche / me quiero casar / con una mexicana / de la capital. |
Rice pudding / I want to marry / a Mexican girl / from the capital. |
G8 | c4 e c c8 G8 | c4 c8 e d4. G8 | d8 d d e f4 d8 c | B4 A8 B c2 |
|
|
Los pollitos dicen |
Children's song |
Los pollitos dicen / pío pío pío / cuando tienen hambre / cuando tienen frío |
Chicks say / tweet tweet tweet / when they are hungry / when they are cold |
c8 d e f g4 g | a8 b c' a g4 g | f8 g a f e4 g | d8 f e d c4 c |
|
|
Dale dale dale |
Song to break a piñata |
Dale dale dale / no pierdas el tino / porque si lo pierdes / pierdes el camino |
Hit it, hit it, hit it / don't lose your aim / because if you lose it / you lose your way |
g8 g g e a4 a | b8 b b g c'4 c | g8 g g e a4 a | b8 b b g c'4 c |
|
|
Doña Blanca |
Play song |
Doña Blanca está cubierta / de pilares de oro y plata / romperemos un pilar / para ver a Doña Blanca |
Ms. White is covered / by pillars of gold and silver / we'll break a pillar / to see Ms. White |
e8 f | g4 c' e8 f | g4 c' e8 f | g4 c' b8 c' | d'4 a r4 | f'8 e' d' c' b a | g4 g8 g a8 g | a8 b d'4 c |
|
Spain |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Que llueva, que llueva |
Spanish Kid's Song |
Que llueva, que llueva. La Virgen de la Cueva. Los pajaritos cantan, Las nubes se levantan. ¡Que sí, que no, que caiga un chaparrón! Que siga lloviendo, Los pájaros corriendo. Florezca la pradera. Al sol de la primavera. ¡Que sí, que no, que llueva a chaparrón, que no me moje yo! |
Let it rain, let it rain, The Virgin of the Cave, The little birds are singing, The clouds are rising. Oh yes, oh no, Let a downpour fall! Let it go on raining, The birds go on running, Let the meadow blossom. Under the spring sun. Oh yes, oh no, Let it rain cats and dogs, Let me not get wet! |
||
|
El patio de mi casa |
Spanish Kid's Song |
El patio de mi casa Es particular: Cuando llueve se moja Como los demás. Agáchate Y vuélvete a agachar Que los agachaditos Saben bien jugar. Hache, i, jota, ka Ele, elle, eme, a, Que si tú no me quieres Otra niña me querrá. Chocolate amarillo Corre, corre, que te pillo Estirad, estirad que el demoño ha de pasar. |
The courtyard of my house Is special: When it rains, it gets wet As the others do. Duck down, And duck down again The little ducked-down ones Know well how to play. H, I, J, K, L, LL, M, A, If you don't love me Another girl will. Yellow chocolate, Run, run or I'll catch you, Stretch, stretch For the devil must pass by. |
||
|
Tengo una muñeca |
Spanish Kid's Song |
Tengo una muñeca vestida de azul Con su camisita y su canesú La saqué a paseo, se me constipó La tengo en la cama con mucho dolor Y esta mañanita me dijo el doctor Que le dé el jarabe con un tenedor Dos y dos son cuatro Cuatro y dos son seis Seis y dos son ocho Y ocho diez y seis Y ocho veinte y cuatro Y ocho treinta y dos Ánimas benditas me arrodillo yo. |
I have a doll dressed in blue With her little shirt and her lace shawl I took her for a stroll, she caught a cold I have her in bed with much pain This very morning, the doctor told me To give her some syrup with a fork Two and two are four Four and two are six Six and two are eight And eight are sixteen And eight are twenty four And eight are thirty two Blessed souls, I kneel down. |
||
Italy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
? |
Italian Melody |
Piove, piove. La gatta non si muove. La fiamma traballa. La mucca è nella stalla. La mucca ha il vitello. La pecora ha l’agnello. [La chioccia ha il pulcino.] Ognuno ha il suo bambino. Ognuno ha la sua mamma. E tutti fanno nanna! |
It rains, it rains. The (she-) cat doesn't move. The flame flickers. The cow is in the stable. The cow has the calf. The sheep has the lamb. [The hen has the chick.] Everyone has its baby. Everyone has its mommy. And everybody is sleeping! |
