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On the Move book cover
POEMS
Created: 6th October, 2021

The Songs My Father Sings

When I shut my eyes

and go to sleep,

I think of all sorts of things,

I hear songs, and bits of songs –

songs that my father sings.

 

How does he know all of these songs?

Where has my father been?

Who sang the songs that he now sings

and what do all the songs all mean?

 

“Et hop Pipo, Pipo”, from France,

“Simsalabim bamba saladu daladim”, from Germany,

“Avanti o popolo”, from Italy,

“Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack”, from America,

“Linten adie, toorin adie”, from Scotland,

“Mamita mia”, from Spain,

“Kalinka, kalinka, kalinka moya”, from Russia,

“With a hey and a ho and a hey nonny no”, from England

and

“Un di fidldike fidlers

hobn fidldik gefidlt,

hobn fidldik gefidlt hoben zey”,

from his Zeyde.*

 

when I shut my eyes

and go to sleep,

I think of all sorts of things,

I hear songs, and bits of songs –

songs that my father sings.

 

                                                                                 *Zeyde = grandfather

 

© Michael Rosen, from On the Move: Poems About Migration, Walker, 2020

VIDEOS

Michael Rosen - The Songs My Father Sings

Video