Oh, children's rhyme, how touching!

(VHQN) - Children's songs (僮謠), "dong" means child, "dao" means song or melody. So children's songs are children's songs.

The rural landscape nurtures folk songs and rhymes. Photo: PHAN VU TRONG

The folk arts of the entire country are rich and diverse, but strangely, the section dedicated to children's rhymes is not extensive. Even folklore researchers have few in-depth studies on children's rhymes.

A nursery rhyme usually has cheerful, sometimes humorous, rhyming lyrics, but it also contains profound educational values. Typically, each nursery rhyme is associated with a game, and each line of the rhyme corresponds to an action in the game. In other words, the lyrics of the nursery rhyme serve as the accompaniment and rhythm guide for the performance; they are like instructions for the actions of the child singing.

Children's rhymes are folk songs sung by children, often accompanied by games, making them very suitable for children's playtime. Sometimes they are simple yet subtle and interesting riddles that stimulate children's understanding; therefore, children's rhymes often have a high educational value.

Regarding linguistic characteristics

The lyrics in children's rhymes are usually in the form of three-word, four-word, modified four-word, and six-eight syllable verses. The components of a children's rhyme include melody and tone, and the use of end rhymes and internal rhymes, making the lyrics easy to sing and remember.

Along with the common appearance of level tones, oblique tones in the middle and end of lines create a sense of rhythm and depth in the melody, which contains both musical and poetic elements.

For example: “ Casting coconut trees / Leaving the crutch trees / The bamboo cage trees / The winter melon trees / Which tree is tall / Which tree is short / Which tree is stunted / Which tree is weak / Spinach, pumpkin / Civil officials, military officials / Stealing chicken eggs… ”.

Or take the poem "Ve Ve Ve Ve," which is structured in four-word verse, using alternating end rhymes and relatively rhythmic tonal patterns: " Ve ve ve ve / Broken bamboo root / I can still rhyme / Heavy mountain burdens / I rhyme on both shoulders / Women marrying men / I rhyme in the village / Poor women / I rhyme about debts / No one listens to my singing / I rhyme about being stingy… ".

Some children's rhymes use mixed poetic forms, such as the six-eight verse form. This poetic form is suitable for children's understanding and, importantly, is easy to remember and understand. For example: " Bờm has a palm-leaf fan / The rich man wants to exchange it for three cows and nine buffaloes / Bờm says Bờm won't take the buffaloes / The rich man wants to exchange it for a deep pond full of carp… ".

The lyrics of children's rhymes play a crucial role in the performance of folk games, helping children to easily remember and pronounce them. The content of the lyrics is closely related to the surrounding environment. In particular, the lyrics support the movements, making the games more flexible, diverse, and engaging.

Regarding musical and performance characteristics

Music plays a crucial role in children's rhymes, as it is the music that allows them to survive in folk culture; specifically, music provides the foundation for the games that originate from the rhymes. Furthermore, music makes children enjoy the songs and games through performance using the language of the rhymes.

Performance is the presentation of a nursery rhyme through words, sounds, and rhythm. A nursery rhyme cannot exist without being sung, following a set of simple, often repetitive, and easy-to-sing melodies.

The nursery rhyme resonates with a cheerful, lively melody, often witty and delightful, easily evoking laughter and enjoyment not only for the children playing and singing, but also for the adults who listen, finding it very pleasant and enjoyable.

It is no exaggeration to say that children's rhymes, through their skillful personification, have made the animal world familiar and friendly to rural children, and a part of the folk art and culture of our nation for generations.

Children's rhymes have fulfilled the needs for daily life, play, and entertainment of countless generations of children in the cultural and spiritual life of Vietnamese farmers... With rich content, diverse performance forms, and cheerful, attractive rhythms, children's rhymes, accompanied by games, have shaped the worldview, awareness, and love for people, animals, and nature in the hearts of children.

Games are the intellectual products of children, born from the imagination of many different people in society. Therefore, games from folk songs are communal in nature, embodying the needs and aspirations of farmers for generations, helping to satisfy the entertainment needs not only of children but also of many people of different ages in folk culture.

When sung and performed (meaning accompanied by game actions), nursery rhymes created a unique way of life in rural areas in the past. This also served as a healthy and effective educational environment for children.

Sadly, today, rural life has changed, traditional folk activities have almost disappeared, and children's rhymes only remain in the documents of folklore researchers.

Occasionally, some rural areas still retain a few games based on lively nursery rhymes. But most city children, outside of school hours, spend their days glued to their mobile phones playing virtual games. Surely, I'm not the only one who misses those innocent nursery rhymes and games with their pure, educational value that nurtured the soul.

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