Partners through Song
TEXTS
Children's Literature & Classical Song
FANTASY
Hungry Caterpillar Jane Hawks
Hungry caterpillar would you like a leaf to eat?
Ramble down this tree branch so that you and I can meet.
Chomping, eating, fuzzy friend, you’re always on the go.
Hungry caterpillar you’re so nice to know!
Le Chapelier (The Mad-Hatter) Eric Satie
Astonished, the hat maker
Constantly notes that his watch is slowing,
Three days slow
Although he has taken great care to grease it
with butter that’s fine, of the best quality.
And he has allowed the crumbs to fall in his watch
Clogging the cogwheels,
Thoroughly plunging his watch in the tea
Despite all this, his watch will not go any faster.
Original French by René Chalupt
Mausfallensprüchlein Hugo Wolf
Tiny guests and tiny house
Mistress Mouse or Mister Mouse
Won’t you boldly come tonight?
On this clear, bright moonlit night
Moonlit night, moonlit night?
Shut tightly the door behind you, dear mouse.
Do you…hear me?
Lest your tail get a nipping!
Do you hear me? A nipping!
We’ll dine and sing all night
On tables spring so light
And we will go dancing, dancing
Witt, witt! Witt, witt!
My old cat will probably dance along with us
Do you….hear me? Hear me?
SCIENCE
Jupiter has 7 moons (from I hate music) Leonard Bernstein
Jupiter has seven moons or is it nine?
Saturn has a million, billion, trillion sixty-nine;
And every one is a little sun, with six little moons of its own!
But we have only one!
Just think of all the fun we’d have if there nine!
Then we could be just nine times more romantic!
Dogs would bay ‘til they were frantic!
We’d have nine tides in the Atlantic!
The man in the moon would be gigantic!
But we have only one!
Only one! -Leonard Bernstein
Leather-winged Bat Jake Heggie
“Hi,” said the little ol’ leather-winged bat,
“I will tell you the reason that,
The reason that I fly in the night:
I’ve lost my heart’s delight.”
Chorus:
Hi-o day-o diddle-o down
Hi-o day-o diddle-o day
Hi-o day-o diddle-o down
Diddle diddle dum da day-o.
“Hi,” said the woodpecker sittin’ on a fence,
“Once I courted a handsome wench,
She got sassy and from me fled,
And ever since then my head’s been red.”
Chorus
“Hi,” said the bluebird as he flew,
“Once I courted a young gal, too.
She got sassy and wanted to go,
So I tied a new string to my bow.”
Chorus
“Hi,” said the Robin as he flew,
“When I was a young man I’d court two.
If one didn’t love me the other one would.
Now don’t you think my notion’s good?
Chorus
Rain Carlisle Floyd
The rain is raining all around,
It falls on field and tree,
It rains on the umbrellas here
And on the ships at sea. -Robert Lewis Stevenson
ADVENTURE
The Jabberwocky (from 5 Poems of Lewis Carroll) John Duke
‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, The claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjubbird, and shun
The frumious bandersnatch!”
He took his vorpal blade in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought.
So rested he by the Tumtum tree.
And stood awhile in thought.
And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgy wood,
And burbled as it came!
One two! One, two!
And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead,
And with its head
He went galumphing back.
“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day!
Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.
‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
Zigeunerliedchen #1  (Small Gypsy Songs) Robert Schumann
#1
Marching along with soldiers was a gypsy boy a going.
He ran off with all their money, Tomorrow they will hang him.
Taking me away from prison, (They) sit me down upon a mule,
Flogging me upon my shoulders until my blood falls on the path.
Hauling me away from prison, pushing me out in the world,
Swiftly, I reach for my rifle, firing on them, my first shot.
#2
Every morning, bright and early, I awaken in this place,
Pouring water on my eyes, then I wash my tired, cold face.
Where the mountains tower above me, on the edge of heaven’s might,
From the house there, that lovely garden, they carried me away at night.
Every morning, when it’s early, I awaken in this place,
Pouring water on my eyes, then I wash my tired, cold face.
(Original German by E. Geibel)
Una Palomita blanca Joquin Rodrigo Vidre
Translation summary:
A small dove, white as snow comes to the river to drink and bathe
Little dove, if you go to the mountain, beware.