? |
|
Germany |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Macht hoch die Tür |
German Christmas Song |
Macht hoch die Tür, die Tor macht weit; es kommt der Herr der Herrlichkeit, ein König aller Königreich, ein Heiland aller Welt zugleich, der Heil und Leben mit sich bringt; derhalben jauchzt, mit Freuden singt: Gelobet sei mein Gott, mein Schöpfer reich von Rat. |
Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates; behold the King of glory waits! The King of kings is drawing near; the Saviour of the world is here. (It's the offical first verse by Catherine Winkworth (1855)) A correct translation would be: Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates; behold the King of glory waits! A King of kings, a Saviour of all world, who brings salvation and life, rejoice and sing with joy: Glory be to god, my creator full of widsom. |
Peter Albrecht |
|
|
Backe, backe Kuchen |
German Kid's Song |
Backe, backe, Kuchen / Der Bäcker hat gerufen! / Wer will guten Kuchen backen / Der muß haben sieben Sachen:/ Eier und Schmalz / Butter und Salz / Milch und Mehl/Safran macht den Kuchen gehl!/ Schieb, schieb in´n Ofen ´nein. |
Bake, bake a cake / The baker has called! / He who wants to bake good cakes / Must have seven things: / Eggs and lard,/ Butter and salt,/ Milk and flour,/ Saffron makes the cake yel(low)! / Shove it into the oven. |
||
|
Fuchs du hast die Gans gestohlen |
German |
Fuchs, du hast die Gans gestohlen, gib sie wieder her, gib sie wieder her! Sonst wird dich der Jäger holen, mit dem Schießgewehr! Sonst wird dich der Jäger holen, mit dem Schießgewehr! |
Fox, you have stolen the goose, give it back, give it back! Otherwise the hunter will get you with the rifle, with the rifle! |
||
|
Alle Meine Entchen |
Ernst Anschütz |
Alle meine Entchen / schwimmen auf dem See, / schwimmen auf dem See, / Köpfchen in das Wasser, / Schwänzchen in die Höh'. |
All my ducks / are swimming on the lake, / swimming on the lake, / Head in the water, / Tail up high |
||
Brazil |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Se essa rua fosse minha |
Children's Song from Brazilian Folklore |
Se essa rua / Se essa rua fosse minha / Eu mandava / Eu mandava ladrilhar / Com pedrinhas / Com pedrinhas de brilhante / Só pra ver / Só pra ver meu bem passar / / Nessa rua / Nessa rua tem um bosque / Que se chama / Que se chama solidão / Dentro dele / Dentro dele mora um anjo / Que roubou / Que roubou meu coração / / Se eu roubei / Se eu roubei teu coração / Tu roubaste / Tu roubaste o meu também / Se eu roubei / Se eu roubei teu coração / Foi porque / Só porque te quero bem |
Were mine this road / I ’d have it incrusted / With gems of diamond / So my love could pass / / In this road there’s a bush / Whose name is solitude / Wherein dwells an angel / Who has stolen my heart / / As I have stolen your heart / So you have stolen mine / If I have stolen your heart / It was because I love you |
||
|
O Cravo e a Rosa |
Children's Song from Brazilian Folklore |
O Cravo brigou com a Rosa / Debaixo de uma sacada / O Cravo ficou ferido / E a Rosa despedaçada / O Cravo ficou doente / A Rosa foi visitar / O Cravo teve um desmaio / A Rosa pôs-se a chorar |
The Carnation had an argument with the Rose / Under a balcony / The Carnation got injured / And the Rose shattered / The Carnation got sick / The Rose went visiting him / The Carnation fainted / And the Rose started to cry. |
||
|
Marcha Soldado |
Children's Song from Brazilian Folklore |
Marcha soldado / Cabeça de papel / Se não marchar direito / Vai preso pro quartel / O quartel pegou fogo / A polícia deu sinal / Acode acode acode / A bandeira nacional |
Marching Soldier / Head of Paper / If you don't march right / To the barracks you'll go / The barracks caught fire / The police called / Help Help Help / The nationa flag |
