02/13/2025
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 trav’ller 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 thro' my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky.
'Tis your bright and tiny spark,
Lights the trav’ller in the dark,
Tho' I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
Alternative version
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How we wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
When the glorious sun has set,
And the grass with dew is wet,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.
When the golden sun doth rise,
Fills with shining light the skies,
Then you fade away from sight,
Shine no more 'till comes the night.
Traditionally sung at bedtime, this nursery rhyme is said to have been written by English poet and novelist, Jane Taylor, in 1806 for her little sister Ann Taylor.
The melody which is French and first appeared in 1761, is believed to be one of Mozart’s earliest compositions as a child. It has been used for ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’, ‘Baa, Baa, Black Sheep’, the alphabet song (‘A-B-C-D-E-F-G’), and a German sing-along (‘Ist das nicht ein Schnitzelbank?’
Illustration by Frederick Richardson, Volland’s 1921 Mother Goose Book.
