Clap, Clap Handies
Here's a Scottish nursery rhyme that's included in many English Mother Goose collections…
Clap, Clap Handies
Clap, Clap Handsies
Clapping Game for Babies
Clapping Game for Babies
(Scots)
(English)
Clap, clap handies,
Mammie's wee, wee ain;
Clap, clap handies,
Daddie's comin' hame,
Hame till his bonny wee bit laddie;
Clap, clap handies,
My wee, wee ain.
Clap, clap handsies,
Mommy's little, little one;
Clap, clap handsies,
Daddy's coming home,
Home to his cute little bitty boy;
Clap, clap handsies,
My little, little one.
Notes
Glossary:
Wee = little or young
Ain = one
Hame = home
Till = to
Bonny = beautiful, pleasant-looking, smiling
Laddie = young boy
Comments
This rhyme is the Scottish version of the English rhyme…
Clap hands, clap hands,
Till father comes home,
For father's got money,
But mother's got none!
Here's a variation Alysa sent that her nanna sang to her (it combines both versions above):
Clap, clap handsies,
Mommy's little, little one;
Clap, clap handsies,
Daddy's coming home,
Home to his cute little bitty boy;
Clap, clap handsies,
My little, little one
Clap hands, clap hands,
Till father comes home,
For father's got money,
But mother's got none!
***
Here's another one that people mention on the internet:
Clap a clap a handies
Daddies comin hame
Pennies in his pocket
For his ain wee wane.
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Translated into modern English by Mama Lisa. The Scots version of this rhyme can be found in The Real Mother Goose (1916), illustrated by Blanche Fisher Wright. Many thanks to Alysa Wakefield for contributing the second version of this rhyme.