{#emotions_dlg.pin_green}Nursrey rhymes in Maltese

On Reading Nursery Rhymes With Children

These Maltese nursery rhymes are designed for children who are learning how to read Maltese. Preschoolers and Kindergartners enjoy picking out the words they can read in their favorite nursery rhymes.
All children take great delight in the rhythms and melodies of tunes. Remember, your singing voice doesn't matter -- even a jolly rhythmic chant will do, if you are hoarse. The emphasis on the melody and rhythm also helps the child learn the rhyme, increasing their vocabulary, and verbal skills. Even very young children will also imitate the songs, and have favorites they ask for. I have heard children as young as a year and a half trying to sing their favorite nursery rhymes.
Ages 0-5
Few Suggestions:
1. If it mentions a body part, touch it, shake it, wiggle it, tickle it, ...
2. If you see a picture of the word you are saying, point it out.
3. If there is an action mentioned, mimic it.
4. Sing whenever possible.
Ages 5-10
Children this age often know many of the rhymes by heart, and are comforted by the familiarity, but aren't aware of some the additional levels of information in the rhymes. It is good to particularly focus on counting rhymes and alphabet rhymes, and use them as an avenue to begin the learning process for these basic skills.
Other ways to use rhymes to enhance learning is with the Questions and Answers method. Naturally, if the child asks you questions about why, what, who, how or why (children this age are often still not too aware of "when"), the parent can use these questions as a leaping-off point for enhanced discussions.
If the child doesn't seem to ask questions themselves, you can encourage exploration and start the process of teaching critical thinking and reading by starting to ask questions of the child.
Good questions to start with are:

  • "What do you think is happening here?"
  • "Why do you think that happened?"
  • "Why did they do that?"
  • "Would you like to know more about [blank]?"

(something that is happening in the rhyme -- going to school or playing in the garden ... )
This is a good age to start working with riddles and puzzle questions. Often the younger child simply picks up on the sound of the rhyme, and won't fully appreciate some of the wonderful riddles. Older children can also delight in these, so long as they are new to them and their friends.
This is only a small collection of Maltese nursery rhymes. Please send me any other rhymes you know of and we publish them here to share them with others.
Thank you - Frank L Scicluna - Australia 2001 - frank@txc.net.au

 

 

 

 

 

1. IDEJJA

Idejja fuq rasi
spalleja u wicci
genbejja u haddejja
u issa warajja
ingibhom quddiemi
in capcap ferrieha
2. IMXI MIEGHI SAL-ISKOLA

Imxi mieghi sal-iskola
igri mieghi lejn id-dar
capcap idek
sabbat sieqek
aqbes darba
hbiebi zghar
3. LARINGA, LUMIJA

Laringa, lumija
qanpiena ta' santa liena
ghandi ntik tlett centezmi
meta se nhallsek
illum jew ghada?
liema wahda thobb?
larina jew lumija ?
4. AGHMEL, XITA, AGHMEL

Aghmel, xita, aghmel
halli jikber il-haxix,
il-haxix intuh il-moghza
il-moghza ttina l-halib.
il-halib intuh in-nanna
in-nanna thitilna qmis
5. FIL-GNIEN

Sema safi,
u bla rih,
ebda shaba,
jum sabih.
gib ballun
u lkoll flimkien
nigru, nigru
gewwal-gnien.
gnien sabih
u b'sigar kbar
b'dawn jifirhu
t-tfal iz - zghar.
6. FRA MARTINU FRA MARTINU

Fra Martinu Fra Martinu
qum minn hemm,
qum minn hemm
cempel l-qanpiena,
cempel l-qanpiena
din,don dan ...
din don dan
Repeat three times .......
7. ARA GEJJA L-MEWT GHALIK

Ara gejja l-mewt ghalik biex tixwik
biex taqlik
ara gejja
ara waslet
din id-daqqa min tahielek
8. DAWRA DURELLA

Dawra durella
qabza zigarella
coff tal-bellus
caqcaqhielu lill-gharus
axxa, axxa
missieru mastrudaxxa
mela one two three
9. BANNI BANNOZZI

Banni bannozzi
gej it-tata gej
kollox ghal marija
u lil karmenu ma ntuh xejn
10. A B C L-ISKUTELLA BIL-KAFE'

A - B - C l-iskutella bil-kafe'
il-kikkra u l-plattina
u n-nannu ma jridx jaghtina
11. TONI TAGHNA

Toni taghna tghani tina
talli tghajtu tuta tajba.
12. STORJA VITTORJA

Storja vittorja
l-angli jdoqqi l-glorja
siggu fin-nofs
qara baghli
sold u nofs
13. PACI KULACI

Paci kulaci
l-Madonna fuq rasi
Kristu fuq l-artal
qed ibierek it-tfal zghar
dawn it-tfal imberkin
ghax se jsiru qaddisin
14. HAWHA HELWA U HAWLIJA

Hawha helwa u hawlija,
mhawwla fil-hamrija hamra
Hdejn il-hawt taht il-hajt
ta' hal gharghur.
15. IL-PESPUS PESPES

Il-pespus pespes
tpespisa lill-pespusa
u l-perpusa pespset
tpispisa lill-pespus
16. IL-PUPA TIEGHI

Ghandi pupa wisq sabiha,
Ahmar wiccha bhall-pepprin,
B'par ghajnejn minn lewn is-sema,
Bhalha zgur ma ssibx helwin.