||
France |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Un éléphant qui se balançait |
France |
Un (1) éléphant qui se balançait Sur une toile toile toile toile d'araignée Il trouvait ce jeu tellement amusant Qu'il allat chercher un 2ème éléphant. Deux (2) éléphants qui se balançaient Sur une toile toile toile toile d'araignée Il trouvaient ce jeu tellement amusant Qu'ils allairent chercher un 3ème éléphant. |
see Mexican translation of same song |
Julien Tous |
|
|
À la claire fontaine |
France |
A la claire fontaine m'en allant promener j'ai trouvé l'eau si belle que je m'y suis baigné. Il y a longtemps que je t'aime, jamais je ne t'oublierai. |
- |
||
|
Frère jacques |
France |
Frère Jacques (bis) Dormez-vous ? (bis) Sonnez les matines ! (bis) Din’, ding’, dong’ ! (bis) |
- |
||
|
Au clair de la lune |
France |
Au clair de la lune, Mon ami Pierrot, Prête-moi ta plume Pour écrire un mot. Ma chandelle est morte, Je n'ai plus de feu, Ouvre-moi ta porte, Pour l'amour de Dieu. |
- |
||
Unknown |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dorothy - By Seymour Smith |
? |
None (piano music) |
N/a |
James Shubin - james@shubin.ca |
|
Hungary |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Boci, boci tarka |
Hungary, Nursery Rhyme |
Boci, boci tarka, / Se füle, se farka, / Oda megyünk lakni, / Ahol tejet kapni. |
Spotted, spotted, cow, cow, / Has no ears and no tail / Where are we gonna live, / Where you can get some milk. |
||
|
Nyuszi ül a fűben |
Hungary, Nursery Rhyme |
Nyuszi ül a fűben, / ülve szundikálva. / Nyuszi talán beteg vagy, / hogy már nem is ugorhatsz? / Nyuszi hopp! Nyuszi hopp! / Máris egyet elkapott. |
The rabbit is sitting in the grass, / Dozing, sitting. / Rabbit, are you perhaps ill, / That you can't even jump? / Rabbit oops! Rabbit oops! / It has already caught one. |
||
|
Lánc, lánc, eszterlánc |
Hungary, Children's Song |
Lánc, lánc, eszterlánc, / eszterlánci cérna, / cérna volna, selyem volna, / mégis kifordulna. / Pénz volna karika, karika, / forduljon ki Marika, / Marikának lánca. |
Chain, chain, turning chain, / Thread of the turning chain, / Would it be a thread, would it be silk, / Yet it would turn outwards. / The coin would be a ring, a ring, / Mary should turn outwards, / Mary's chain. |
||
|
Tavaszi szél vizet áraszt |
Hungary, Children's Song |
Tavaszi szél vizet áraszt, virágom, virágom. / Minden madár társat választ virágom, virágom. / Hát én immár kit válasszak? Virágom, virágom. / Te engemet, én tégedet, virágom, virágom. |
The spring wind blows the waters, my flower, / Every bird searches for a partner, my flower, / And I, whom should I choose, my flower, / I choose you, and you choose me, my flower. |
||
Serbia |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Zec kopa repu |
Serbia |
Zec kopa repu, a lisica cveklu / Vuk im se prikrade, zeca da ukrade / Zec spazi repu, a lisica cveklu / Vuka nije bilo, u snu im se snilo |
Rabbit's digging up a turnip, fox's digging up a beetroot / Wolf is sneaking, wants to catch rabbit / Rabbit finds the turnip, fox finds the beetroot / There was no wolf, it was just their dream |
Aleksandar Micovic |
|
United Kingdom |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Baa, Baa, Black Sheep |
Britain |
Baa, baa, black sheep, / Have you any wool? / Yes, sir, yes, sir, / Three bags full; / One for the master, / And one for the dame, / And one for the little boy / Who lives down the lane |
N/A |
James Belchamber |
|
|
The Grand Old Duke of York |
Britain |
Oh, The grand old Duke of York, / He had ten thousand men; / He marched them up to the top of the hill, / And he marched them down again. / And when they were up, they were up, / And when they were down, they were down, / And when they were only half-way up, / They were neither up nor down. |
