15 Traditional Italian Nursery Rhymes and Their Meanings in English

Nursery rhymes are part of everyone’s upbringing, regardless of our cultural background. These rhythmic verses serve as gentle reminders of our early years, and we take pleasure in sharing them across generations.

In this piece, we present fifteen widely recognised traditional Italian nursery rhymes that are certain to evoke fond memories, particularly if you grew up in an Italian household!

1. Ambarabà Ciccì Coccò

Ambarabà Ciccì Coccò

Italian words

Ambarabà ciccì coccò
tre civette sul comò
che facevano l’amore
con la figlia del dottore.
Il dottore si ammalò
Ambarabà ciccì coccò!

English translation

Ambaraba cicci cocco
three owls on the dresser
who made love
to the doctor’s daughter
The doctor fell ill
Ambarabà ciccì cocco!

Owl doll knitted

2. Arri Arri Cavallino

Come Come Little Horse

Italian words

Arri arri cavallino
per la strada del mulino.
Il mulino è rovinato,
il mugnaio s’è legato;
s’è legato alla catena,
la sua moglie fa la cena;
fa la cena per bambino:
arri arri cavallino.

English translation

Come, come, little horse
on the street of the mill.
The mill is ruined,
the miller is bound;
he tied himself to the chain,
his wife makes dinner;
makes dinner for a child:
come, come, little horse.

Horse on the meadow in the mountains

3. Bella Manina

Lovely Little Hand

Italian words

Bella manina
Dove sei stata?
Dalla nonnina.
Cos’hai mangiato?
Pane e formaggio.
Cos’hai bevuto?
L’acqua del mare
Buttala via che ti fa male!

English translation

Lovely little hand
Where have you been?
At granny’s house.
What did you eat?
Bread and cheese.
What did you drink?
Sea water
Throw it away, it’s bad for you!

Girl with painted green hands

4. Capra Capretta

Goat Little Goat

Italian words

Capra capretta,
che bruchi tra l’erbetta,
vuoi una manciatina
di sale da cucina?
Il sale è salato,
il bimbo è nel prato,
la mamma è alla fonte,
il sole è sul monte,
sul monte c’è l’erbetta,
capra capretta!

English translation

Little goat,
that grazes amongst the grass,
do you want a handful
of table salt?
Salt is salty
the child is in the meadow,
the mother is at the spring,
the sun is on the mountain,
on the mountain there is grass,
goat little goat!

White baby goat standing on green grass with yellow flowers

5. Farfallina Bella e Bianca

Beautiful White Butterfly

Italian words

Farfallina bella e bianca
vola vola mai si stanca
vola qua, vola là:
mai nessun la fermerà!
Vola, vola ore ed ore
poi si posa su un bel fiore
vola qua, vola la:
mai nessun la fermerà!

English translation

Beautiful and white butterfly
flies flies and never get tired
She flies here, she flies there:
no one will ever stop her!
She flies, she flies for hours and hours
then she lands on a beautiful flower
She flies here, she flies there:
no one will ever stop her!

white butterfly on flower

6. Filastrocca della Settimana

The Nursery Rhyme of the Week

Italian words

Tanto sole il lunedì;
bianca neve il martedì;
mercoledì si scende in piazza
per sentir la storia pazza;
qui si ride il giovedì;
non si piange il venerdì;
e di sabato, vi avviso,
c’è la festa del sorriso.
La domenica, è baldoria,
perché inizia un’altra storia.

English translation

Lots of sun on Monday;
white snow on Tuesday;
Wednesday we go down to the streets
to hear the crazy story;
here we laugh on Thursdays;
you don’t cry on Friday;
and on Saturday, I warn you,
there is the festival of smiles.
Sunday, it’s revelry,
because another story begins.

close up of a page of a calendar

7. Fra’ Martino Campanaro

Brother Martin, Bell Ringer

Italian words

Fra’ Martino, campanaro,
dormi tu? dormi tu?
Suona le campane, suona le campane,
din, don, dan, din, don, dan,
suona le campane, din, don, dan!

English translation

Brother Martin, bell ringer,
Are you sleeping? Are you sleeping?
Ring the bells, ring the bells,
din, don, dan, din, don, dan,
ring the bells, din, don, dan!

church bells

8. Il Cavallo del Bambino

The Child’s Horse

Italian words

Il cavallo del bambino
Va pianino, va pianino
Il cavallo del vecchietto
Va zoppetto, va zoppetto
Il caval del signorino
Va lentino, va lentino
Il caval del giovanotto
Va di trotto va di trotto
Il caval del signorotto
Va al galoppo al galoppo
Il caval del mio compare
Come il vento sa volare
E il caval che va alla guerra?Patapumfete tutti giù a terra!

English translation

The child’s horse
Goes slowly, goes slowly
The old man’s horse
Limps along, limps along
The gentleman’s horse
Goes slowly, goes slowly
The young man’s horse
Goes trot, goes trot
The gentleman’s horse
He gallops, gallops
My friend’s horse
Knows how to fly like the wind
And the horse that goes to war?
…patapumfete everyone on the ground!

