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Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

Pat-a-cake

Arabic translation:

زقفي للحجلة (in Lebanon)

Added to glossary by zkt
Jul 18, 2007 04:40
16 yrs ago
15 viewers *
English term

Pat-a-cake

English to Arabic Other Poetry & Literature games for kids
A rhyme sung to the kid and accompanied by hand-clapping between two people. It alternates between a normal individual clap with two-handed claps with the other person. The hands may be crossed as well. This allows for a possibly complex sequence of clapping that must be coordinated between the two.
Any similar games in the Middle East?
Proposed translations (Arabic)
5 زقفي للحجلة
5 حكرة بكرة
4 لعبة الكيكة
3 صفق صفق نينة
1 أغنية الخباز
Change log

May 19, 2008 12:11: zkt changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/55536">Sam Berner's</a> old entry - "Pat-a-cake"" to ""زقفي للحجلة (in Lebanon)""

Discussion

Lamis Maalouf Jul 18, 2007:
Sam, you are kind. Problems may be on the borders and among leaders, but I have signed a peace treaty with Lebanon when I married a Lebanese :-)
Sam Berner (asker) Jul 18, 2007:
يا ربي هلا راح يصير عنا حرب على الحدود :-] كيف أوزع عليكن النقاط؟؟ معليش لميس، زينة البنات أجابت قبل دقائق من قبلك ... راح نرد ليك مساعدتك بأكبر منها وهذا وعد مني...

مشكورين جميعا وخاصة الأخوة اللي نسيوا شو كنا بنعلب لما كنا صغار :-D
zkt Jul 18, 2007:
will tell you, I think there was one starting like this (زقفي للحجلة). 2 remarks: 1 the usage of the feminine even for baby boys (this is really frequent) and 2 the colloquial arabic for (صفّقي). In english this would be "clap for the partridge"
zkt Jul 18, 2007:
There are many rhymes like this in arabic, talking about Lebanon, however I don't think they have a specific name since the words change slightly from one region to another, sometimes rhymes are referred to by their first line. As soon as I remember one I
Abdulrahman Bustani Jul 18, 2007:
Ahlan :)
I am trying to think of a similar game but I am not getting any results :(
Maybe you can give the game any appropriate name and then insert a footnote by you [the translator] explaining the game and the way the child is expected to interact.
Sam Berner (asker) Jul 18, 2007:
Marhaba, Ustaz AbdulRahman. I am explaining normal child development to Arabic-speaking mothers in Australia. One of the things a normal 12 months old should be able to do is engage with mother in a hand clapping game, where he alternatively claps his, and then her, hands while she sings to him (so not just clapping but keeping rythm). I need to put it in an Arabic context, that's why I am looking for a similar game mothers would play in say, Egypt or Lebanon.

Proposed translations

2 hrs
Selected

زقفي للحجلة

review asker note, this is the text:
زقفي للحجلة
رايحة ومستعجلة
زقفي
زقفي

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2007-07-18 06:56:51 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

This is pure Lebanese
Note from asker:
I knew I should have waited for a female colleague :-D
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Merci, madam"
16 mins

أغنية الخباز

I don't remember a similar game, but based on the words of the rhyme, I think this suggestion might be acceptable. Of course, it depends on your context.
Regards
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2 hrs

لعبة الكيكة

مجرد أسم لائق بلعبة أو أغنية للأطفال، فالأهم هو شكل اللعبة وتستخدم كلمة كيكة في مصر في بعض الألعاب
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2 hrs

حكرة بكرة

هذا هو اسم اللعبة في سورية، حكرة بكرة قال لي ربي عدّ للعشرة، عشرة عشرين ( تصفيق ثلاث مرات) ثلاثين أربعين إلخ. طبعاً تختلف الكلمات من بلد عربي إلى آخر
Reference:

http://www.damaspost.com/?id=1417&page=show_det&select_page=22

http://g999g.com/vb/showthread.php?t=7283

Peer comment(s):
neutral zkt : In Lebanon this rhyme is used to determine the turn of a player in a game, salam Lamis
4 mins
Yes, it is used by adults to make fun of making decisions besides using it as a song for children
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47 days

صفق صفق نينة

In this rhyme the
صفق صفق نينة
بابا جبلي حنينة
حنالي دياتي
والباقي للميمة
there is a clap for each sylable uttered, this rhyme is syrian and may differ form region to region.
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