If I fire a shot and kill you, there will be pain.
White dove, like the snow.
ANIMALS & INSECTS
Die Forelle Franz Schubert
The stream was swiftly flowing,
Its waters clear and bright;
A trout alert and cunning,
Shot by like a flash of light.
I stood on shore at leisure
Just wasting time away
And watch with quiet pleasure
The graceful fish at play.
A fisherman stood ready
Upon the shore he stood.
He saw the clever trout
Swim as fast as it could.
In vain, I thought, he’s waiting
The trout has nothing to fear.
He’ll never catch the trout
While the water’s crystal clear.
He’ll never catch the trout
While the water’s crystal clear.
But then the cunning thief could wait no more
He stirred up mud to cloud the water
And sooner than I thought,
The fishing pole was reeling.
The poor helpless fish just pulled and fought.
And I could not help feeling the trout was falsely caught. -Original German by Schubart
The Cage Charles Ives
A leopard went around his cage from one side back to the other side;
He stopped only when the keeper came around with meat;
A boy who had been there three hours began to wonder,
“Is life anything like that?”
Moth Miller George Lynn
The timid moth that flutters around our light at night
Has silver dust upon his wings and tiny flecks of white,
And if I look more closely there’s flour upon his clothes…
But that is just because he is a MILLER, I suppose.
Hoppity Toads George Lynn
I always feel sorry for hoppity toads,
Whose jackets are dusty and brownish as roads,
I always think maybe they sigh over much
Because they look warty and floppy and such.
But maybe I’m foolish, for maybe they’d smile
And chuckle, “Why dearie, we’re only in style.”
For maybe being warty and dusty as roads
is perfectly proper for hoppity toads.
For floppity, ploppity, hoppity toads. -words by Aileen Fischer
Bee, I’m expecting you! John Duke
Bee, I’m expecting you!
Was saying yesterday
To somebody you know
That you were due.
The frogs got home last week
Are settled, and at work.
Birds, mostly back
The clover warm and thick.
You’ll get my letter by the seventeenth;
Reply or better, be with me
Yours,…Fly. (Emily Dickinson)
LULLABIES
The Little Horses Aaron Copland
Hush you bye, Don’t you cry,
Go to sleepy little baby.
When you wake, You shall have,
All the pretty little horses.
Black and bays, Dapples and grays,
Coach and six-a little horses.
Hush you bye, Don’t you cry,
Go to sleepy little baby.
When you wake, You;ll have sweet cake, and
All the pretty little horses.
A brown and a gray and a black and a bay and a
Coach and six-a little horses.
Hush you bye, Don’t you cry,
Oh, you pretty little baby,
Go to sleepy little baby.
Oh, you pretty little baby.
Hush little baby Traditional Nursery Song
Hush, little baby, don't say a word
Mama's gonna buy you a mockin'bird
If that mockin'bird don't sing
Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring
If that diamond ring turns brass,
Mama's gonna buy you a looking glass
If that looking glass gets broke
Mama's gonna buy you a billy goat
If that billy goat don't pull,
Mama's gonna buy you a cart and mule
If that cart and mule turn over
Mama's gonna buy you a dog named Rover
If that dog named Rover won't bark
Mama's gonna buy you a horse and cart
If that Horse and Cart fall down,
Then you'll be the sweetest little baby in town
The Star Amy Beach
A wee little star lived up in the sky,
Up , ever so high, up ever so high;
And the way it kept blinking,
You couldn’t help thinking
Up there in the sky, it wanted to cry;
Up ever so high, up ever so high.
But this same little star who lived in the sky,
Up ever so high, up ever so high,
Was just playing “bo-peep” with boy half asleep,
Who thought he could spy a hole in the sky
Up ever so high. -Berthold Tours
NURSERY RHYMES
Marienwürmchen “Ladybug, ladybug, fly away home” Robert Schumann
My ladybug, come sit yourself upon my hand.
I will not do you harm, No, not harm you.
You need not fear of frightening things,
I only want to see your colored wings.
For your wings bring joy so true!
Dear ladybug, hurry fly away.
Your house it burns, your children they are crying.
How they are crying. Oh! So much crying!
The wicked spider plans attack.