N/A |
James Belchamber |
|
|
Humpty Dumpty |
Britain |
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, / Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. / All the king's horses and all the king's men / Couldn't put Humpty together again |
N/A |
James Belchamber |
|
|
Jack and Jill |
Britain |
Jack and Jill went up the hill / To fetch a pail of water. / Jack fell down and broke his crown, / And Jill came tumbling after |
N/A |
James Belchamber |
|
Poland |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wlazł kotek na płotek |
Poland |
Wlazł kotek na płotek i mruga, / Ładna to piosenka nie długa. / Nie długa, nie krótka, lecz w sam raz, / Zaśpiewaj koteczku jeszcze raz. |
A kitten sits on the fence and it blinks./ It’s a pretty song, and it’s not long. / Not long, not short, but just right. / Come on, little kitten, sing again. |
Rafał Kordowski |
|
Greece |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Φεγγαράκι μου λαμπρό |
Greece |
Φεγγαράκι μου λαμπρό, / Φέγγε μου να περπατώ, / Να πηγαίνω στο σχολειό / Να μαθαίνω γράμματα, / Γράμματα σπουδάματα / Του Θεού τα πράματα. |
My little shining moon, / Light my way so I can walk / To go to school, / To learn my lessons, / Reading and writing, / God's wishes. |
Tom Tryfonidis |
|
|
Η γιαγιά |
Greece |
Η γιαγιά μας η καλή, / Έχει κότες στην αυλή, / Κότες και κοτόπουλα, / Χήνες και χηνόπουλα/ / Και τον πρώτο πετεινό, / Μέσα σ'όλο το χωριό, / Που λαλεί καθέ πρωί, / Στης γιαγιάς μας την αυλή. / Η γιαγιά μας η καλή, / Έχει ραπτομήχανη, / Και γαζώνει και μπαλώνει, / Του παππού το πάντελόνι. |
Our kind grandmother / Has chickens in her yard, / Chickens and chicks, / Geese & goslings. / And the first rooster / In the entire village, / That crows every morning / In our grandmother's yard. / Our kind grandmother / Has a sewing machine / And sews and patches / Our grandfather's pants. |
Tom Tryfonidis |
|
|
Βρέχει, χιονίζει |
Greece |
Βρέχει, χιονίζει, / Τα μάρμαρα ποτίζει, / Κι' ο γέρος πα στα ξύλα / Κ' η γριά του μαγειρεύει / Κουρκούτι με το μέλι. / "'Ελα γέρο μου να φας / Πού να φας την / κουτσουλιά, / Και του σκύλλου την οριά." |
It's raining, it's snowing, / It soaks the rocks*, / And the old man goes for wood, / And his old wife cooks / Pap** with honey. / "Come on, old man, to eat; / Oh that you might eat dung / And the dog's tail!" |
Tom Tryfonidis |
|
Ukraine |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Котику сіренький |
Ukraine |
Котику сіренький, / Котику біленький, / Котку волохатий, / Не ходи по хаті! / Не ходи по хаті, / Не буди дитяти! / Дитя буде спати, / Котик воркотати. / Ой на кота воркота, / На дитину дрімота. / А-а, люлі! |
Kitty gray, / Kitty white, / Kitty shaggy / Do not go in the house! / Do not go in the house, / Do not wake the child! / A baby will sleep / Kitty will rumble. / Oh the rumble to the cat, / The nap to the child. / A-ah liuli... |
Yuri Chornoivan |
|
Finland |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kolme varista |
Finnish nursery rhyme |
Kolme varista istui aidalla. Silivati seilaa, silivati seilaa, yksi lensi pois. Kaksi varista istui aidalla. Silivati seilaa, silivati seilaa, yksi lensi pois. Yksi varis vain istui aidalla. Silivati seilaa, silivati seilaa, sekin lensi pois. |
Three crows sat on a fence. Silivati seilaa, silivati seilaa, one of them flew away. Two crows sat on a fence. Silivati seilaa, silivati seilaa, one of them flew away. One crow alone sat on a fence. Silivati seilaa, silivati seilaa, that one, too, flew away. |
Janne Uusitalo |
Your Country Here! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Your Favorite Children's Melody |
origin |
lyrics |
lyrics translation |
link |
Your name here |