# Mojster Jaka

"Mojster Jaka" is the Slovenian version of the French round "Frère Jacques": the sleeping friar has become a master craftsman who is asked whether he is asleep and cannot hear the bell, sung to the same four-phrase tune, which works as a canon exactly as the original does.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | France |
| Sung in | Slovenian |
| Words by | Traditional |
| First known | Slovenian words undated; the French original is from c. 1780 |
| Best for ages | 2–8 |
| Mood | playful, traditional |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/mojster-jaka/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (sl)

Mojster Jaka, mojster Jaka,
al' že spiš, al' že spiš?
Al' ne slišiš zvona? Al' ne slišiš zvona?
Bim, bam, bom. Bim, bam, bom.

### English translation (en)

Master Jaka, Master Jaka,
are you asleep? Are you asleep?
Don't you hear the bell? Don't you hear the bell?
Bim, bam, bom. Bim, bam, bom.

## How to sing it

1. Teach everyone the whole tune first — four short phrases, each sung twice.
2. Split into two groups. The first starts; the second waits until the first reaches "al' že spiš?" and then begins from the top.
3. Ring an imaginary bell on "bim, bam, bom" — it keeps every group in time.
4. Agree a finish before you start, or it never ends — usually each group stops after singing the whole song twice.

## Common questions

**What does Mojster Jaka mean?**

"Master Jaka". A mojster is a master craftsman, and Jaka is the everyday Slovenian short form of Jakob — the same name as the French Jacques. So the Slovenian words keep the name but change the man: the friar of "Frère Jacques" has become a tradesman who has overslept, and the matins bell has become simply "the bell".

**Is Mojster Jaka the same song as Frère Jacques?**

Yes. It is the Slovenian version of the French round "Frère Jacques" — the same tune, the same four phrases and the same joke about someone who sleeps through the bell. Who wrote the Slovenian words, and when, is not recorded in the sources checked for this page.

**Is it "al' že spiš" or "al' še spiš"?**

Both are sung. "Al' že spiš?" asks "are you asleep already?", "al' še spiš?" asks "are you still asleep?" — printed collections differ, and either fits the tune. The version given here follows the form printed by Mama Lisa's World.

**Can Mojster Jaka be sung as a round?**

Yes, exactly like the French original. All four phrases sit over the same harmony, so a second group can start from the beginning when the first reaches "al' že spiš?", and a third and fourth can follow at the same distance.

## Sources

- [Mama Lisa's World — Mojster Jaka (Slovenian children's song)](https://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=3586)
- [OŠ Antona Aškerca Velenje — Mojster Jaka (song text in Slovenian, English and French)](https://www.o-aavelenje.ce.edus.si/mojster-jaka/)
- [Wikipedia — Frère Jacques](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A8re_Jacques)