If you have small children, especially if you have more than one, you’ve probably had to try to resolve a few arguments. Even French kids fight a lot, and mine certainly do.
“C’est mon tour! It’s my turn!”
“C’est à moi!” “It’s mine!”
It is amazing how kids everywhere are all the same. And even more amazing what they are ready to fight about. In desperation one day, I hit upon the ultimate solution to solving this oh-so-important dilemma of whose toy it is: Eeny, meeny, miny, moe in French.
Am Stam Gram
Now, if you recall, the English version is as follows:
Eeny, meeny, miny, moe,
Catch a tiger by the toe,
If he cries, let him go,
Eeny, meeny, miny, moe
Unsurprisingly, my kids looked at me like I had transformed into an alien. A foreign alien.
Of course, the rhyme is not the same in French. (I say unsurprisingly because these sort of things still surprise me. “What do you mean it’s not the same? Why doesn’t everybody just use Eeny, meeny?!”)
The French version, of course, is a bit different:
Am, stram, gram,
Pic et pic et colégram,
Bour et bour et ratatam
Am, stram, gram; pic!
If you are wondering what that sounds like, here it is:
It’s not really clear what it means, the words are not French. Some historians say it is Germanic in nature, while others say it could just be an incantation, similar to Abracadabra in English. But when you think about it, Eeny, meeny, miny, moe doesn’t really mean anything either!
Read more about French Parenting:
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- Middle school in France: Navigating the ‘Collège’ experience
- Primary school in France: A local parent’s view
- Family life in France: 16 Traditions and family structure
- 28 Interesting Facts about French Schools
- All about childcare in France: Crèche daycare or nanny?
Additional Verses to Am Stram Gram
There is sometimes an additional verse in French that does make a bit more sense:
| French lyric | English translation |
|---|---|
| Mais comme le Roi (et la reine) ne le veut (veulent) pas, ça sera toi ! | Since the King and the queen don’t want it, it will be you! |
Does it really help french kids share though? The jury is still out chez moi.
Plouf Plouf
Now if you are not sure about blabbering gibberish, there is the much more sensical Plouf plouf.
| French lyric | English translation |
|---|---|
| Plouf, plouf, plouf C’est toi qui sera le chat Mais si le roi n’le veut pas Ce sera toi | Splash, splash, splash You will be the cat But if the king doesn’t want it It will be you |
| Plouf, plouf, plouf C’est toi qui sera l’andouille Mais si le roi n’le veut pas Ce sera toi | Splash, splash, splash It’s you who will be the lazy sausage But if the king doesn’t want it It will be you |
| Plouf, plouf, plouf C’est toi, le gros patapouf Mais si le roi n’le veut pas Ce sera toi | Splash, splash, splash It’s you, the large child But if the king doesn’t want it It will be you |
| Plouf, plouf, plouf C’est toi qui sera le roi, Mais si le roi n’le veut pas Ce sera moi | Splash, splash, splash You will be the king, But if the king doesn’t want it It will be me |
Rather long, but it does seem to work. You can also substitute Roi (King) for Reine (Queen).
Do you have a similar rhyme in your country? If you enjoyed that, you may enjoy some other famous French nursery rhymes, lullabies, and songs for children here. A bientôt!
