Penpen de Sarapen is a popular children’s rhyming chant in the Philippines.
TAGALOG SONG LYRICS
Pen pen de sarapen,
de kutsilyo de almasen
Haw, haw de carabao batutin
de kutsilyo de almasen
Haw, haw de carabao batutin
Sipit namimilipit ginto’t pilak
Namumulaklak sa tabi ng dagat.
Sayang pula tatlong pera
Sayang puti tatlong salapi
The verses don’t make much sense but the words are fun to say. Filipino children use it to select the person who’s going to be the “it” in a game. It’s the Tagalog version of the English counting rhyme “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe.”
TRANSLATION OF THE TAGALOG WORDS AND PHRASES
kutsilyo knife
almasen warehouse
batutin stinky
ginto’t pilak gold and silver | sayang pula red skirt
tatlong pera three money (pesos)
sayang puti white skirt
tatlong salapi three money (coins) |
