Dear Susan,

I am not sure what the first line means, Charles Gehring might know that. The rest is as follows: 

Trip a trop a troontjes (Maybe just a line to create the rythm and the rhyme of the song?) 
the piglets in the beans,
 the (little) cows in the clover,
the horses in  the oats, 
the ducklings in the waterpond 
[and then they would lift a little child in the air, saying:] that's how big our little Joris is!

Friendly greetings and all the best with your research,

Janny Venema
New Netherland Project


Janny Venema
New Netherland Project
NY State Library
CEC 8th floor
Albany, NY 12230
phone: (518) 408-1210
>>> [log in to unmask] 11/02/05 9:50 AM >>>
Good morning.
 
Last year the fine historians on this list provided me direction on both  
flintlock guns and Dutch sailing sloops, both subjects part of an historical  
novel I'm writing dealing with slavery in Dutch New York.
 
Today I am asking for help finding a translation for this Dutch children's  
song:
 
     "Trip a trop a tronjes 
De varken in  de boonjes.
De keojes in de  klaver
De paardeen in de  haver.
De eenjes in de  waterplass
So grootmiess kleine joris wass."
 
I have come up empty-handed on my own devices. Any help would be greatly  
appreciated.
 
Susan Rosenberg
Delmar, NY