A Canoa Virou
A Canoa Virou
The Canoe Turned Over
Circle Game
Circle Game
(Portuguese)
(English)
A canoa virou,
Quem deixou ela virar
Foi por causa da Patrícia
Que não soube remar
Siriri prá cá, siriri prá lá
Ele gosta dela e quer casar.
The canoe turned over,
Who let it turn?
It was because of (insert child's name)
Who did not know how to row
Siriri* this way, siriri that way
He likes her and wants to get married!
Notes
*No translation.
*****
Larissa Martins Costa sent another version with the note:
"Hi! I'm from Brazil and I know a slightly different version of this song:
Instead of:
'Siriri prá cá, siriri prá lá
Ele gosta dela e quer casar.'
What I learned as a child was:
'Se eu fosse um peixinho
E soubesse nadar
Eu tirava a Patrícia lá do fundo do mar.'
This translates as:
'If I were a little fish
And knew how to swim
I'd rescue (insert child's name) from the bottom of the sea.'
I know other regions have other versions as well, or even stop singing after the first part.
No matter the version, this song is usually sung as a circle dance kind of game. The child named in the song has to turn their back to the circle, until the whole circle is facing outwards. Usually, this child will be the one to choose the next name to be sung, although when the game is played by a group of children and a grown-up (a teacher, a parent, a much older child, etc), the grown-up is usually the leader and chooses all the names. Yet another variation is simply to choose names clockwise in the circle.
In the version I know, you only sing the part about the overturned boat until everybody is facing outwards, and then you sing the part about the fish until everybody is facing inwards again. You can watch it being played in this way here (see video below)."
Game Instructions
Instructions can also be found in the note above.
"...This song is usually sung as a circle dance kind of game. The child named in the song has to turn their back to the circle, until the whole circle is facing outwards. Usually, this child will be the one to choose the next name to be sung, although when the game is played by a group of children and a grown-up (a teacher, a parent, a much older child, etc), the grown-up is usually the leader and chooses all the names. Yet another variation is simply to choose names clockwise in the circle.
In the version I know, you only sing the part about the overturned boat until everybody is facing outwards, and then you sing the part about the fish until everybody is facing inwards again." -Larissa Martins Costa
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Patricia Pinheiro for contributing and translating this nursery rhyme. Thanks also to Huub de Vriend for sending us the chords for the sheet music and midi. Many thanks to Larissa Martins Costa for sharing another version and the game instructions!
Obrigada!