My ladybug, come hurry back!
For your children, they are crying.
My ladybug, come fly next door
To your neighbor’s house, your neighbor’s house,
Then no one there will harm you,
No, not harm you.
You need not fear of frightening things,
They want to see your colored wings,
And welcome you a-new.
The Old Woman Bainbridge Crist
There was an old woman, as I have heard tell,
She went to sell her pie, but her pie would not sell.
She hurried back home, but her doorstep was high
And she stumbled, and fell and a dog ate her pie.
Der Mann Johannes Brahms
Willie wille will, the man is coming,
Willie wille will, what will he bring?
Willie wille will, many sugar waffles,
Willie wille will, the children all will sing!
Willie wille will…
The man is coming,
What brings he now?
Many pretty things,
Until it tips the bow
What should he give you?
Go get the stick!
When he hears crying
And children stream and kick
Willie wille will…
My child’s behaving.
My child is still.
You’ll have a peppermint
Until you have your fill!
I’m nobody Vincent Persichetti
I’m nobody, who are you?
Are you nobody too?
Then there’s a pair of us –don’t tell!
They’d banish us, you know.
How dreary to be somebody!
How public, like a frog
To tell your name the livelong day
To an admiring bog! -Emily Dickinson
I’m a person too Leonard Bernstein
I just found out today, that I’m a person too, like you.
I like balloons; lots of people like balloons,
but everyone says isn’t she sweet she likes balloons.
I’m a person too, like you.
I like things that everyone likes.
I like soft things and movies and horses and warm things and red things.
Don’t you!
I have lots of thoughts. Like what’s behind the sky;
And what’s behind what’s behind the sky.
But everyone says isn’t she cute, she wants to know everything.
Don’t you!
Of course, I’m very young to be saying all these things,
in front of so many people, like you.
But I’m a person too, though I’m only ten years old.
I’m a person too, like you.
Sing-a-long & Games
Skip to my lou Luigi Zaninelli
Lou, lou, skip to my lou, my darlin’
Lost my partner, what’ll I do?
Skip to my lou, my darlin’.
Get me another one pretty as you.
Skip to my lou, my darlin’.
Hungry Caterpillar Jane Hawks
Hungry caterpillar would you like a leaf to eat?
Ramble down this tree branch so that you and I can meet.
Chomping, eating, fuzzy friend, you’re always on the go.
Hungry caterpillar you’re so nice to know!
Le Chapelier (The Mad-Hatter) Eric Satie
Astonished, the hat maker
Constantly notes that his watch is slowing,
Three days slow
Although he has taken great care to grease it
with butter that’s fine, of the best quality.
And he has allowed the crumbs to fall in his watch
Clogging the cogwheels,
Thoroughly plunging his watch in the tea
Despite all this, his watch will not go any faster.
Original French by René Chalupt
Mausfallensprüchlein Hugo Wolf
Tiny guests and tiny house
Mistress Mouse or Mister Mouse
Won’t you boldly come tonight?
On this clear, bright moonlit night
Moonlit night, moonlit night?
Shut tightly the door behind you, dear mouse.
Do you…hear me?
Lest your tail get a nipping!
Do you hear me? A nipping!
We’ll dine and sing all night
On tables spring so light
And we will go dancing, dancing
Witt, witt! Witt, witt!
My old cat will probably dance along with us
Do you….hear me? Hear me?
SCIENCE
Jupiter has 7 moons (from I hate music) Leonard Bernstein
Jupiter has seven moons or is it nine?
Saturn has a million, billion, trillion sixty-nine;
And every one is a little sun, with six little moons of its own!
But we have only one!
Just think of all the fun we’d have if there nine!
Then we could be just nine times more romantic!
Dogs would bay ‘til they were frantic!
We’d have nine tides in the Atlantic!
The man in the moon would be gigantic!
But we have only one!
Only one! -Leonard Bernstein
Leather-winged Bat Jake Heggie
“Hi,” said the little ol’ leather-winged bat,
“I will tell you the reason that,
The reason that I fly in the night:
I’ve lost my heart’s delight.”
Chorus:
Hi-o day-o diddle-o down
Hi-o day-o diddle-o day
Hi-o day-o diddle-o down
Diddle diddle dum da day-o.
