Willie, Take Your Little Drum (Pat a Pan)

Carol, France.

This is a Christmas carol from France, originally written in Burgundian by Bernard de La Monnoye and published in 1720. Its title is onomatopoetic, mimicking the sound of the drums of shepherds gathering around the birthplace of Jesus Christ. Apparently, the same shepherds also play the flute, as indicated in the lyric “tu-re-lu-re-lu”.

The original title of this carol was “Guillô, Pran Ton Tamborin” (“Willie, Take Your Little Drum”).

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Sing-Along Video with Lyrics

Lyrics (English)

Willie, take your little drum,
with your whistle, Robin, come!
When we hear the fife and drum,
ture-lure-lu, pata-pata-pan,
When we hear the fife and drum,
Christmas should be frolicsome.

Thus the men of olden days
for the King of Kings to praise,
When they heard the fife and drum,
ture-lure-lu, pata-pata-pan,
When they hear the fife and drum, sure,
our children won’t be dumb.

God and man are now become
more at one than fife and drum.
When you hear the fife and drum,
ture-lure-lu, pata-pata-pan,
When you hear the fife and drum,
dance and make the village hum.

Lyrics (French)

Guillaume, prends ton tambourin,
Toi, prends ta flûte, Robin;
Au son de ces instruments,
Turelurelu, patapatapan,
Au son de ces instruments,
Je dirai Noël gaîment.

C’était la mode autrefois,
De louer le Roi des rois,
Au son de ces instruments,
Turelurelu, patapatapan,
Au son de ces instruments,
Il nous en faut faire autant.

L’homme et Dieu sont plus d’accord,
Que la flûte et le tambour;
Au son de ces instruments,
Turelurelu, patapatapan,
Au son de ces instruments,
Chantons, dansons, sautons en!

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