Alle Meine Entchen, popularly known as "All My Ducklings" amongst the English audience, is a famous folk verse that dates back several centuries. Years and years ago, parents were singing this fun song to their children, and now it is your turn! Even more impressive is the fact that the song's melody might've been created even before the lyrics.
It is a sweet lil' poem that originates from Germany. The lyrics penned down the story of ducklings, doves, chickens, and goslings going about their merry day. Some versions of the poem even include pigeons, geese, and other animals. So, if your kids love animals, they're about to be fascinated by the poetry!
Let us try to explore more about this poem and understand its historical roots!
Written lyrics
Here's how the fun lyrics to Alle Meine Entchen go:
All my ducklings
Swimming on the lake,
Swimming on the lake,
Heads in the water,
Little tails up in the air!
All my little doves
Sitting on the roof,
Sitting on the roof;
Clipper, clapper, clap, clap,
They fly over the roof.
All my chickens
Scratching in the straw
Scratching in the straw
Find a little grain,
They’re all happy.
All my goslings
Waddle across the ground,
Waddle across the ground,
Search in the pond,
Become round like a ball.
Printable lyrics
Download the fun printable lyrics to teach your kids about the poem or simply stick it on their walls. Find it here.
Photo lyrics
Video links
Watch the magic of this poem take over your child through this fantastic video:
Origins and history
Alle Meine Entchen is a German folk song whose origin can be traced back to the 19th century. However, the melody is said to be even older, originating in the 18th century. The poem's authorship is often attributed to Ernst Anschütz (1780–1861), a German lyricist, poet, and composer. But the source of this fact, Musikalisches Schulgesangbuch, published in 1824, does not have the poem present in it.
The first instance of Alle Meine Entchen as a nursery rhyme was by Wilhelm Raabe in his 1859 novel Die Kinder von Finkenrode. Sometimes, Gustav Eskuche is claimed as the owner, but his published version did not appear until 1891 in Hessian Children's Songs.
FAQ
To play the game, the children need to stand around in a circle, sing the lyrics, and mimic the words. For instance, in the first verse, kids can imitate swimming, and for the little tail part, they can wiggle their hips.
There are many speculations about who can be the author of Alle Meine Entchen. It is attributed to Ernst Anschütz, a German poet; Wilhelm Raabe, a German writer; and Gustav Eskuche, a high school teacher and folksong collector. However, no firm evidence supports their claim, and the authorship issue still remains muddy.
There were two earlier versions of Alle Meine Entchen before the latest version became prominent.
The 1859 version:
All our ducks
swim on the sea:
head in the water,
tail in the air.
The 1891 version:
All our ducks
swim on the lake,
put their heads in the water,
their tails in the air.
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