Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

As the parent of two small children, I am as familiar as I might wish with the nursery rhyme Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, or as my younger one called it until recently, "winkle liddle dar". The simple tune, much more lovely when harmonised by the more musical parents at BabyGirl's north Oxford music group, is apparently an old French melody called "Ah! vous dirais-je, maman". It is the same tune as that traditionally used for "Baa baa black sheep" (also known as "bye bye beshoo") and the alphabet song - one of those little things I didn't notice until I became a parent.

Mozart also used it for a set of twelve variations, so it seems we're all in good company in re-using the notes, though there are times when I've heartily wished for something a little meatier, or perhaps more bluesy to keep my spirits up while keeping up with endless requests for these songs from my lovely little people. Anyone know any good alternatives? (This feels like it could be a good source of material for that "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue" game where they have to sing one song to the tune of another - suggestions below, please! I digress. Back to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star...)

Last Monday, when it was mentioned on BBC Radio 4's Brain of Britain quiz, I discovered that the verse we sing is in fact merely the first verse of a much longer poem. Written by Jane Taylor, and called "The Star", it was originally published in 1806 in a collection of poems by Jane and her sister Ann, called Rhymes for the Nursery. It goes like this: 

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

     When the blazing sun is gone,
     When he nothing shines upon,
     Then you show your little light,
     Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

     Then the traveller in the dark,
     Thanks you for your tiny spark,
     He could not see which way to go,
     If you did not twinkle so.

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

     As your bright and tiny spark,
     Lights the traveller in the dark.
     Though I know not what you are,
     Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

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

     Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
     How I wonder what you are.
     How I wonder what you are.

 

 

It's always interesting to find out something new about something you think you know so well, and although it's not the greatest poetry in the world, I like to think I will now appreciate it more next time I sing it.

 

I'm tagging this post as part of Sarah Miles' Monday Club, in the hope that maybe linking up with others will encourage me to write more often. You have been warned...