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Dutch children's songs with music and translation
Over 140 well-known children's songs translated in English
With music !
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Ding dong chiming the sacristan does not like eggs
Do you know the mussels man
Do you see the chestnuts in the trees there
Drum the friction drum, drum the friction drum
Duimelot is fallen into the water
Elsje Fiederelsje put your clogs by the fire
Fall, fall, what have you for sale
Farmer, tell me, how are my chicken
The floor broom, the floor broom
Full moon, full moon
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Bim bam beieren
Zeg ken jij de mosselman
Zie je de kastanjes aan de bomen
Foekepotterij, foekepotterij
Duimelot is in het water gevallen
Elsje Fiederelsje zet je klompjes bij 't vuur
Herfst, herfst, wat heb je te koop
Boer wat zeg je van mijn kippen
De bezem, de bezem
Maantje, maantje
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Granddad Sideburns has a cottage
Hannes wears two clogs
Hansje Pansje Little-bug
Head, shoulders, knee and toe
Heaven and earth
Helicopter, helicopter
Hiccup-sprou
Hop Marjanneke
Hop, shoo, go horse
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Opa Bakkebaard heeft een huisje
Hannes loopt op klompen
Hansje Pansje Kevertje
Hoofd, schouders, knie en teen
Hemel en aarde
Helikopter, helikopter
Hik, sprik, sprauw
Hop Marjanneke
Hortsik, paardje
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Arrival Saint Nicholas
Who'se every year arriving
He will arrive
Sinterklaas, good holy man
See, far in the distant the steamboat from Spain
The steamboat has at last arrived here
Boys and girls have you been told yet
Put the shoe
Sinterklaas his birthday, so I will put my shoe
Sinterklaas, small capon
Sinterklaasje, bonne, bonne, bonne
Sinterklaas, that good dear lord
Softly walk along the horse steps
On the very steep, high roof tops
Oh, come take a look here
Saint Nicholas time
Five december, five december
Mum, when Sinterklaas arrives
The bag of Sinterklaas
Sinterklaas, mum says
Saint Nicholas evening
Hear the wind blows through the trees
Rumble-the-bumble, clattering noises
See, the moon shines throught the bare trees
Hear the knocking on the door
Hop, hop, hop, we're sitting all straight up
Be welcome today, here amongst us
Sinterklaasje and your servant, please come in
Pleasant evening Sinterklaasje
Recent Saint Nicholas songs
One day Black Piet went biking
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Aankomst Sint Nicolaas
Wie komt er alle jaren
Hij komt, hij komt
Sinterklaas, goed heiligman
Zie, ginds komt de stoomboot uit Spanje weer aan
Daar is een stoomboot aangekomen
Jongens, heb je 't al vernomen
Schoen zetten
Sinterklaas is jarig, 'k zet mijn schoen vast klaar
Sinterklaas kapoentje
Sinterklaasje, bonne, bonne, bonne
Sinterklaas, die goede heer
Zachtjes gaan de paardevoetjes
Op de hoge, hoge daken
O, kom er eens kijken
Sinterklaastijd
Vijf december, vijf december
Moek' als Sinterklaasje komt
De zak van Sinterklaas
Sinterklaas, zegt moe
Sinterklaasavond
Hoor de wind waait door de bomen
Rommeldebommel, wat een gestommel
Zie, de maan schijnt door de bomen
Daar wordt aan de deur geklopt
Hop, hop, hop, we zitten nu rechtop
Wees welkom vandaag in ons midden
Sinterklaasje, kom maar binnen met je knecht
Goedenavond Sinterklaasje
Recente sinterklaasliedjes
Zwarte Piet ging uit fietsen
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Four famous children's songs.
About Dutch children's songs
The children's songs on this website were mainly noted as folk songs from the oral tradition in the 19th century, or were written in the 19th-20th century.
The oldest Dutch song we know for sure was sung by children, was written down in the 15th century (around 1480). The handwritten codex noted: "And the little children of Flanders sung a small song". From the 16th century, only religious children's songs were written down or printed, mainly in religious songbooks. An example is "An evening song for the children in the schools" (1565).
From the 17th century we know lullabies, for example: "My dear little doll now is swaddled" (1625) and "Suja suja su, my lovely little sheep" (1655).
