I’ve just been on an interesting and surprising educational journey.

I started doing some homework (surprising to me as I hardly ever study, hoping just to soak in Catalan with the sunshine and light)
The lesson in my book Passos Elemental 2 was all about a choir and the book printed several traditional childrens songs. I picked one out and looked for it on YouTube so I could sing along.
Here’s the words

Les Nenes Maques

Les nenes maques al dematí
s’alcen i reguen, s’alcen i reguen.
Les nenes maques al dematí
s’alcen i reguen el seu jardí.

Jo també rego el meu hortet,
faves i pèsols, faves i pèsols.
Jo també rego el meu hortet,
faves i pèsols i julivert.

Julivert meu com t’has quedat,
sense cap fulla, sense cap fulla.
Julivert meu com t’has quedat,
sense cap fulla i el cap pelat

Without translating it word for word, it is saying that beautiful girls get up in the morning and water their gardens. Also they water their vegetable plots which have beans and peas and parsley. The third verse is about how the parsley has ended up without leaves.
Ahhh – how sweet and a nice tune too.
But another web site which looked interesting had an article saying that the song is actually about teaching girls feminine hygeine. And the last verse is referring to the loss of bushiness in later life.

You never know when you are reading things in another language. Was it a joke?  I found another reference so perhaps the song is generally seen this way but what about all those children singing innocently in school while other older ones giggle behind their hands?