Jack sent this song with the following note: "In Budapest, we have many fairs, especially at Christmas and Easter, but also for the carnival season coming after the long winter, heralding the end of it. Last year I happened to be in the main market of Budapest, I worked there as a ceramic–seller. There were many stalls, selling amazing mood-inspiring things.

There I decided to translate this very well-known Hungarian nursery and folksong for you. It is about the fair. It bears evident resemblance to Old Mac Donald Had a Farm. The attached mp3 version is sung by a very talented Hungarian actress whom I know and admire. Her name is: Rezes Judit (photo below). She sang this song for you in a public park."

Én elmentem a vásárba fél pénzzel - Hungarian Children's Songs - Hungary - Mama Lisa's World: Children's Songs and Rhymes from Around the World - Intro Image

Notes

(1) The cock in Hungarian says "bokréta", which interestingly means "posy" in English.

(2) The drake says: "riphajnal"- which means something like "dawn".

(3) The Hungarian colt says again something half non-sense (mihálybá). It is like, "Michael Papa".

Note from Jack: "The refrain 'kárikittyom' is a non-sense Hungarian word. Nevertheless everybody knows the coinage from this song. 'Little broody, sweetie biddy' seemed to be a possible solution. But… you know… (it will never be 'kárikittyom'.)"

Én elmentem a vásárba fél pénzzel - Hungarian Children's Songs - Hungary - Mama Lisa's World: Children's Songs and Rhymes from Around the World 1

Comments

Jack wrote, "The name of the pottery artist: SZURDI ÉVA. She is very famous in Hungary, her ceramics are really magical. I also fell in love with them, and she allowed me to sell them at the main fairs of Budapest. Her ceramics are not only nice but also practical. The blue hen in the photo, for instance, functions as ladle-holder....

For finding the suitable animal sounds I used a good page. It might have been recommended by you, before: Derek Abbott's Animal Sounds."

Listen

Download

Many thanks to Rezes Judit for singing this song for us!

Download MIDI Tune

Sheet Music

Sheet Music - Én elmentem a vásárba fél pénzzel

Thanks and Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Tinker Jack for contributing and translating this song.

Köszönöm szépen!