Ring a Ring o' Roses facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "Ring a Ring o' Roses" |
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Musical variations of '"Ring a Ring o' Roses", Alice Gomme, 1898.
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| Nursery rhyme | |
| Published | 1881 |
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"Ring a Ring o' Roses" is a very old and popular nursery rhyme or folksong. It is also a fun singing game that many children play. The rhyme first appeared in books in 1881. However, people were singing a similar version to the same tune as early as the 1790s. You can find similar rhymes and games in many other countries across Europe.
Contents
What are the Lyrics?
Nobody knows exactly when or how the first version of "Ring a Ring o' Roses" started. In most versions of the game, a group of children hold hands and dance in a circle. They usually dance around one person in the middle. When they sing the last line, everyone stoops down or curtsies.
Sometimes, the child who is slowest to stoop or curtsy gets a small penalty. Or, they might become the "rosie" (which means "rose tree" from the French word rosier) and take their turn in the center of the circle.
People have been singing different versions of this rhyme for a very long time. Some changes to the rhyme were even noticed in places like Connecticut in the 1840s.
Common Versions of the Rhyme
Here are some common versions of the rhyme that people sing in different places:
British Versions
Ring-a-ring o' roses,
A pocket full of posies,
A-tishoo! A-tishoo!
We all fall down.
Cows in the meadows
Eating buttercups
A-tishoo! A-tishoo!
We all jump up.
American Versions
Ring-a-round the rosie,
A pocket full of posies,
Ashes! Ashes!
We all fall down.
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Sometimes, the last two lines in American versions are a bit different:
Hush! Hush! Hush! Hush!
We've all tumbled down.
Indian Version
In India, a common version of the poem is:
Ringa ringa roses,
Pocket full of poses,
Hush-sha bush-sha,
All fall down.
Similar Rhymes Around the World
Many countries have their own versions of "Ring a Ring o' Roses." These rhymes often have similar actions, like dancing in a circle or sitting down at the end.
German Rhymes
A German rhyme from 1796 is very similar. It has the same actions, but children sit down instead of falling:
Ringel ringel reihen,
Wir sind der Kinder dreien,
sitzen unter'm Hollerbusch
Und machen alle Husch husch husch!
This means: "Ringed, ringed row. We are three children, sitting under an elder bush. All of us going hush, hush, hush!"
Another popular German version is:
Ringel, Ringel, Rosen,
Schöne Aprikosen,
Veilchen blau, Vergissmeinnicht,
Alle Kinder setzen sich!
This translates to: "A ring, a ring of roses. Beautiful apricots. Blue violets, forget-me-nots. All children sit down." In Switzerland, children often dance around a rosebush when they sing their versions of the rhyme.
Other European Versions
- The Netherlands: They have a game called "Roze, roze, meie" ("Rose, rose, May"). It sounds similar to "Ring a Ring o' Roses."
- Italy: In Venice, a game called "Gira, gira rosa" ("Circle, circle, rose") was recorded in 1874. Girls would dance around a girl in the middle. The girl in the middle would skip and curtsy. At the end, she would kiss the person she liked best, choosing them to be in the middle next.
- Croatia/Serbia/Bosnia: They have a similar rhyme called "Ringe Ringe Raja":
Ringe-ringe-raja,
Doš'o čika Paja,
Pa pojeo jaja.
Jedno jaje muć,
A mi, djeco, ČUČ!
This roughly means: "Ringe Ringe Raya (this part doesn't mean anything, it's just for fun), uncle Ducky has come, and he ate all the eggs, one egg crashed, and we children DUCK!" When they sing the last word, the children usually jump or duck down.
Images for kids
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Kate Greenaway's illustration from Mother Goose or the Old Nursery Rhymes (1881)
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Illustration by L. Leslie Brooke (1862–1940) for "All Tumble Down" from Anon, Ring O' Roses (1922)
See also
In Spanish: Corro de la patata para niños
