"Patapan" is a French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 Christmas carol

Christmas carol

A Christmas carol is a carol whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas or the winter season in general and which are traditionally sung in the period before Christmas.-History:...

 in Burgundian dialect, later adapted into English. It was written by Bernard de La Monnoye

Bernard de la Monnoye

Bernard de La Monnoye was a French lawyer, poet, philologue and critic, known chiefly by his carols Christmas in Bourgogne.-Biography:...

 (1641–1728) and first published in Noël bourguignons in 1720. Its original title is "Guillô, Pran Ton Tamborin".

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."

American singer-songwriter David Archuleta

David Archuleta

David Archuleta, is a former United States Air Force Airman of Okinawan stationary troops and is currently an American male kickboxer.-Biography:...

 recorded a contemporary version of "Pat-a-Pan" on his 2009 album Christmas from the Heart.

American Composer John Gerrish

John Gerrish

John O'Neill Gerrish was an American composer of the 20th century, best known for The Falcon, a cappella piece for SATB based on the Middle or Early Modern English Corpus Christi Carol.-Early life:...

wrote Variations on a Burgundian Carol for 3 Recorders published by Associated Music Publishers in 1957, based on the Patapan theme. You can hear it being played by his three children at the composer's 100th birthday party held on 8/14/10 HERE.

French lyrics

Guillaume, prends ton tambourin,

Toi, prends ta flûte, Robin;

Au son de ces instruments,

Turelurelu, patapatapan,

Au son de ces instruments,

Je dirai Noël gaîment.

C’était la mode autrefois,

De louer le Roi des rois,

Au son de ces instruments,

Turelurelu, patapatapan,

Au son de ces instruments,

Il nous en faut faire autant.

L’homme et Dieu sont plus d’accord,

Que la flûte et le tambour;

Au son de ces instruments,

Turelurelu, patapatapan,

Au son de ces instruments,

Chantons, dansons, sautons en!

English lyrics

Willie, bring your little drum;

Robin, bring your flute and come;

And be merry while you play,

Tu-re-lu-re-lu,

Pat-a-pat-a-pan,

Come be merry while you play,

On this joyous Holiday!

When the men of olden days

To the King of Kings gave praise,

On the fife and drum did play,

Tu-re-lu-re-lu,

Pat-a-pat-a-pan,

On the fife and drum did play,

So their hearts were glad and gay!

God and man today become

More in tune than fife and drum,

So be merry while you play,

Tu-re-lu-re-lu,

Pat-a-pat-a-pan,

So be merry while you play,

Sing and dance this Christmas Day!