# Jaz sem mala roža

"Jaz sem mala roža" ("I Am a Little Rose") is a sweet Slovenian children's song about a child who is "mummy's little rose" — here in a mixed version that has picked up a cheeky playground parody verse and a couple of wistful ones.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Slovenia |
| Sung in | Slovenian |
| Words by | Traditional |
| First known | Slovenian children's song; author unknown (mixed with parody verses) |
| Best for ages | 2–7 |
| Mood | playful, traditional |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/jaz-sem-mala-roza/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (sl)

Jaz sem mala roža,
roža mamina,
mamica me boža,
rada me ima.

### Verse 2 (sl)

V šolo že zahajam,
pridno se učim,
mamici pomagam
in je ne jezim.

### Verse 3 (sl)

Ko pa v hlače kakam
vse okrog smrdi,
jaz sem tvoja roža,
vohaj me še ti.

### Verse 4 (sl)

V šoli so mi djali,
tamkaj za goro,
tam so sami bratci,
milo jokajo.

### Verse 5 (sl)

To pač mora biti
strašno in hudo,
mamico izgubiti,
jokati za njo.

### English translation (en)

I'm a little rose,
mummy's rose,
mummy strokes me,
she loves me so.

I already go to school,
I study hard,
I help my mummy
and don't make her cross.

But when I poop in my pants
and everything around me stinks,
I'm your rose —
so you smell me too.

At school they told me,
there beyond the mountain,
there are only little brothers,
weeping softly.

It must, I suppose,
be terrible and hard,
to lose your mummy,
and to weep for her.

## Common questions

**What is "Jaz sem mala roža" about?**

Being loved by your mother. The child is "mummy's little rose", stroked and loved; already at school, studying hard, helping mummy and not making her cross. The tender core of the song is that simple bond between child and mother.

**Why do some verses seem cheeky or sad?**

Because this version is a mix. The sweet original has picked up the way children often treat a well-known song: a naughty parody verse (about pooping in one's pants — "smell me too") sits alongside more wistful verses about children beyond the mountain who weep at losing their mother. It is the song as it really gets sung, cheeky bits and all.

**Who wrote "Jaz sem mala roža"?**

No single author is recorded; it is treated as a traditional Slovenian children's song, and this particular version has been reshaped by the playground, as such songs so often are.

## Sources

- [Otroška pesmica — Jaz sem mala roža](https://otroskapesmica.si/jaz-sem-mala-roza/)