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  • Polish Lullaby Kotki Dwa

    February 27, 2020 2 min read

    10 Comments

    polish lullaby aaa kotki dwa

    There are plenty of beautiful Polish nursery rhymes. One of them, called Kotki Dwa (Two Kittens) is one of the most known Polish lullabies. Let’s get to know it together!

    Polish Nursery Rhymes and Polish Lullaby Kotki Dwa

    If you are a new parent, then you will quickly discover that it takes a bit more than just a lullaby to help your baby sleep. Still, lullabies have been around since the beginning of times (they are one of the oldest forms of music), because they have helped soothe the sleepless baby, as well as the sleepless parent. There are beautiful songs that have been a part of one’s tradition for generations, and there are new ones, made up by the creativity of the parents, finding their way out into the world through repetition and a word of mouth. If you are Polish, or are interested in Polish culture, then you will find a great number or beautiful Polish nursery rhymes to listen to, learn and then sign to your bundle of joy.

    So what do Polish children love to sing?

    As all others, they are all about modern kids songs like the ones found on YouTube’s Cocomelon (who can get the Baby Shark song out of their head?), but super simple kids songs that everyone knows are also popular: The Wheels on the Bus, preschool learning ABCs, and songs about counting numbers and learning animals are regularly taught at school. Still, Polish songs for children take up a big part of their schooling, making sure that each and every child knows the basics of national nursery songs.

    Kotki Dwa (Two Kittens) is a known nursery rhyme and one of the most common Polish lullabies, and the one you should know too, especially if you are a Polish parent. It’s origins are difficult to be discovered, but it’s been a part of every household’s sleep routine for generations.

    See below the lyrics and their translation.

    Polish lyrics:

    Aaa, kotki dwa, szarobure obydwa, nic nie będą robiły, tylko ciebie bawiły.

    Aaa, kotki dwa, szarobure obydwa, jak się kotki rozegrały, to dziecinę kołysały.

    Aaa, kotki dwa, szarobure obydwa, jeden szary, drugi bury, a ten trzeci myk! do dziury.

    Aaa, kotki dwa, szarobure obydwa, żeby tylko jeden był, to by z tobą mleczko pił.


    English lyrics:

    Aaah, two kittens, both mottled grey, they won't do anything, but entertain you.

    Aaah, two kittens, both mottled grey, as they frolicked, they were rocked the baby.

    Aaah, two kittens, both mottled grey, the first one grey, the second one mottled, the third one run into the hole!

    Aaah, two kittens, both mottled grey, if there was only one, then it would drink milk with you. 

    Although there are different versions of the song, both when it comes to the lyrics and the way it is sung, the one on the following link represents the most common one. Give it a listen to get a better idea of how it goes!

    Now you have all the information to hum this Polish song, as you rock your baby goodnight. Sleep tight!

     

    10 Responses

    Laurie Hauck
    Laurie Hauck

    April 28, 2024

    My grandma sang this, and the one about the bird cooking porridge. I didn’t know the names, but found them both, because I remembered what they were about. I ssnd them to my kids and to my grandkids.. sweet memories ❤️

    Nancy
    Nancy

    January 26, 2024

    I’ve always heard it sung with a much different melody, softer, gentler, but can’t remember it exactly. Same words, just different tune. The one on YouTube is kind of creepy. 😬
    Any ideas where to find difficult versions??

    Thomas Durlak
    Thomas Durlak

    December 27, 2022

    I sing this to my 11 month old grandson and sang it to my older grandson when he was a baby. I remember my mom singing it to her grandchildren (my daughter, neice and nephews). It something I’ve know since a child

    belamey
    belamey

    September 13, 2022

    My bubcia always sang this to me as a small child when my family lived in the city, once we moved away we saw a lot less of her, she recently overcame cancer and this song brought back such sweet memories for me as she often sang my sisters and me to sleep every night we stayed over. She rubbed my back and sang this until I fell asleep and it was so comforting, especially now when I’m older looking back. I don’t speak a word of polish besides the very basics and I’m glad I found out what she was singing all these years later.

    Mary
    Mary

    May 20, 2022

    Dziekuje, I am so happy to have found this nursery rhyme which my Babci and my mother would sing to me in the after WWII when I was a child. I once knew all the words but forgot most of them. It is comforting to hear them again.

    Monica Cote '
    Monica Cote '

    April 19, 2022

    My Babci sang this lullaby to me for years. She did not speak English but I remember this tune, and can recite these words frim memory. I never knew what they meant until I read this. Thank You. Our Retirement Community is having a Follies with a Theme of " Around the world in Eighty Days" I hope to sing this, dressed as my Babci cradling a Baby Doll.

    Sara Demick Ewen
    Sara Demick Ewen

    March 30, 2022

    This was my Grandfather’s legacy, the lullabies he sang to his kids and then his grandkids, and sometimes kids that weren’t related. I’ve never known the whole thing so I was glad to find this. Thank you.

    Irene Lynch
    Irene Lynch

    July 23, 2020

    Kocham kotki dva.

    Bernice
    Bernice

    June 27, 2020

    Brings back such sweet memories

    Michael Daun
    Michael Daun

    April 30, 2020

    Many years ago my mom used to sing this at our home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. She’s been gone for nearly 50 years, but hearing this lullaby again brought her back to life for me for at least a few moments. Thank you

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