This song is called "Zousan".

Notes

Transliteration - Rōmaji (Romanji) of Little Elephant

Zou-san

Zou-san, zou-san
O-hana ga nagai no ne
Sou yo, kaasan mo
Nagai no yo

Zou san, zou san
Dare ga suki na no
Ano ne kaasan ga sukina no yo

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Here's Zo-san in computer format (we apologize if it doesn't show up properly on your monitor):

ぞうさん

ぞうさん、ぞうさん
おはな が ながい の ね
そう よ、かあさん も
ながい の よ

ぞうさん、ぞうさん
だれがすきなの
あのね、かあそんがすきなのよ

*****

Figgs Yori sent this alternate translation:

Mr. Elephant, Mr. Elephant,
You nose is very long, ne?
It is so of my mother, yo!

Mr. Elephant, Mr. Elephant,
Whom do you like?
Well, I like my mother, yo!

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Many thanks to Faiza Hadi for singing the first verse of Zou-san for Mama Lisa's World!

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Many thanks to Roxanne Dixon for sending the second recording of Zosan. Roxanne collected the recording (along with others) on her trip to Japan as part of the Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Exchange Program, a Program of the Japanese government to foster goodwill and understanding between the US and Japan.

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I'm grateful to Susan Pomerantz for playing the tune of Zou-san on piano.

Download MIDI Tune

Download MIDI Tune

Thanks and Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Ayako Egawa for contributing and translating "Little Elephant" and for the sheet music. Thanks to Petter Mæhlum for the transliteration and for helping with the computerized text and to Monique Palomares for the midi tune.

I would also like to thank Masako for creating the Shodo characters at the top of this page. Shodo is the art of brush calligraphy, which originated in China.

Thanks also to Petter Mæhlum for the transliteration.

The image is from "Grosses bêtes & petites bêtes", images and text by André-Hellé (Paris, 1912), with a little graphical editing by Lisa Yannucci.

Thanks to Kathleen Arends for the 2nd midi.

Arigato gozaimasu!