French Nursery Rhymes and Children's Songs with English Translations

21 rhymes with full lyrics

These 21 rhymes and songs are French. Every page shows the French words next to an English translation, explains the hard or old words, and many add a rough English-style sound for the title. The words come from French songbooks for small children, among them Charles-Marie Widor's Vieilles chansons pour les petits enfants, Jean-Baptiste Weckerlin's Chansons de France pour les petits Français and Walter Crane's The Baby's Bouquet (1878). For a first try, pick a song with few words: À la queue leu leu (a single-file walk, in single file, one behind the other), Un, Deux, Trois (One, Two, Three, a counting-out rhyme to choose who is it) or Savez-vous planter les choux ? (Do you know how to plant cabbages?, which mimes planting with a different body part in each verse).

Games and dances. Sur le Pont d'Avignon (On the Bridge of Avignon) is a ring dance. In Il court, il court, le furet (It runs, it runs, the ferret) players pass a ring along a cord while the child in the middle tries to find it. La tour, prends garde (Tower, take care) is a singing game in which two children hold hands to be the tower. Le chevalier du guet (The Knight of the Watch) is a question-and-answer game, and in Giroflé, girofla one child stands in the middle of the ring and sings the solo while the others answer. La mist'en laire adds one more make-believe instrument in each verse, and La Monaco is a dance as well as a song.

Songs that tell a little story. Le rat de ville et le rat des champs (The Town Rat and the Country Rat) sends two rats to dinner. Cendrillon (French Children's Song) is Cinderella singing about the housework. Il était une dame Tartine (There was a lady Slice-of-Bread) lives in a palace of fresh butter. La Polichinelle is a knock at the door from the puppet clown Polichinelle, Bon voyage, Monsieur Dumollet (Good journey, Mr. Dumollet) is a farewell to a traveller, and À la pêche aux moules (To go fishing for mussels) is a child's refusal to go. Gentil coquelicot (Nice poppy) goes down to the garden for rosemary, and La bonne aventure ô gué (The good adventure) is a baby who loves sweets and jam.

Lullaby, tune and joke. Fais dodo, Colas, mon p'tit frère (Go to sleep, Colas, my little brother) is a French lullaby with milk, a cake baking upstairs and chocolate made downstairs. Ah! vous dirai-je, maman (Ah! shall I tell you, mother) has the tune that English speakers sing as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star: its French words are a child's complaint that sweets are worth more than good sense. Maman, les p'tits bateaux (Mama, the little boats) is a two-line joke about whether boats have legs.

À la pêche aux moulesA la pêche des moulesÀ la queue leu leuA la queue leu! leu!Ah! vous dirai-je, mamanAh! vous dirai-je mamanBon voyage, Monsieur DumolletBon voyage, Cher DumolletCendrillon (French Children's Song)Mes soeurs, du soin du ménageFais dodo, Colas, mon p'tit frèreFais dodo, Colas, mon p'tit FrèreGentil coquelicotJ'ai descendu dans mon jardinGiroflé, giroflaQue t'as de belles fillesIl court, il court, le furetIl court, il court, le furetIl était une dame TartineIl était un' dame TartineLa bonne aventure ô guéJe suis un petit pouponLa mist'en laireBonhomme, bonhomme, que savez-vous faire?La MonacoA la monacoLa PolichinellePan! qu'est-c' qu'est là?La tour, prends gardeLa Tour, prends garde, la Tour, prends garde de te laisser abattre.Le chevalier du guetQu'est-c'qui passe ici si tardLe rat de ville et le rat des champsAutrefois le rat de villeMaman, les p'tits bateauxPapa, les p'tits bateaux qui vont sur l'eau, ont-ils des jambes?Savez-vous planter les choux ?Savez-vous planter les chouxSur le Pont d'AvignonSur le pont d'AvignonUn, Deux, TroisUn, deux, trois

Frequently Asked Questions

Which French song has the same tune as Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star?
Ah! vous dirai-je, maman. Its French words are a child's complaint: papa wants a sensible, grown-up child, but sweets seem worth more than good sense.
What does À la queue leu leu mean?
In single file, one behind the other. À la queue leu leu is a short song, so children can walk in a line while they sing it.
Which French rhymes are group games?
Il court, il court, le furet, where a ring is passed from hand to hand along a looped cord, La tour, prends garde, where two children hold hands to be the tower, and La mist'en laire, where each verse adds an instrument.
Is there a French lullaby here?
Yes. Fais dodo, Colas, mon p'tit frère tells little brother Colas to go to sleep, because there will be milk and mother is making a cake upstairs while father makes chocolate downstairs.
What is a French counting-out rhyme?
Un, Deux, Trois counts from one to six and tells whoever is pointed at, "you are not it", so children can use it to choose who sits out or who is it in a game.

More Types of Nursery Rhymes