“Hi,” said the woodpecker sittin’ on a fence,
“Once I courted a handsome wench,
She got sassy and from me fled,
And ever since then my head’s been red.”
Chorus
“Hi,” said the bluebird as he flew,
“Once I courted a young gal, too.
She got sassy and wanted to go,
So I tied a new string to my bow.”
Chorus
“Hi,” said the Robin as he flew,
“When I was a young man I’d court two.
If one didn’t love me the other one would.
Now don’t you think my notion’s good?
Chorus
Rain Carlisle Floyd
The rain is raining all around,
It falls on field and tree,
It rains on the umbrellas here
And on the ships at sea. -Robert Lewis Stevenson
ADVENTURE
The Jabberwocky (from 5 Poems of Lewis Carroll) John Duke
‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, The claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjubbird, and shun
The frumious bandersnatch!”
He took his vorpal blade in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought.
So rested he by the Tumtum tree.
And stood awhile in thought.
And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgy wood,
And burbled as it came!
One two! One, two!
And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead,
And with its head
He went galumphing back.
“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day!
Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.
‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
Zigeunerliedchen #1  (Small Gypsy Songs) Robert Schumann
#1
Marching along with soldiers was a gypsy boy a going.
He ran off with all their money, Tomorrow they will hang him.
Taking me away from prison, (They) sit me down upon a mule,
Flogging me upon my shoulders until my blood falls on the path.
Hauling me away from prison, pushing me out in the world,
Swiftly, I reach for my rifle, firing on them, my first shot.
#2
Every morning, bright and early, I awaken in this place,
Pouring water on my eyes, then I wash my tired, cold face.
Where the mountains tower above me, on the edge of heaven’s might,
From the house there, that lovely garden, they carried me away at night.
Every morning, when it’s early, I awaken in this place,
Pouring water on my eyes, then I wash my tired, cold face.
(Original German by E. Geibel)
Una Palomita blanca Joquin Rodrigo Vidre
Translation summary:
A small dove, white as snow comes to the river to drink and bathe
Little dove, if you go to the mountain, beware.
If I fire a shot and kill you, there will be pain.
White dove, like the snow.
ANIMALS & INSECTS
Die Forelle Franz Schubert
The stream was swiftly flowing,
Its waters clear and bright;
A trout alert and cunning,
Shot by like a flash of light.
I stood on shore at leisure
Just wasting time away
And watch with quiet pleasure
The graceful fish at play.
A fisherman stood ready
Upon the shore he stood.
He saw the clever trout
Swim as fast as it could.
In vain, I thought, he’s waiting
The trout has nothing to fear.
He’ll never catch the trout
While the water’s crystal clear.
He’ll never catch the trout
While the water’s crystal clear.
But then the cunning thief could wait no more
He stirred up mud to cloud the water
And sooner than I thought,
The fishing pole was reeling.
The poor helpless fish just pulled and fought.
And I could not help feeling the trout was falsely caught. -Original German by Schubart
The Cage Charles Ives
A leopard went around his cage from one side back to the other side;
He stopped only when the keeper came around with meat;
A boy who had been there three hours began to wonder,
“Is life anything like that?”
Moth Miller George Lynn
The timid moth that flutters around our light at night
Has silver dust upon his wings and tiny flecks of white,
And if I look more closely there’s flour upon his clothes…
But that is just because he is a MILLER, I suppose.
Hoppity Toads George Lynn
I always feel sorry for hoppity toads,
Whose jackets are dusty and brownish as roads,
I always think maybe they sigh over much
Because they look warty and floppy and such.
But maybe I’m foolish, for maybe they’d smile
And chuckle, “Why dearie, we’re only in style.”
For maybe being warty and dusty as roads
is perfectly proper for hoppity toads.
For floppity, ploppity, hoppity toads. -words by Aileen Fischer
Bee, I’m expecting you! John Duke
Bee, I’m expecting you!
Was saying yesterday
To somebody you know
That you were due.
The frogs got home last week
Are settled, and at work.
Birds, mostly back
The clover warm and thick.
