Songs as a method for internalizing Greek

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Louis L Sorenson
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Joined: May 5th, 2011, 9:21 pm
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Songs as a method for internalizing Greek

Post by Louis L Sorenson »

One of the things I've been involved in over the last several years has been to translate Praise and Worship songs, Children's song, and many secular songs into Koine Greek. Why would I do this? Why is this valuable to those wishing to internalize Greek?

1) Songs are stored in the memory different than memorizing texts and other passages.

2) I have a strong belief, that popular songs have a latent, preset pattern of recognizable and expected phrases and sayings. People who like and immediately recognize a tune have the words/thoughts which are associated with that tune go through their minds. When they hear a tune, they hear the words (in their native tongue - if that version has been popularized.)
they cannot stop those words from populating their minds. This immediate connection between tune and words, is a connection which language teaching can use to maximize 2nd language learning.

3) I've had a number of students, both in young (17) and old (69) who have really appreciated learning modern songs (songs they have a close familiarity with) in Koine Greek. They are convinced that learning songs (learning Greek by learning Greek songs) has helped them. One of the favorite songs is "He's got the whole world in his hand(s)." This song teaches ἔχει, ὅλον τὸ κόσμον, ἐν χειρί. There are a number of verses. When teaching class, I constantly revert to this song phrase. The students implicitly know what it means.

I would like to continue this thread. But it the meantime, give the link to my song site, which desperately needs updating. Take a look at http://www.letsreadgreek.com/songs. Give a few a try.

P.S. One of my favorite is a non-Christian song, which is not published there: The Banana Song.

1 ἡὼς, ἡὼς,
2 ἥκει ἡὼς, οἴκαδε δ' ἰέναι θέλω.
3 ἡὼς, ἐρῶ ἡὼς, ἐρῶ ἠώς
4 ἥκει ἡὼς, οἴκαδε δ' ἰέναι θέλω.

5 νύκτα πᾶσαν ἠργαζόμην μόνον οἶνον πίων·
6 ἥκει ἡὼς, οἴκαδε δ' ἰέναι θέλω.
7 ἕως φάνῃ ἠὼς σταφυλὰς κομιῶ
8 ἥκει ἡὼς, οἴκαδε δ' ἰέναι θέλω.

9 ἄγε ὦ ταμία λογίζου σταφυλάς μου
10 ἥκει ἡὼς, οἴκαδε δ' ἰέναι θέλω.
11 ἄγε ὦ ταμία λογίζου σταφυλάς μοι
12 ἥκει ἡὼς, οἴκαδε δ' ἰέναι θέλω.

13 αἴρων ἄνω αὖ ἓξ, ἑπτὰ, ὀκτώ.
14 ἥκει ἡὼς, οἴκαδε δ' ἰέναι θέλω.
15 αἴρων ἄνω αὖ ἓξ, ἑπτὰ, ὀκτώ.
16 ἥκει ἡὼς, οἴκαδε δ' ἰέναι θέλω.

17 ἠὼς, ἐρῶ ἠὼς
18 ἥκει ἡὼς, οἴκαδε δ' ἰέναι θέλω.
19 ἠὼς, ἐρῶ ἠὼς ἐρῶ ἠὼς ἐρῶ ἠὼς
20 ἥκει ἡὼς, οἴκαδε δ' ἰέναι θέλω.

21 καλὸς ὁ βότρυς σταφυλῶν ὠραίων
22 ἥκει ἡὼς, οἴκαδε δ' ἰέναι θέλω.
23 δεινὸς ὁ ἀράχνης ὁ μέλας τε καὶ κρυπτός.
24 ἥκει ἡὼς, οἴκαδε δ' ἰέναι θέλω.

25 αἴρων ἄνω αὖ ἓξ, ἑπτὰ, ὀκτώ.
26 ἥκει ἡὼς, οἴκαδε δ' ἰέναι θέλω.
27 αἴρων ἄνω αὖ ἓξ, ἑπτὰ, ὀκτώ.
28 ἥκει ἡὼς, οἴκαδε δ' ἰέναι θέλω.

29 ἠὼς, ἐρῶ ἠὼς ἠὼς
30 ἥκει ἡὼς, οἴκαδε δ' ἰέναι θέλω.
31 ἠὼς, ἐρῶ ἠὼς, ἐρῶ ἠὼς, ἐρῶ ἠὼς
32 ἥκει ἡὼς, οἴκαδε δ' ἰέναι θέλω.

