Resource 2: Examples of songs and rhymes

 Teacher resource for planning or adapting to use with pupils

Examples of a Kiswahili song with an English translation

This is a lullaby – a song sung to help children to stop crying or go to sleep. Notice the frequent repetition of the same letters and sounds.

Kiswahili:

Lala toto lala (Sing twice)

Mama anakuja lala

Alete maziwa lala

Maziwa ya toto lala

English:

Sleep baby sleep

Mother is coming sleep

She will bring milk sleep

Milk for the baby sleep

A rhyme in English that is fun to say quickly

Yellow butter by Mary Ann Hoberman

Yellow butter purple jelly red jam black bread

Spread it thick

Say it quick

Yellow butter purple jelly red jam black bread

Spread it thicker

Say it quicker

Yellow butter purple jelly red jam black bread

Now repeat it

While you eat it

Yellow butter purple jelly red jam black bread

Don’t talk with your mouth full!

Taken from:Yellow butter – Traditional rhymes/songs; New Successful English, Grade 6, Reading Book, OxfordUniversity Press

An action rhyme

I’m a little teapot, short and stout

Here is my handle, here is my spout

When I get my steam up

Then I shout

Tip me over

Pour me out.

Song of the animal world – a song from the Congo

Note: This song is about movement and the sounds of the chorus represent the movement of the creatures.

NARRATOR: The fish goes

CHORUS: Hip!

NARRATOR: The bird goes

CHORUS: Viss!

NARRATOR: The monkey goes

CHORUS: Gnan!

FISH: I start to left,

I twist to the right.

I am the fish

That slips through the water,

That slides,

That twists,

That leaps!

NARRATOR: Everything lives,

Everything dances,

Everything sings.

CHORUS: Hip!

Viss!

Gnan!

BIRD: The bird flies away,

Flies, flies, flies,

Goes, returns, passes,

Climbs, floats, swoops.

I am the bird!

NARRATOR: Everything lives,

Everything dances,

Everything sings.

CHORUS: Hip!

Viss!

Gnan!

MONKEY: The monkey! From branch

to branch

Runs, hops, jumps,

With his wife and baby,

Mouth stuffed full, tail in air,

Here’s the monkey!

Here’s the monkey!

NARRATOR: Everything lives,

Everything dances,

Everything sings.

CHORUS: Hip!

Viss!

Gnan!

Taken from: Song of the animal world – Traditional song from the Congo, African Poetry for Schools, Longman