Found in a 1954 letter from my mother at
my first daughter’s birth: Mom used to sing
it to us when we too were babes – I recall it.
“I love small uncivilized things,
Babies, and rabbits, and birds
that carry around in their eyes
strange little thoughts without words”
I also recall her singing this French lullaby:
Fais dodo, mon p’tit frère,
Fais dodo, t’auras du lolo Maman est en haut, Qui fait du gâteau Papa est en bas, Qui fait du chocolat Fais dodo, mon p’tit frère,
Fais dodo, t’auras du lolo
English: Go to sleep, my little brother
Go to sleep, tomorrow you’ll have milk
Mama is upstairs making a cake
Papa is downstairs making chocolate
Go to sleep, my little brother
Go to sleep, tomorrow you’ll have milk
2024 Jacqueline Jackson
This article appears in The end of an era.