In the 18th century, the songs for children changed, under the influence of the Enlightenment (children can be raised to be virtuous and civilized citizens, also with the help of narrative stories or song texts). Famous is Hieronymus van Alphen (a widower with 3 young sons), who wrote 3 children's poetry books with 66 poems - 2 years later partly set to music. Still well-known are "Little Jan saw plums hanging / oh, they were as big as eggs"; "Recently we were sitting with Saartje / our good old nurse"; and "Our playing is learning / our learning is playing".
In the 19th century, more religious and moral children's song books were published. New were the (sundayschool) school songbooks (because of changes in primary education). In the middle of this century, Jan Pieter Heije published 3 children's songbooks with 150 children's songs and hundreds of songs in the style of folk songs. He worked together with contemporary composers and his songs became very popular (some are still known and sung today). Examples of children's songs: "Seven little frogs were sitting / in a farmer's ditch"; and "See, the moon is shining through the trees / comrades, put on hold your wild rampage". Examples of folk songs: "Did you hear about the treasure fleet / the silver fleet from Spain?"; "In this green valley, peaceful, quiet, / so full with little flowers"; and "Small tiny bird on your green branch / how cheerful is your song".
In the second half of the 19th century, another songwriter was renewing: Jan Goeverneur. He was known for his simple language use, casual tone, sound-imitations, humor and the absence of well-behaving. He wrote among others: "In a green, green, green, green tuber-tuber land"; "A cold little redbreast did tap, tin tin tin / please let me in"; and "When our pug was a little pug / it was plaesant how he looked".
In that second half, under influence of the Romanticism, researchers started to write down songs sung by the common people. This included children's songs from the oral tradition. J. van Vloten for example collected more than 800 songs from the nurseries (children's rooms). Among these: "Amsterdam, that big city / has been built on piles"; "Today I saw a stand of dolls"; "Our earl from The Hague"; "Clap your hands together"; and "Sleep, little child, sleep". These songs, or predecessors of these songs, can be older than the 19th century.
In the 20th century the song books "Can you still sing, then sing along" and -identical title- "For young children" were published. They became very popular and were printed throughout the whole century. In these books the teachers J. Veldkamp and K. de Boer collected late 19th and early 20th century songs, by contemporary song writers and composers. Well-known songs, among many others, are "Daantje had to go to school"; "Three little toddlers were sitting on a fence"; "Hannes walks on clogs"; and "Two girls sheltered from the rain / under mum's umbrella".
Later in the 20th century, a radio program for children became very popular, 'Toddler, listen' (1946-1975). Song writer Herman Broekhuizen wrote many children's songs for this program, and many became so popular, that people often think they are old, traditional songs. For example: "Elsje Fiederelsje, put you clogs by the fire"; "Under trees so big and giant / in the forest of the gnomes"; "A train went on a journey"; "Helicopter, helicopter / can you bring me in the sky"; and "Do you see the chestnuts in the trees".
Most of the mentioned songs can be found on this website. Have fun with these old, traditional and well-known Dutch children's songs!
By Rozemarijn van Leeuwen
(I earlier wrote this, in more detail, on the Dutch Wikipedia, 'Kinderlied', with references and sources)
Songbook for children, Zingende kinderwereld (1907),
illustration by C. Jetses.
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From Drie kleine kleutertjes
(Three little toddlers)
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up to Een veldmuis vond in het beukenbos
(The mouse who built a little bike)
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From Roodborstje tikt tegen het raam
(The cold little redbreast)
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up to Onder hele hoge bomen in het groot kabouterbos
(Beneath the high high trees in the wood of fairy tales)
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From Opa Bakkebaard
(Granddad Sideburns's cosy house)
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up to Elsje Fiederelsje zet je klompjes bij 't vuur
(Elsje with her wooden shoes)
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Children making music (Holly Hobbie),
illustration by Denise Holly Hobbie-Ulinskas.
Search all Dutch children's songs
alphabetically
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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
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Children making music and singing,
illustration by Tineke Vlaming.
  
herzlich willkommen ~ bienvenue ~ bienvenido
niederländische Kinderlieder, Kinderreimen aus den Niederlanden, die Niederlande, Holland, mit Musik, mit Übersetzung in Englisch ~ ~ chansons pour enfants, chansons enfants pays bas, canciones néerlandais, Hollande, comptine avec de la musique, avec traduction en anglais ~ ~ canciones infantil de Países Bajos, Holanda, canciones holandès con música, con la traducción en Inglés
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Dutch songs with music and English translation
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