33 ἄγε ὦ ταμία λογίζου σταφυλάς μου
34 ἥκει ἡὼς, οἴκαδε δ' ἰέναι θέλω.
35 ἄγε ὦ ταμία λογίζου σταφυλάς μοι
36 ἥκει ἡὼς, οἴκαδε δ' ἰέναι θέλω.

37 ἠὼς, ἐρῶ ἠὼς ἠὼς
38 ἥκει ἡὼς, οἴκαδε δ' ἰέναι θέλω.
39 ἠὼς, ἐρῶ ἠὼς, ἐρῶ ἠὼς, ἐρῶ ἠὼς
40 ἥκει ἡὼς, οἴκαδε δ' ἰέναι θέλω.

Greek text, ©2010 Louis Sorenson, LetsReadGreek.com
(Academic and Personal use freely allowed with credits).

English Lyrics
(Harry Belafonte, The Banana Song, 1956)

Day-o, day-ay-ay-o
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Day-o, day-ay-ay-o
Daylight come and me wan' go home

Work all night on a drink of rum
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Stack banana till de morning come
Daylight come and me wan' go home

Come, Mister tally man, tally me banana
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Come, Mister tally man, tally me banana
Daylight come and me wan' go home

Lift six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch
Daylight come and me wan' go home

Day, me say day-ay-ay-o
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Day, me say day, me say day, me say day
Daylight come and me wan' go home

Beautiful bunch of ripe banana
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Hide the deadly black tarantula
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Lift six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Day, me say day-ay-ay-o
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Day, me say day, me say day, me say day
Daylight come and me wan' go home

Come, Mister tally man, tally me banana
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Come, Mister tally man, tally me banana
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Day-o, day-ay-ay-o
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Day, me say day, me say day, me say day....ay-ay-o
Daylight come and me wan' go home

Song Lyrics: "The Banana Boat Song (Day-O)"
First Recorded by: "Edric Connor and the Caribbeans" (1952)
Best Known Recording: "Harry Belafonte" (1956)
Written by: (Traditional Jamaican Mento folk song)
Rewritten by: (Irving Burgie and William Attaway) (1956)

English Audio: http://www.elyrics.net/read/h/harry-bel ... cs-18.html
Louis L Sorenson
Posts: 711
Joined: May 5th, 2011, 9:21 pm
Location: Burnsville, MN, USA
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Re: Songs as a method for internalizing Greek

Post by Louis L Sorenson »

While going through some simple songs, I got stuck on Father Abraham this week (1008/2011). The children's song is simple, and action based, but means literally nothing. The song goes through commands to little children to move their body parts. Right arm! Left arm! Right foot! Left foot! Chin up! Turn around! Sit down.

Edit Note: an updated (the most current version of this song can be found at http://www.letsreadgreek.com/songs/fath ... braham.pdf

Here is the simple children's song:
Father Abraham had many sons
Many sons had Father Abraham
I am one of them and so are you
So let's all praise the Lord.
Right arm!
Seehttp://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/f033.html.

The actions in In Koine this would be
χεῖρα δεξιάν!
ἀριστρεράν τε!
πόδα δεξιόν!
ἀριστερόν τε!
γένειον ἄνω!
στρέψασθε κύκλῳ!
κάθεσθε κάτω!
The original could use either ἔχω, ἔστιν αὐτῷ.

Πατὴρ Ἀβρααμ ἔχει πολλοὺς υἱοὺς
τῳ Αβραάμ εἰσιν πολλοὶ υἱοὶ
εῖς αὐτὼν, ἐγώ εἰμι (2nd time εἷς αὐτὼν, σύγε εἶ)
τὸν Κύριον δοξάσωμεν.

Daniel Streett had sent me a version of his several years ago, I don't know how much of it I have borrowed, I was thinking how to change the song: πολλοὺς υἱούς, πολλὰ τέκνα, πολλὰς θύγατρας. Somehow the geneologies got stuck in my mind. (I have a version of them posted at [url]http:\\www.letsreadgreek.com\teachingresources\[/url]). Some of the possible verses are given below. I've tried to get the accents correct. And sometimes there are more than the number of sons suggested when you check the fuller geneologies in the OT. God and the women also have to have a place.