Il-mama' bhali tlibbisha,
Mid-drapp stess tal-libsa tieghi;
Ohti z-zghira nisthajjilha
Meta jien nohrogha mieghi

Fejn immur dejjem nehodha,
Ghax minghajrha ma jien xejn;
Minn fejn nghaddi nisma jghidu:
"Dawna donnhom pupi t-tnejn!"
17. LANCA GEJJA W OHRA SEJRA

Lanca gejja w'ohra sejra
Min tas-Sliema ghal Marsamxett
Il-Kaptan bil-pipa f'halqu
Jidderiegi l-bastiment

Sewwa sewwa f'nofs ta bahar
Il-kaptan hassu hazin
Ma kellux minn idur mieghu
Daru mieghu il-bahrin

Ghamillu karta... ghamillu karta
Ghamillu karta ghal tax-xjuh
18. AJMA ZAQQI

Ajma zaqqi
Kemm tugghani
Kilt il-gheneb
Mhux misjur
Iddendilt mal-kannisata
Qiesni kelb tal-kaccatur

19. KAXXA GUGARELLI

Ghandi kaxxa gugarelli,
din mimlija sa fuq nett,
Ghandi I-pupa u l-karrozza
u tat-te' jien ghandi sett.

Ballun ckejken u safrani,
ors jiccaqlaq u vapur,
hemm xadina qisha hajja,
pupu helu fuq mutur.
20. IR-RAZZETT TA' GANNI

Ganni l-bidwi razzett ghandu,
fih irabbi l-annimali
moghza u hmara fih insibu
kif ukoll xi sitt majjali.

Ghandu ziemel abjad kollu
baqra smina u tal-halib,
tigieg, flieles u kelb iswed,
li ta' dawn huwa l-habib.
21. IN-NANNU ZZEWWEG

Meta n-nannu rega zzewweg
Kera dar gewwa l-Furjana
Sewwa sewwa f'nofs il-bitha
Kellu sigra tal-banana
ONJI - O KAVALLIER
Bum Bum il-bieb
Ongi, ongi ongella
Bum Bum il-bieb
Ongi, o kavallier

Xi trid minn mid-dar taghna
Ongi, ongi ongella
Xi trid minn mid-dar taghna
Ongi, o kavallier

Irrid tifla sabiha
Ongi, ongi ongella
Irrid tifla sabiha
Ongi, o kavallier

Minn hija din it-tifla?
Ongi, ongi ongella
Minn hija din it-tifla?
Ongi, o kavallier

Din hija Mary Jane
Ongi, ongi ongella
Din hija Mary Jane
Ongi, o kavallier

Intuha pupa sabiha
Ongi, ongi ongella
Intuha pupa sabiha
Ongi, o kavallier

Dana mhux bizzejjed
Ongi, ongi ongella
Dana mhux bizzejjed
Ongi, o kavallier

Intuha curkett sabih
Ongi, ongi ongella
Intuha curkett sabih
Ongi, o kavallier

Huduha la triduha
Ghax ahna mghandiex x'nabuha
Karozza b'erba roti
Taghmel hoss ta' terremoti

 

 

 
 
  IL-FESTIN
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Kien hemm wahda mara l-Imdina
li ghamlet festin f'gheluq sninha,
irnma hbieb ma stidnitx
ghax nies ma riditx
u stiednet sittax-il xadina.

 
 
  KAMILLA
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Naf mara jisimha Kamilla
li mliet is-saqqu bis-silla
'mma zewgha ma riedx
ghax qal li dak hmieg
u mlietu minflok bil-bigilla.

 
 
  IL-QAQOCC
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Naf mara li thobb il-qaqocc
tnax tiekol kull kwarta bl-arlogg,
u biex ma tahlix
il-qxur ma tarmix
imma thithom u taghmel papocc.

 
 
  IZ-ZALZETT
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Hawn ragel, qrajt darba f'gazzetta
li jiekol kuljum elf zalzetta,
u mbaghad xarba nbid
u jorqod mhux ftit,
u jonhor bil-hoss ta' trumbetta.

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