Hello/We Are Happy
Country: Uganda
Lyrics:
We are happy, we are happy on this day. (4x)
Hello Molly, hello hello
More info:Wait! Uganda isn’t in Asia! We sing this “hello" song every session.
The Abayudya of Uganda are a small community of about 500 Luganda-speaking Bagandans who have been practicing Judaism for over 80 years. Abayudaya community members Rabbi Gershom Sizomu and his brother JJ Keki wrote these two welcome songs that are combined here into one.
The Abayudaya have recorded four CDs of African-Jewish music, including
Shalom Everybody Everywhere and Abayudaya: Music from the Jewish People of Uganda.
All the Kids in the House
Country: India
Language: Assamese
Lyrics:
Ee leh leh leh leh ee ang (4x)
Look at all the kids in the house today (2x)
Look at all the kids who have come to play
How many kids are in the house today? (2x)
How many kids have come to play?
More info:
Found on the Smithsonian Folkways recording, Songs of Assam, Uttar Pradesh, and the Andamans (listed as "Abor No. 4"). The original is in an ancient Assamese tribal dialect and roughly means, “Many people from the outside are our guests this evening. The people from our village have also gathered. So you girls sing loudly and entertain the assembly here with whatever they want to hear."
Chandamama
Country: India
Language: Telugu
Lyrics:
Chanda mama raavayya
Moon, sweet moon, moon, sweet moon
More info:
This arrangement of “Chandamama" comes from a video linked through Mama Lisa’s World from Playing for Change, an inspiring "multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music." You’ll also find a more traditional version on Mama Lisa’s World.
Hello Hello/Neh Neh
Country: India
Language: Assamese
Lyrics:
Hello hello, neh neh neh neh
More info:
An Assamese chant found on the Smithsonian Folkways recording, Songs of Assam, Uttar Pradesh, and the Andamans. (Listed as "Abor No. 5")
Pahan Chunariya
Country: India
Language: Hindi
Lyrics:
Pahan chunariya kali O!, dekho nach rahi Divali
Let’s light our lamps on Diwali, oh!
Let’s light our lamps on Diwali, oh!
Let’s light our lamps on Diwali
All the children light lamps on Diwali
More info:
A raga celebrating Diwali the Hindu “festival of lights," from the Smithsonian Folkways Ragas: Songs of India, performed by The Balakrishna of Travancor.
Ut Re Moora
Country: India
Language: Konkani?
Lyrics:
[Ut re moora, ut re moora beemban karav
beemban sandonomor keh loh karav]
I wake up in the morning and look for the hens,
The peacock at home says I’ll find them again.
More info:
From Les Chants des Enfants du monde Vol. 2: South India, children’s songs from Southern Indian collected by French-Canadian ethnomusicologist Francis Corpataux.
Sad to Say Goodbye
Country: Kyrgyzstan
Language: Kyrgyz
Lyrics:
Oshentip jurchu kundorum,
bulbuldop uzap baratat,
Kyiylyp turam kosh debei
Oh this day of mine, even though it’s in the past I am sad to say goodbye.
Oh these days of mine, even though they’re in the past I am sad to say goodbye.
More info:
Found on Music of Central Asia Vol. 1: Tengir-Too: Mountain Music from Kyrgyzstan. The original translates as “Those days of mine grow more distant and distant. I’m sad to say goodbye to my dear childhood. Life tries to steal from me my insatiable youth."
Taralilalalai
Country: Uzbekistan (Bukhara)
Language: Uzbek
Lyrics:
Taralilalalai, taralilalalai, taralilalalai, yar eh.
More info:
From the Smithsonian Folkways recording, Bukhara: Musical Crossroads of Asia.
Dartmouth music professor Theodore Levin, who produced this collection, also wrote The Hundred Thousand Fools of God: Musical Travels in Central Asia (and Queens, New York), which includes a translation of this song. “Taralilalalai" is kind of like “la la la." “Yar eh" means “my dear."
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Daweedam
Country:Afghanistan
Language:Dari
Lyrics:
Daweedam, daweedam, saray kohay raseedam
I run and run and run and run to reach the field to make my bread.
I dig and dig and dig and dig to plant the wheat to make my bread.
I mill and mill and mill and mill and mill the wheat to make my bread.
I knead and knead and knead and knead and knead the dough to make my bread.
I bake and bake and bake and bake and bake the dough to make my bread.
I eat and eat and eat and eat and eat and eat and eat my bread.
More info:
From the wonderful Qu Qu Qu Barg-e-Chinaar: Children’s Songs from Afghanistan, by the Afghan Children’s Songbook Project.
Qamberxan
Country: China (western)
Language: Uighur
Lyrics:
Qamberxan Qamberxan (2x)
The soil of this land is hard
But the watermelon’s so sweet
Qambarxan lives in this land
Qamberxan is so sweet.
Ai ai ai ai Qamberxan (4x)
More Info:
A contemporary Uighur song based upon the traditional folksong The Girl from Dabancheng. Thanks to UighurLanguage.com for the song suggestion. The Uighurs live in northwestern China.
Bhalu Wala Ayu
Country: India
Language: Hindi
Lyrics:
Bhalu wala ayu, bhalu wala ayu
Naacha bhalu naacha, naacha bhalu naacha
One of you is a bear, which one I don’t care
The only way I’ll ever know is to chase you here and there.
More info:
From the CD Hindi Nursery Rhymes performed by Bollywood playback singer .
Chukke Hakki
Country: India
Language: Kannada?
