Frère Jacques

Frère Jacques is a well known children's song sung in the French language, usually used for basic melody training and practicing 'canon' music playing (where different players and/or singers start playing/singing the same tune with a temporal offset).

Jean-Luc Picard and the winners of the school science fair aboard the USS Enterprise-D sung this song while climbing up a turbolift shaft in 2368. (TNG: "Disaster")

Frère Jacques was one of the first tunes that Captain Picard, as Kamin, learned to play on his Ressikan flute. (TNG: "The Inner Light")

Picard (playing his Ressikan flute) and Nella Daren (playing her portable piano) performed a canon of Frère Jacques in Picard's quarters on the Enterprise-D in 2369. (TNG: "Lessons")

Frère Jacques Beaulieu was actually a celebrated 17th century French lithotomist, born in 1651.

Lyrics

Original (French)

Frère Jacques,
Frère Jacques,
Dormez vous?
Dormez vous?
Sonnez les matines,
Sonnez les matines,
Din, din, don!
Din, din, don!

English translation

Brother Jack,
Brother Jack,
Are you sleeping?
Are you sleeping?
Ring the morning bells,
Ring the morning bells,
Ding, Ding, Dong!
Ding, Ding, Dong!

There is also an English language version of the song; Jacques is translated as John, the first and second lines are switched, while the other lines are adapted as Morning Bells are Ringing instead of Ring the Morning Bells (imperative)

External links

• History of Frère Jacques
• Frère Jacques at Wikipedia