Four Sons Song - to the tune of Clementine

Haggadah Section: -- Four Children
ChildrenPassoverSederFour ChildrenFour Questions

The Ballad of the Four Sons
(to the tune of "Clementine")

wriiten by Ben Aronin in 1948

Said the father to his children,

"At the seder you will dine,

You will eat your fill of matzah,

You will drink four cups of wine."

Now this father had no daughters,

But his sons they numbered four.

One was wise and one was wicked,

One was simple and a bore.

And the fourth was sweet and winsome,

he was young and he was small.

While his brothers asked the questions

he could scarcely speak at all.

Said the wise one to his father

"Would you please explain the laws?

Of the customs of the seder

Will you please explain the cause?"

And the father proudly answered,

"As our fathers ate in speed,

Ate the paschal lamb 'ere midnight

And from slavery were freed."

So we follow their example

And 'ere midnight must complete

All the seder and we should not

After 12 remain to eat.

Then did sneer the son so wicked

"What does all this mean to you?"

And the father's voice was bitter

As his grief and anger grew.

"If you yourself don't consider

As son of Israel,

Then for you this has no meaning

You could be a slave as well."

Then the simple son said simply

"What is this," and quietly

The good father told his offspring

"We were freed from slavery."

But the youngest son was silent

For he could not ask at all.

His bright eyes were bright with wonder

As his father told him all.

My dear children, heed the lesson

and remember evermore

What the father told his children

Told his sons that numbered four.

Source:  
http://holidays.juda.com/passover-songs.shtml
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    • No Seder Like Our Seder - A Passover Song
      • -- Exodus Story
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    • DAYENU: An Exercise in Gratitude
    • Let Us Go
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    • Moses Parts the Sea
    • Seda' Club
      • -- Four Questions
    • Four Funny Questions
    • Dr. Seuss' Four Questions
    • Ma Nishtana (The Four Questions) - Learn what they mean and how to sing them
      • -- Four Children
    • Four Children
    • Four Children - Drawing Activity (2)
    • Four Sons Song - to the tune of Clementine
    • Four sons
    • The Child Who Doesn't Know how to Ask a Question
    • The Simple Child
    • The Wicked Child
    • The Wise Child
    • Four Children
    • GBM Four Children Art Contest
      • -- Ten Plagues
    • Ten Plagues - Frog
    • Science explanation of the Plagues
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      • -- Cup #2 & Dayenu
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      • Rachtzah
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    • Step-By-Step Seder: Step 6, Rachtza
      • Songs
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    • Eliana Light, “BaShanah HaZeh”
    • Chag Gad Ya Emoji Style
    • I'll Be There for You
      • Motzi-Matzah
    • Shmurah Matzah
      • Maror
    • Horseradish
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    • maror
      • Koreich
    • who invented the sandwhich
    • Visual Koreich
      • Shulchan Oreich
    • Let's Eat!
    • Matzah Ball Soup
    • Stump the Adults! (courtesy of Nancy Becker)
    • Just Joking: Shulchan Orech
      • Tzafun
    • Find the Afikomen!
    • Uncle Eli Afikoman
      • Bareich
    • Pouring Elijah's and Miriam's Cup (simplified for children)
    • Miriam's Cup
    • Opening the Door for Elijah
    • Barech
    • Uncle Eli - Opening the Door
    • Bareich
      • Hallel
    • Haggadah Haiku
    • Heschel on Kindness
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    • Welcoming Others
      • Nirtzah
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