Patapan
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Patapan is the title of a traditional French (specifically, Burgundian) Christmas Carol. The carol revolves around the birth of Jesus Christ, and is told from the perspective of shepherds playing simple instruments--flutes and drums--the onomatopoetic sound of which gives the song its name; "patapan" is meant to mimic the sound of the drum, and an accompanying lyric, "tu-re-lu-re-lu," the flute. This is similar conceptually to the carol The Little Drummer Boy, with its chorus of "pa-rum-pa-pum-pum." Though originally in French, one version of the lyrics in English are as follows:
To the sound of flute and drum
Shepherds to the stable come
We must play our music well,
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, Pata-patapan,
We must play our music well,
To the Savior sing Noël.
See the shepherds haste away,
We must leave without delay.
We must play our music well,
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, Pata-patapan,
We must play our music well
To the savior sing Noël.
Patapan, Patapan.
God and man, your songs of praise,
With the flute and drum now raise!
Thus united play and sing,
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, Pata-patapan,
Thus united play and sing
To the newborn king.
Patapan, Patapan.
God and man, your songs of praise
To the flute and drum now raise!
God and man, your songs of praise
To the flute and drum now raise!
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, Pata-patapan,
We must play our music well,
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, Pata-patapan,
To the savior sing Noël.
God and man, your songs of praise
To the flute and drum now raise!
We must play our music well
To the savior sing Noël,
Noël, Noël.
Another English version:
Willie, take your little drum;
With your whistle, Robin, come!
When we hear the fife and drum,
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, Pata-patapan,
When we hear the fife and drum,
Christmas should be frolicsome.
Thus the men of olden days
Loved the King of kings to praise.
When they hear the fife and drum,
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, Pata-patapan,
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,
Tu-re-lu-re-lu, Pata-patapan,
When you hear the fife and drum,
Dance and make the village hum!