You’ll get my letter by the seventeenth;
Reply or better, be with me
Yours,…Fly. (Emily Dickinson)
LULLABIES
The Little Horses Aaron Copland
Hush you bye, Don’t you cry,
Go to sleepy little baby.
When you wake, You shall have,
All the pretty little horses.
Black and bays, Dapples and grays,
Coach and six-a little horses.
Hush you bye, Don’t you cry,
Go to sleepy little baby.
When you wake, You;ll have sweet cake, and
All the pretty little horses.
A brown and a gray and a black and a bay and a
Coach and six-a little horses.
Hush you bye, Don’t you cry,
Oh, you pretty little baby,
Go to sleepy little baby.
Oh, you pretty little baby.
Hush little baby Traditional Nursery Song
Hush, little baby, don't say a word
Mama's gonna buy you a mockin'bird
If that mockin'bird don't sing
Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring
If that diamond ring turns brass,
Mama's gonna buy you a looking glass
If that looking glass gets broke
Mama's gonna buy you a billy goat
If that billy goat don't pull,
Mama's gonna buy you a cart and mule
If that cart and mule turn over
Mama's gonna buy you a dog named Rover
If that dog named Rover won't bark
Mama's gonna buy you a horse and cart
If that Horse and Cart fall down,
Then you'll be the sweetest little baby in town
The Star Amy Beach
A wee little star lived up in the sky,
Up , ever so high, up ever so high;
And the way it kept blinking,
You couldn’t help thinking
Up there in the sky, it wanted to cry;
Up ever so high, up ever so high.
But this same little star who lived in the sky,
Up ever so high, up ever so high,
Was just playing “bo-peep” with boy half asleep,
Who thought he could spy a hole in the sky
Up ever so high. -Berthold Tours
NURSERY RHYMES
Marienwürmchen “Ladybug, ladybug, fly away home” Robert Schumann
My ladybug, come sit yourself upon my hand.
I will not do you harm, No, not harm you.
You need not fear of frightening things,
I only want to see your colored wings.
For your wings bring joy so true!
Dear ladybug, hurry fly away.
Your house it burns, your children they are crying.
How they are crying. Oh! So much crying!
The wicked spider plans attack.
My ladybug, come hurry back!
For your children, they are crying.
My ladybug, come fly next door
To your neighbor’s house, your neighbor’s house,
Then no one there will harm you,
No, not harm you.
You need not fear of frightening things,
They want to see your colored wings,
And welcome you a-new.
The Old Woman Bainbridge Crist
There was an old woman, as I have heard tell,
She went to sell her pie, but her pie would not sell.
She hurried back home, but her doorstep was high
And she stumbled, and fell and a dog ate her pie.
Der Mann Johannes Brahms
Willie wille will, the man is coming,
Willie wille will, what will he bring?
Willie wille will, many sugar waffles,
Willie wille will, the children all will sing!
Willie wille will…
The man is coming,
What brings he now?
Many pretty things,
Until it tips the bow
What should he give you?
Go get the stick!
When he hears crying
And children stream and kick
Willie wille will…
My child’s behaving.
My child is still.
You’ll have a peppermint
Until you have your fill!
I’m nobody Vincent Persichetti
I’m nobody, who are you?
Are you nobody too?
Then there’s a pair of us –don’t tell!
They’d banish us, you know.
How dreary to be somebody!
How public, like a frog
To tell your name the livelong day
To an admiring bog! -Emily Dickinson
I’m a person too Leonard Bernstein
I just found out today, that I’m a person too, like you.
I like balloons; lots of people like balloons,
but everyone says isn’t she sweet she likes balloons.
I’m a person too, like you.
I like things that everyone likes.
I like soft things and movies and horses and warm things and red things.
Don’t you!
I have lots of thoughts. Like what’s behind the sky;
And what’s behind what’s behind the sky.
But everyone says isn’t she cute, she wants to know everything.
Don’t you!
Of course, I’m very young to be saying all these things,
in front of so many people, like you.
But I’m a person too, though I’m only ten years old.
I’m a person too, like you.
Sing-a-long & Games
Skip to my lou Luigi Zaninelli
Lou, lou, skip to my lou, my darlin’
Lost my partner, what’ll I do?
Skip to my lou, my darlin’.
Get me another one pretty as you.
Skip to my lou, my darlin’.