Lyrics:
[Chukke hakki ba nehneh balakehbah
chika kookah koo kee koo kee,
ba nehneh balakehbah, ba nehneh balakehbah]
Can you catch the stars, can you catch the stars, can you jump and catch the stars?
Can you catch the stars, can you catch the stars, can you jump and catch the stars?
Look at all the stars…
More info:
From Les Chants des Enfants du monde Vol. 2: South India, children’s songs from Southern Indian collected by French-Canadian ethnomusicologist Francis Corpataux.
Diwali Aayee
Country: India
Language: Hindi
Lyrics:
Diwali aayee, Diwali aayee,
Light the lanterns on Diwali
Dhuma DhaDaka Dum, Dhuma DhaDaka Dum
Everyone loves Diwali, everyone loves Diwali
More info:
From the CD Hindi Nursery Rhymes performed by Bollywood playback singer .
Tamil Folk Song (Woo!)
Country: India
Language: Tamil
Lyrics:
Ta la la la la la na (2x)
Molly’s wearing blue pants, blue pants, Molly’s has her blue pants on, WOO!
More info:
From the Smithsonian Folkways Folk Music of India.
Basant
Country: Nepal
Language: Nepali
Lyrics:
Fedima feedim basant aayo (4x)
Kites in the spring, basant aayo, kites in the spring, basant aayo
Yellow in spring, basant aayo…
More info:
From the Smithsonian Folkways recording, Music from South Asia. The original is a Nepali Marital Song that references basant, a South Asian festival celebrating spring.
Chadagan
Country: Russia/Tuva
Language: Tuvan
Lyrics:
Khöömejimni kagbazy, khönü chitpes chadaganym
Khölchüng kara urug-bile, khöörezhiir chadaganym
When I play my chadagan for you, darling you will know my love is true
Joy will keep my chadagan in tune, when I play my chadagan for you
Chadagan, my chadagan, chadagan, my chadagan.
More info:
A song from the Smithsonian Folkways recording, Musics of the Soviet Union, listed as “Song from Khomeizhi." The chadagan is a Tuvan instrument resembling a zither. Many thanks to Urana Kuular for the translation!
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Grandmother Swings Me
Country: Afghanistan
Language:Pashto
Lyrics:
Grandmother Swings Me
Boody boody taal raa ka
Boody boody taal raa ka
Grandma push the swing so high
She’ll push me on the swing and then
She’ll push me on the swing again
More info:
From the wonderful Qu Qu Qu Barg-e-Chinaar: Children’s Songs from Afghanistan, by the Afghan Children’s Songbook Project.
Champa Botri
Country: India
Language: Bengali
Lyrics:
Champa botri desha dekai, Champa botri desha
More info:
From the Smithsonian Folkways Folk Music of India a folk song from West Bengal. The original is a love song in which a young man compares the object of his affection to the champa flower.
Happy Birthday
Country: India
Language: Hindi
Lyrics:
Baar baar din ye aaye, baar baar dil ye gaaye
Tu jiye hazaaron saal, ye meri hai aarzoo
Happy Birthday to you (2x)
Happy Birthday to you, Lauren, Happy Birthday to you
More info:
A Hindi happy birthday song from a 1967 Bollywood movie. Here is an awesome YouTube version.
Naanu Batheen Jaathrege
Country: India
Language: Kannada
Lyrics:
Naanu batheen jaathrege
We’re going to the fair ‘cause Molly is there
We’re going to the fair ‘cause Lily is there
We’re going to the fair ‘cause Adaline is there
More info:
From Les Chants des Enfants du monde Vol. 2: South India, children’s songs from Southern Indian collected by French-Canadian ethnomusicologist Francis Corpataux.
Pickle Song
Country: India
Language: Kannada
Lyrics:
Uppina kaayiya haadu keliri
Pickle pickle pickle pickle pickle pickle pickle song (4x)
Mango/tango, Pepper/zepper, Apple/zapple
More info:
From Les Chants des Enfants du monde Vol. 2: South India, children’s songs from Southern Indian collected by French-Canadian ethnomusicologist Francis Corpataux.
Walhav Re Nakhwa
Country: India
Language: Marathi
Lyrics:
Walhav re nakhwa walhav re nakhwa (2x)
Take our boat and our paddles, ho hai ho hai ho hai
And we’ll row ‘cross the ocean, ho nai ho nai ho nai
And we will row across the sea, I’ll row with you, you’ll row with me.
Take our boat and our paddles, ho hai ho hai ho hai
And we’ll row ‘cross the ocean, ho nai ho nai ho nai
More info:
A Marathi song from the Bollywood movie, Baal Geete. The original translates as, “Sailor, you please row the paddle, please row the paddle, We are the children of the fisherman, We have no fear of the sea. It is overcastted, The web is full."
I Want to Go With You
Country: Nepal
Language: Nepali
Lyrics:
Khaunla pataima, khaunla pataima,
Everywhere, everywhere, everywhere, everywhere,
Khaunla pataima.
I want to go with you, I want to go with you, everywhere everywhere everywhere everywhere.
More info:
A contemporary Nepali love song found on the Smithsonian Folkways recording Songs and Dances of Nepal.
Goodbye/We Are Happy
Country: Uganda
Lyrics:
We say goodbye but we’re not sad because of all the fun we had
Here together to sing and play,
So we are happy on this day
We are happy, we are happy on this day...
More info: We will be singing this “good-bye” song every season. In many African cultures there is an emphasis on positivity, or at least the appearance of positivity, that is unfamiliar to most Americans. In that spirit, this "good-bye" song is a celebration of the good times we had when we were together.
(And yes, Uganda is still not in Asia.)
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