ὁ θεὸς πάλαι ἔκτισεν
δύο πάντων ζῴων ἔκτισεν
τὸν ἀρσενικὸν, εἶτα τὴν θῆλυν.
κατὰ γένος αὐτὰ ἔκτισεν

ὁ θεὸς πάλαι ἔπλασεν
δυὸ ἀνθρώπους ἔπλασεν
ὁ ἀνὴρ ὃν πρῶτον ἔπλασεν
ἐκλήθη Ἄδαμος.

ὁ θεὸς πάλαι ἔπλασεν
δυὸ ἀνθρώπους ἔπλασεν
ἡ γυνὴ ἣν πρῶτην ἔπλασεν
ἐκλήθη Εὕα.

πατὴρ Ἄδαμ ἐγέννησεν
τρεῖς υἱοὺς ἐγέννησεν
οἱ υἱοὶ οὒς ἐγέννησεν
(ἐκλήθ)ησαν Καιν Αβελ καὶ Σεθ.

πατὴρ Νῶχος, ἐγεννησεν
τρεῖς υἱοὺς ἐγέννησεν
οἱ υἱοὶ οὐς ἐγέννησεν
καλοῦνται ὁ Σημ, ὁ Χαμ, ὁ Ιαφεθ.

πατὴρ Ἀβρααμ, ἐγέννησεν
δύο υἱοὺς ἐγέννησεν
οἱ υἱοὶ οὓς ἐγέννησεν
καλοῦνται Ὶσαακ καὶ Ισμαηλ

πατὴρ Ἰσαακ ἐγέννησεν
δύο υἱοὺς ὲγέννησεν
οἱ υἱοὶ οὓς ὲγέννησεν
καλοῦνται Ἠσαῦ και Ιακωβ

πατὴρ Ἰακώβ ἐγέννησεν
δώδεκα υἱοὺς ὲγέννησεν.
οἱ υἱοὶ οὓς ἐγέννησεν
ἐγένοντο αἱ φυλαὶ τῶν Ἰσραήλ.

μήτηρ Ραχὴλ ἔτεκεν
δύο υἱοὺς ἔτεκεν
οἱ υἱοὶ οὒς ἔτεκεν
ἧσαν Βενιαμίν καὶ Ιωσήφ.

ἐκ Ραχάβ ἐτέχθη
υἰὸς αὐτῇ εἱς ἐτέχθη | Or τῷ ἀνδρὶ Βοες ἐτέχθη
ὁ υἱὸς ὃς αὐτῇ ἐτέχθη
ὀνομάζεται Ἰεσσαί

ὁ Ιεσσαί ἐγέννησεν
ὀκτὼ (ἑπτὰ) υἱοὺς ἐγέννησεν
ὁ νεώτερος ἐγένετο
Δαυὶδ ὁ Βασιλεύς


Variants/Swithouts:


καλεῖται is called
καλοῦνται are called
ἐκλήθη was called
ἐκλήθησαν are called
ὀνομάζεται is called

ἐστίν is
εἶσιν are
ἦν was
ἦσαν were

ἐγέννησεν he fathered
ἐγέννηθη was fathered (by ὑπὸ____ ) (from ἐκ τῆς _________(
ἐγέννηθησαν were fathered (by ὑπὸ ____) (from ἐκ τῆς _____ )

ἔτεκεν she bore (to τῷ ________
ἐτέχθη he/she was born (to τῷ / τῇ ________
ἐτέχθησαν they were born (to τῷ / τῇ ________

ἔκτισεν he created
ἐκτίσθη he/she was created
ἐκτίσηθσαν they were created

ἔπλασεν he formed
ἐπλάσθη he/she was formed
ἐπλάσθησαν they were formed


I'll try to post some audio soon -- in the meantime, try it out. I really like how it teaches relative pronouns. It is very repetitive, and you can also do the hand movements (= 7 verse repetitions).
Louis L Sorenson
Posts: 711
Joined: May 5th, 2011, 9:21 pm
Location: Burnsville, MN, USA
Contact:

Re: Songs as a method for internalizing Greek

Post by Louis L Sorenson »

I've posted a pdf of Father Abraham at http://www.letsreadgreek.com/songs/fath ... braham.pdf. It actually fits in the the genealogies quite well. Some people have sent me some corrections, and I've tried to incorporate them and fix the errors.
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