Download the words of the song:
♦ Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater Lyrics
Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater
Languages: English, French
Ressource Type: song, nursery rhyme
Themes: pumpkin and autumn harvest
Age-range: infant-preschool, 4 – 8 years
Culture and Vocabulary:
- Halloween
Grammar:
- Practice letter P (Peter, Pumpkin)
- Using the past tense (had, could, put, kept, did, learned, loved)
“Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater” is a very old English language nursery rhyme. There is some debate over the song’s actual origins. The first surviving version of the rhyme was published in “Infant Institutes, part the first: or a Nurserical Essay on the Poetry, Lyric and Allegorical, of the Earliest Ages”, in London around 1797, but that song did not use pumpkin in its lyrics. It was also published in 1825 in Boston in the USA in a book titled “Mother Goose’s Quarto: or Melodies Complete”.
The nursery rhyme “Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater” is effective to practice letter P (Peter, Pumpkin), focus on a pumpkin and autumn harvest theme, or for Halloween celebrations.
English version:
Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater
Peter, Peter pumpkin eater,
Had a wife but couldn’t keep her;
He put her in a pumpkin shell
And there he kept her very well.
Peter, Peter pumpkin eater,
Had another and didn’t love her;
Peter learned to read and spell,
And then he loved her very well.
French Translation:
Peter, Peter mangeur de citrouille
Peter, Peter mangeur de citrouille,
Avait une femme mais ne pouvait la garder ;
Il l’a mise dans une coquille de citrouille
Et là, il l’a très bien gardée.
Peter, Peter mangeur de citrouille,
En a eu une autre et ne l’aimait pas ;
Peter a appris à lire et à épeler,
Et puis il l’aimait très bien.
I love how this nursery rhyme translates so beautifully into French! It’s fascinating to see the cultural nuances in both languages. The illustrations are adorable too, making it a delightful read for kids and adults alike! Thank you for sharing the lyrics in both languages!
What a delightful post! I love the charm of “Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater,” especially with the lyrics provided in both English and French. It’s great to see nursery rhymes celebrated in different languages. Thank you for sharing this!
What a delightful rendition of “Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater”! I love how the lyrics capture the whimsical nature of the story. It’s also fantastic to see the French translation alongside the English—it really showcases the charm of nursery rhymes in different cultures. Thank you for sharing this!
I loved the bilingual approach in this post! It’s so fun to see “Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater” presented in both English and French. It’s a great way to share nursery rhymes with kids learning either language. Thanks for bringing back such a classic!