Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" is a popular English nursery rhyme. The lyrics are from an early nineteenth-century English poem, "The Star" by Jane Taylor. The poem, which is in couplet form, was first published in 1806 in Rhymes for the Nursery, a collection of poems by Taylor and her sister Ann. It is sung to the tune of the French melody "Ah! vous dirai-je, Maman" (oldest known publication 1761).^[1] The English lyrics have five stanzas, although only the first is widely known. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 7666.

 

 

The English lyrics were first published as a poem with the title "The Star" by sisters Ann and Jane Taylor (1783–1824) in Rhymes for the Nursery in London in 1806.^[2] The poem was written by Jane.^[3] There are five stanzas.

 

All: Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
     How I wonder what you are!
     Up above the world so high,
     Like a diamond in the sky!

Boys: When the blazing sun is set,
Girls: And the grass with dew is wet,
All: Then you show your little light,
     Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

Boys:In the dark blue sky you keep,
     And often through my curtains peep,
Girls: For you never shut your eye,
       Till the sun is in the sky.

All: Then if I were in the dark.
Boys: I would thank you for your spark;
Girls: I could not see which way to go,
All: If you did not twinkle so.