- Forum >
- Topic: Italian >
- Italian nursery rhymes - Un e…
Italian nursery rhymes - Un elefante si dondolava
This is a never ending nursery rhyme. You can sing it and sing it and sing it forever. This is ideal for a long ride... And if you want to practice the numbers...
Un elefante si dondolava
sopra un filo di una ragnatela,
trovando la cosa molto interessante
va a chiamare un altro elefante.
Due elefanti si dondolavano
sopra un filo di una ragnatela
trovando la cosa molto interessante
vanno a chiamare un altro elefante.
Tre elefanti si dondolavano
eccetera, eccetera, eccetera...
An elephant was swinging
on a thread of a cobweb,
and thinking that it was very interesting
he went to call another elephant
Two elephants were swinging
on a thread of a cobweb,
and thinking that it was very interesting
they went to call another elephant
Three elephants were swinging
etc., etc., etc.
It has a Spanish version
Un elefante se columpiaba
Sobre la tela de una araña,
Como veía que resistía
Fue a llamar otro elefante...
Dos elefantes se columpiaban
Sobre la tela de una araña,
Como veían que resistía
Fueron a llamar otro elefante...
Tres elefantes se columpiaban
etcétera, etcétera, etcétera.
Here is a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXFnrsspw78
7 Comments
2107
Lo amo! Grazie J. R. Have a lingot for bringing this little thing of lovlieness to us! :-)
649
Yes, I've heard this rhyme in Spanish too, but in the version that I know the lyrics are slightly different:
Un elefante se balanceaba / sobre una tela de araña, / como veía que no se caía / fue a llamar a otro elefante...
But to tell the truth, this is more popular as a drunkard vulgar song, which I mention here for the benefit of anthropological interest. The lyrics are both male-chauvinistic and xenophobic --a poor reflection on Spanish culture; but perhaps we should mention here the Latin saying: in vino veritas... Fair warning: there are some slang terms here. If you don't understand the lyrics, perhaps you are doing yourself a favour, after all.
Una alemana me la meneaba / en una tienda de campaña, / como veía que no me corría / fue a llamar a otra alemana...