Horse on nature. Portrait of a horse, brown horse

9. La Cicala e la Formica

The Cicada and the Ant

Italian words

Chiedo scusa alla favola antica
se non mi piace l’avara formica
io sto dalla parte della cicala
che il più bel canto non vende…
regala!

English translation

I apologise to the old fable
if I don’t like the stingy ant
I’m on the side of the cicada
who does not sell the most beautiful song…he gives it away!

Cicada camouflaged in the middle of the forest 0

10. Occhio Bello

Beautiful Eye

Italian words

Questo è l’occhio bello,
questo è suo fratello,
questa è la chiesina
e questo il campanello,
din don din don din don.

La testina bionda,
guancia rubiconda,
bocca sorridente,
fronte innocente,
din don din don din don.

English translation

This is the beautiful eye,
this is his brother,
this is the little church
and this is the bell,
din don din don din don.

The blond head,
ruddy cheek,
smiling mouth,
innocent face,
din don din don din don.

Horse on nature. Portrait of a horse, brown horse

11. Oh Che Bel Castello

Oh What a Beautiful Castle

Italian words

Oh che bel castello
marcondirondirondello,
oh che bel castello
marcondirondirondà

Il mio è ancora più bello
marcondirondirondello,
il mio è ancora più bello
marcondirondirondà

E noi lo ruberemo
marcondirondirondello,
e noi lo ruberemo marcondirondirondà

E noi lo rifaremo
marcondirondirondello,
e noi lo rifaremo marcondirondirondà

E noi lo bruceremo
marcondirondirondello,
e noi lo bruceremo
marcondirondirondà

E noi lo spegneremo
marcondirondirondello,
e noi lo spegneremo
marcondirondirondà

English translation

Oh what a beautiful castle
marcondirondirondello,
oh what a beautiful castle
marcondirondirondà

Mine is even more beautiful
marcondirondirondello,
mine is even more beautiful
marcondirondirondà

And we will steal it
marcondirondirondello,
and we will steal it
marcondirondirondà

And we will build it again
marcondirondirondello,
and we will build it again
marcondirondirondà

And we will burn it marcondirondirondello,
and we will burn it
marcondirondirondà

And we will put it out
marcondirondirondello,
and we will extinguish it
marcondirondirondà

Castel del Monte, historic castle in Barletta Andria Trani province, Apulia, Italy

12. Piazza, Bella Piazza

Square, Beautiful Square

Italian words

Su questa bella piazza
passò una lepre pazza;
il pollice la vide,
l’indice la prese,
il medio l’ammazzò,
l’anulare la cucinò.
E al mignolino,
andato per vino
non gliene lasciarono
neppure un pezzettino!

English translation

In this beautiful square
a mad hare passed by;
the thumb saw her,
the forefinger grabbed her,
the middle finger killed her,
the ring finger cooked her.
And the little finger,
who went to get wine
wasn’t left
a single piece!

Wild wood mouse sitting on the forest floor

13. Topolino Topoletto

Little Mouse, Little Mouse

Italian words

Topolino, topoletto,
zum pa pa
è finito sotto al letto
zum pa pa
e la mamma poverina
zum pa pa
gli ha tirato una scopina.
zum pa pa
Corri, corri all’ospedale,
zum pa pa
l’ospedale era chiuso;
zum pa pa
corri, corri in farmacia,
zum pa pa
la farmacia era aperta
zum pa pa
e gli han messo una fascetta
zum pa pa
lunga come una scopetta.
zum pa pa
È finita la barzelletta,
zum pa pa
È finita la barzelletta
zum pa pa

English translation

Little mouse, little mouse,
zum pa pa
he ended up under the bed
zum pa pa
and his poor mother
zum pa pa
she threw a broom at him.
zum pa pa
Run, run to the hospital,
zum pa pa
the hospital was closed;
zum pa pa
run, run to the pharmacy,
zum pa pa
the pharmacy was open
zum pa pa
and they put a band on him
zum pa pa
as long as a broom.
zum pa pa
The joke is over
zum pa pa
The joke is over
zum pa pa

Wild wood mouse sitting on the forest floor

14. Trotta Trotta Cavallino

Trot Trot Little Horse

Italian words

Trotta trotta cavallino,
porta a spasso il mio bambino:
fallo andare come il vento,
fallo andare a mille e cento.

Passa i monti e la marina,
fallo andare domattina,
e poi dopo scappa scappa,
che il mio bimbo vuol la pappa!

English translation

Trot trot little horse,
take my child for a walk:
make him go like the wind,
make him go at one thousand and one hundred
(miles per hour).

Pass the mountains and the sea,
make him go tomorrow morning,
and then after, run away, run away,
my baby wants his food!

Wild wood mouse sitting on the forest floor

15. Zucca Pelata

Cue Ball (literally “bald pumpkin”)

Italian words

Zucca pelata fece le frittelle,
e non ne diede alle sue sorelle,
le sue sorelle fecero la frittata
e non ne diedero a Zucca pelata.

English translation

Cue ball made pancakes,
and gave none to his sisters,
his sisters made an omelet
and they gave none to Cue ball.

bald funny man

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