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| © Valery Sibrikov | dreamstime.com |
Here’s a post that will appeal to all non-native
speakers of French.
Even if your French is a little rusty
(or you’ve forgotten most of what you learned in French classes at school), try
reading these little ditties out loud – and see if you can work out the English
childrens’ rhymes they’re based on…
Here goes…
Un Petit D'Un Petit
Un petit d’un petit
S’étonne aux halles.
Un petit d’un petit
Ah! Degrés te fallent.
Indolent qui ne sort cesse
Indolent qui ne se mène
Qu’importe un petit d’un petit
Tout Gai de Reguennes.
Jacques S’Apprête
Jacques s’apprête coulis de nos fête.
Et soif que dites nos lignes.
Et ne sauve bédouine tempo y aussi
Telle y que de plat terre, cligne.
Lit-Elle Messe, Moffette
Lit-elle messe, moffette satan ne te fête,
Et digne somme coeurs et nouez.
À longue qu’aime est-ce pailles d’Eure
Et ne Satan bise ailleurs,
Et ne fredonne messe. Moffette, ah,
ouais!
Et Qui Rit Des Curés D’Oc?
Et qui rit des curés d’Oc?
De Meuse raines, houp! De cloques.
De quelles loques ce turque coin,
Et ne d’ânes ni rennes.
Écuries des curés d’Oc.
L’Île Déjà Accornée
L’Île déjà accornée satinées cornée
Y dîner guérisse masse bâille.
Il se taquine costumes,
Et ne poule d’août des plumes,
Et ne ses doigts des gouttes beaux
émaille.
Pas De Caïque, Pas De Caïque
Pas de caïque, pas de caïque, bécasse, mâne,
Bec ami est coquille à ce vaste Assise
ou Cannes.
Roulette et n’épate éden marcou y débit.
Aîné petit inédit, oh vaine! Fort bébé
ennemi.
Give up on any -or all - of these? Scroll down to see the English
versions!
About
the author: Luis d’Antin Van Rooten
Born in Mexico City in 1906, Van Rooten
moved to the USA as a child. He studied architecture at Pennsylvania University. During the 2nd World War, he
was recruited by the US Army as a radio announcer, where his excellent language
skills meant he could broadcast in English, French, Spanish and Italian.
After the 2nd World War, Van
Rooten became a TV and film actor, especially noted for his voiceover work as
the King and Grand Duke in Disney’s ‘Cinderella’. He also wrote several books –
the best known being ‘Mots d’Heures: Gousses, Rames’ (Mother Goose Rhymes), which took famous English childrens’ poems
and recreated them using French words. Pure linguistic fun!
Van Rooten died in Massachusetts in 1973.
Humpty Dumpty
Sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty
Had a great fall.
And all the King’s horses
And all the King’s men
Can’t put Humpty Dumpty
Together again.
Jack Spratt
Could eat no fat.
His wife could eat no lean.
And so between them both, you see
They licked the platter clean.
Little Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet
Eating some curds and whey.
Along came a spider
And sat down beside her,
And frightened Miss Muffet away.
Hickory dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck one,
And down he ran.
Hickory dickory dock.
Little Jack Horner
Sat in a corner
Eating a Christmas pie.
He stuck in his thumb
And said, what a good boy am I.
Pat a cake, pat a cake, baker’s man,
Bake me a cookie as fast as you can.
Roll it and pat it, and mark with a B
And put it in the oven for baby and me.
