Hurly-Burly Lyrics
Four lines about a cow standing in the market-place, with some people going far and some near, and a question about where to steer.
Hurly-Burly
Hurly-burly, trumpy trace,
The cow stands in the market-place;
Some goes far, and some goes near,
Where shall this poor sinner steer?
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/hurly-burly/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Chanted in a sing-song
- Best for ages
- 4 to 8 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| The cow stands in the market-place | Stand still with your arms out, like a cow. |
| Some goes far, and some goes near | Take a big step away, then a small step toward the group. |
| Where shall this poor sinner steer? | Turn around slowly and point in a direction. |
What Does Hurly-Burly Mean?
The first line, hurly-burly, trumpy trace, is a pattern of sounds that makes a strong beat. The second line paints a picture of a cow standing in the market-place, and the third says that some go far and some go near. The last line is a question: where shall this poor traveler head next? The word steer here means to choose a direction to go in.
Gomme says that the rhyme belongs to a game for boys, but that the game itself is not described, so the words are all that is known.
History and Origin
Alice Bertha Gomme prints the rhyme in The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1894), where she calls it an undescribed boys' game and takes the words from Patterson's Antrim and Down Glossary. She points the reader to a similar rhyme in the game of Hot Cockles.
The words and the cow in the market-place make it a village scene.
Learning Activities
- Beat words: clap the strong beat of the first line, then the rest.
- Market scene: draw a market-place with a cow and the people going near and far.
- Near and far: practice words that mean near and far, and walk to match them.
- Direction game: take turns to be the steerer who points where to go.