Old Father Annum Lyrics
On New Year's Day, Old Father Annum reaches into a bag of months and years and pulls out a wee fellow by the ears. He says the little one is as good as any in the pack, and hopes to be proud of him on his return.
Old Father Annum
Old Father Annum on New Year's Day
Picked up his bag of months and years,
Thrust in his hand in a careless way,
And pulled a wee fellow out by the ears.
"There you are," said he to the waiting crowd,
"He's as good as any I have in my pack.
I never can tell, but I hope to be proud
Of the little rascal when I come back."
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/old-father-annum/
- Type
- Poems for Children
- Written by
- Leroy F. Jackson
- Tune
- A gruff, kindly old voice, with a lift on 'the little rascal'
- Best for ages
- 4 to 8 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Thrust in his hand in a careless way, | Reach a hand into an imaginary sack and rummage. |
| And pulled a wee fellow out by the ears. | Lift your pretend find up gently by the ears and show it off. |
What Does Old Father Annum Mean?
The poem pictures the new year as a small person. Old Father Annum reaches into his bag of months and years and picks one without looking, like a lucky dip. Out comes a wee fellow, the new year, held up by the ears.
He tells the waiting crowd it is as good as any in the pack, and he admits he can never tell how it will turn out. He still hopes to be proud of the little rascal when he comes back. The name is a joke built on Latin: annum comes from the Latin word for year, as in per annum (each year) and the English annual, which means once a year. The rhymes pair years with ears and pack with back.
History and Origin
Jackson put this New Year poem in his 1918 book of rhymes.
Learning Activities
- Lucky dip: put slips of paper with the twelve months in a bag and let the child pull one out.
- New-year hope: ask the child what they hope to be proud of by next New Year's Day.
- Draw the rascal: draw the 'wee fellow' as the child imagines the new year.
- Annual words: find words that come from annum, such as annual and anniversary, in a calendar or book.