Translate it to Coptic, and don't forget the jinkims.
By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-09
To translate the nursery rhyme "Brother Jacob" (Frère Jacques) into the Bohairic dialect of Coptic (ⲙⲉⲧⲣⲉⲙⲛⲭⲏⲙⲓ), I have accounted for the meter of the song while ensuring the grammar and the placement of the ⲕⲉⲛⲕⲉⲙ (jinkim) are accurate.
In Coptic, the name Jacob is written as ⲓⲁⲕⲱⲃ, and the word for brother is ⲡⲓⲥⲟⲛ.
Coptic Translation:
ⲡⲓⲥⲟⲛ ⲓⲁⲕⲱⲃⲓ (Pison Iakobi)
ⲡⲓⲥⲟⲛ ⲓⲁⲕⲱⲃⲓ (Pison Iakobi)
ⲁⲕⲉⲛⲕⲟⲧ? (Ak-enkot?)
ⲁⲕⲉⲛⲕⲟⲧ? (Ak-enkot?)
ⲙⲁⲣⲉ ⲛⲓⲕⲱⲇⲱⲛ ⲱϣ (Mare nikodon osh)
ⲙⲁⲣⲉ ⲛⲓⲕⲱⲇⲱⲛ ⲱϣ (Mare nikodon osh)
ⲇⲓⲛⲅ ⲇⲁⲛⲅ ⲇⲟⲛⲅ (Ding dang dong)
ⲇⲓⲛⲅ ⲇⲁⲛⲅ ⲇⲟⲛⲅ (Ding dang dong)
Breakdown of Terms:
- ⲡⲓⲥⲟⲛ (pi-son): The brother. This is a native Coptic word.
- ⲓⲁⲕⲱⲃⲓ (Iakobi): Jacob (the "i" is often added at the end in liturgical chanting for meter, though the name is ⲓⲁⲕⲱⲃ). This is the Coptic form of the Hebrew name.
- ⲁⲕⲉⲛⲕⲟⲧ (ak-enkot): "Are you sleeping?" The verb ⲉⲛⲕⲟⲧ means to sleep/lie down.
- ⲙⲁⲣⲉ (mare): A jussive prefix meaning "let..."
- ⲛⲓⲕⲱⲇⲱⲛ (ni-kodon): The bells. Note that ⲕⲱⲇⲱⲛ is a Greek loanword commonly used in Coptic for church bells.
- ⲱϣ (osh): To cry out or ring.
The ⲕⲉⲛⲕⲉⲙ (jinkim) is placed over the letters to indicate a vocalized breath or to start a syllable, as is standard in our liturgical texts to ensure correct pronunciation.