Did you know???

My two year old loves the lullaby Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I find there are so many traditions that we carry down, such as nursery rhymes, but we do not know anything about them. Every Thursday I am going to educate myself on various areas and this week it is going to be Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.


"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" is a popular English nursery rhyme.


The English lyrics were first published as a poem with the title "The Star" by sisters Ann and Jane Taylor (1793–1824) in Rhymes for the Nursery in London in 1806. The poem was written by Jane. There are five stanzas. The repetition of the first two lines at the end of each verse is not in the original, but is needed to fit the usual melody. Below is the whole text with only the first phrase with the repetition of the first two lines added:

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are!

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky!


Repeat:

*Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are!*


When the blazing sun is gone,

When he nothing shines upon,

Then you show your little light,

Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

(*repeat)


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.

(*repeat)


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.

(*repeat)


As your bright and tiny spark,

Lights the traveller in the dark,—

Though I know not what you are,

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.



As for the famous melody that is another story in itself :-)




Twelve Variations on "Ah vous dirai-je, Maman", K. 265/300e, is a piano composition by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, composed when he was around 25 years old (1781 or 1782). This piece consists of twelve variations on the French folk song Ah! vous dirai-je, Maman. The French melody first appeared in 1761, and has been used for many children's songs, such as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Baa, Baa, Black Sheep and the Alphabet Song.



Thanks to Wikipedia for the information above and it can be found at the below links along with more details. Id recommend checking it out!



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twinkle_Twinkle_Little_Star


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variations_on_%22Ah_vous_dirai-je,_Maman%22