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CRÉDIT PRENEUR
This question was closed without grading. Reason: No acceptable answer
Jul 26, 2017 16:36
6 yrs ago
French term

Ainsi font, font, font les petites marionnettes

French to English Other Folklore
I need to translate this song (culturally speaking) for an English-speaking audience. It's a song parents sing to their children which goes like this:

Ainsi font, font, font
Les petites marionnettes
Ainsi font font font
Trois petits tours
Et puis s'en vont

I'm NOT looking to translate the song literally, but rather to find an equivalent in English. I thought of something like "Old MacDonald had a farm", but if anyone has a better suggestion, I'd appreciate it! :)

Thanks!
Proposed translations (English)
3 This is what they do and do, The little little puppets

Discussion

Alexandra Speirs Jul 29, 2017:
playing with child on knee Another game with little kids, though a bit dated now!
This is the way the gentleman rides .... the lady rides ..... the farmer rides .... the old man rides .. and down into the ditch!
Paolo Dagonnier (asker) Jul 28, 2017:
@katsy @Nikki Thanks katsy, I went with "this little piggy".

@Nikki, in the documentary, the song is sung to a 2-3 y.o. baby, what's most important here is not the finger play in itself, but rather the interaction between the granddad and his granddaughter.

It is not at all central to the main story, it's just a passing moment but I wanted to find the right equivalent. Thank you both.
katsy Jul 27, 2017:
just to add my two cents' worth after all this brainstorming. Nikki has summed it up concisely. I personally would go with "this little piggy" (which chez moi is done on the child's toes, not fingers, but no big deal!) or "round and round the garden". Just to confirm that "les petites marionnettes", and those two games/rhymes in English are done with very small children.
Nikki Scott-Despaigne Jul 27, 2017:
@Paolo To find an equivalent rather than a translation, some guidance as to what would be the msot important element, would be helpful. I agree with Katsy, Steven, etc.

From the nursery rhyme "Ainsi font, font, font...", three features stick out in my mind:
- aimed at babies and very young children
- finger play
- the now-you-see-them-now-you-don't aspect

This song is sung to babies, pretty much from when they start smiling in exchange reactions up to toddler age when they start having fun doing it themselves.

The suggestions of "Eentsy, weentsy spider", "Round and round the garden" and "This little Piggy went to arket" have all three features of the FR. They are also nice and short.

Your idea of Old MacDonald would cover the older age, but less so the younger age. Also, there's no fingerplay or gestures, and it is much too long compared to the FR one.
Tony M Jul 27, 2017:
@ Asker There's also "Walk round the garden, like a teddy bear..." and "Pop goes the weasel!"
Paolo Dagonnier (asker) Jul 27, 2017:
Thanks everyone First of all, thank you all for your suggestions.

@phil: sorry if I wasn't clear, I need an equivalent, not a translation of the song itself.

@Lara: the context is a documentary, a granddad sings it to his granddaughter. It only lasts for 3 seconds or so, and is not a all central to the main plot, but I wanted an accurate equivalent.

@katsy: thanks a million for all the suggestions!

@Steven: thanks a lot. I think I'll use the "little piggy" nursery rhyme since it involves an interaction betwen the (grand)parent and the child.
Steven Ritchie Jul 27, 2017:
I can't think of an equivalent in English about "puppets", but perhaps the last two lines could be translated as follows:

Trois petits tours
Et puis s\'en vont

(Now you see them, now you don't)

Some nursery rhymes that come to mind in English are:

"This little piggy went to market" where the adult uses the child's fingers for each "little piggy".
Alison MacG Jul 26, 2017:
@katsy Some good suggestions there. The one I had thought might be closest is This is the way we ... , where the lyrics and actions can be adapted ad infinitum.
https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/sites/kids/files...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoJjUHBNufY
Lara Barnett Jul 26, 2017:
@ Paolo What exactly are you translating or replacing it for? i.e. the context of this job.
katsy Jul 26, 2017:
If you need an equivalent, then you need a song with fingerplay....
Additional info on this little song: the song involves the parent (and hopefully the child, but it is sung to very small children) holding up his/her hands, waggling fingers, and turning hands back and forth (as if screwing/unscrewing a light bulb). On the last line, the hands 'disappear'. A possible equivalent (and I underline possible) which comes to mind is either "round and round the garden" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round_and_round_the_garden (there is a paragraph on the actions); or "incy-wincy spider"http://chuchutv.com/lyrics/incy-wincy-spider-nursery-rhyme-l... which involves imitating the movement of the spider, the rain and the sun with the fingers; or maybe 'here's the church' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H3E33o4URc - though this version is not the one I learnt as a child. Does this help?
philgoddard Jul 26, 2017:
Hi Paolo You say "I need to translate this song," but then you say you need to find an equivalent in English. What exactly do you need, and what is the context?
Here is an explanation of "ainsi font", and a rudimentary translation: http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=151&c=22

Proposed translations

1 day 13 hrs

This is what they do and do, The little little puppets

This is what they do and do
The little little puppets
This is what they do and do
Three little turns
And go away.

Then they will come back
The little little puppets
Then they will come back
When the others go away.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day13 hrs (2017-07-28 06:24:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I tried to make it rhyme with its tune, that is why I repeated the adjective "little" 2x, and the do and to was not translated literally.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day20 hrs (2017-07-28 13:29:38 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Une autre version avec plus d'attention sur les syllabes qui doivent remplir la phrase musicale:
This is what they do and do
The little and beautiful puppets
This is what they do and do
Three little turns
And go away.

Here they are coming back
The little and beautiful puppets
They will only come back
When the others go away.


Peer comment(s):
neutral Tony M : Asker specifically said they weren't looking for an actual translation, but rather a cultural equivalent.
8 mins
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