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Contact and colophon
Website Dutch pop, folk and children's songs
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About us
The website with Dutch songs with English translation, was created by Rozemarijn van Leeuwen (the Netherlands).
Rozemarijn ('rosemary') has a master in Dutch language and literature (Utrecht University). She worked over three years at the Dutch Folk Songs Archive (project Dutch Song Database) at the Meertens Research Institute (KNAW), Amsterdam.
The other creator of In the Overtuin and responsible for the content is Marijke, who is a teacher for the primary school. She got her musical education from the famous musical pedagogue Renske Nieweg (who specialised in historic folk songs).
Contact
For questions about Dutch songs from Holland mail to: berichtje[at]rozemarijnonline.net
or click on: berichtje[at]rozemarijnonline.net
(change [at] in the sign @ by hand!).
And you're very welcome to leave a message in my Guestbook!
Didn't find the song you were looking for ?
Check the Dutch Folk Song Database.
The history of this website
This unique website with translated Dutch children's songs, folk songs and chansons is a part of the Dutch website In de Overtuin.
In 2008 the first 80 Dutch children's songs were translated in English. In 2016-2018 also folk songs and pop songs were translated and more children's songs were added. Also information about meaning, age and origins was added to every song.
The website In de Overtuin includes three other domains (in Dutch):
• Over 500 Dutch children's songs:
www.kinderliedjes.overtuin.net
• Over 230 Dutch traditional folk songs:
www.volksliedjes.overtuin.net
• Over 3000 songtexts Dutch and English popular songs:
songteksten.overtuin.net
Copyright
English translations of the songs were made by R. van Leeuwen. It's a simple line by line, sometimes word by word translation. The rhyme disappeared, but most translations fit (more or less) on the original music and can be sung.
The sheet music was made by R. van Leeuwen (concerning the sheets with a green title and a reference to overtuin.net). Used program: Finale Notepad.
The simple recordings of the melodies (mp3) were made by R. van Leeuwen. Used program: Audiocorder. In 2009 most mp3's were replaced by midi's. Used program: Finale Notepad.
Please don't publish (digital or in print) without permission.
© translation R. van Leeuwen (2007, 2016-18)
© sheet music R. van Leeuwen (2009, 2015-16)
© music recordings R. van Leeuwen (2009, 2015)
See the page: Copyright.
Play music
Depending the browser and the operating system of your computer, you can choose to click on 'Play music' or on 'or click here'.
You also can click 'Play music' while holding CommandKey (AppleKey).
Selection
The original Dutch website contains over 500 well-known traditional children's songs, nursery rhymes and lullabies. This is the complete collection I learned in my childhood, 1970's and 1980's, at home and at school. The songs I didn't know as a child and recent songs can not be found on my website.
The most famous and popular traditional children's songs are translated in English. All these children's songs are still known and sung frequently today in the Netherlands.
The folk songs are all the traditional songs from the oral tradition that Marijke and me combined knew and/or could sing. Marijke learned many songs during her musical education and I learned some medieval songs during my study and some more songs during my time at the Song Database (besides the songs I learned from my mother and grandmother).
In my professional life I did research on children's songs and folk songs for 3 1/2 years. The Dutch Song Database gives 19160 hits if you search on the word 'kinderlied' (children's song). So many more songs, versions and variants exists. This database however only gives the first lines of a song and seldom gives complete lyrics and music.
All texts and melodies on my websites are checked, compared to songtexts in print, on the official copyright website, and in the Dutch Song Database and are as accurate as possible - but of course variants, sometime several, do exist in traditional songs and folk songs.
'In the Overtuin'
The name of this website, the 'overtuin', means 'garden on the other side of the road' or 'across the road'. In old days, country houses sometimes were situated along the road (on the front-side) and had a big front garden on the other side of the road.
This was also the case in a small village in the district the Achterhoek (the far east of the Netherlands, in the province Gelderland). Afterwards, houses were built in the site of the garden. The name of that street still is the 'Overtuin'.
Because we did sing all the children's songs, folk songs and popular songs while living in that street, we called our website 'In the Overtuin'.
Digital heritage
This website with Dutch songs was declared 'Digital heritage' by the Royal Library in The Hague.
The Royal Library archivates Dutch quality websites that online display Dutch culture, history and society (more about Webarchivering).
The website 'In the Overtuin' was awarded the honourable denomination 'Digital heritage' in 2021!
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Numbers of visitors on Dutch Songs
The subdomain 'Dutch Songs' of the website 'In de Overtuin' went online in the summer of 2016.
Previous the subdomain was called 'Children's Songs' and contained only a small number of lyrics (2008-2016).
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Year
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Average number of visitors
(unique visitors)
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Busiest month
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2009
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483 per month
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oct. - 605 unique visitors
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2010
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581 per month
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oct. - 645 unique visitors
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2011
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681 per month
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oct. - 875 unique visitors
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2012
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973 per month
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nov. - 1.265 unique visitors
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2013
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842 per month
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jan. - 1.155 unique visitors
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2014
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1.329 per month
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oct. - 1.677 unique visitors
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2015
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1.075 per month
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jan. - 1.357 unique visitors
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2016
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unknown
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nov. - 1.925 unique visitors
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2017
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2.075 per month
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dec. - 2.840 unique visitors
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2018
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2.970 per month
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sep. - 4.320 unique visitors
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2019
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4.650 per month
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nov. - 6.405 unique visitors
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2020
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3.842 per month
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dec. - 5.395 unique visitors
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2021
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4.817 per month
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sep. - 5.860 unique visitors
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2022
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unknown
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server crashed in oct.
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2023
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unknown
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website moved in spring
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2024
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unknown
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no free statistics on new server
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Link
Like to put a link to this site on your website, in your social media or in your newsletter?
URL: https://www.dutchsongs.overtuin.net
Content: Dutch songs with music and English translations.
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∗ ∗ ∗
 Didn't you find the song you were looking for?
Visit our Dutch websites with Dutch songtexts:
Over 3000 Dutch and English songtexts
of well-known songs in The Netherlands:
www.songteksten.overtuin.net
∗ ∗ ∗
Or search all translated songs alphabetically:
Search all Dutch songs
∗ ∗ ∗
© copyright
translations, sheet music and music
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