Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"
Nursery rhyme
Published1806
Lyricist(s)Jane Taylor

"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" is an English lullaby. The lyrics are from an early-19th-century English poem written by Jane Taylor, "The Star".[1] 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 now sung to the tune of the French melody "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman", which was first published in 1761 and later arranged by several composers, including Mozart with Twelve Variations on "Ah vous dirai-je, Maman".[2] The English lyrics have five stanzas, although only the first is widely known.

Where Jane Taylor was when she wrote the lyric is contested, with the localities of Colchester and Chipping Ongar each asserting a claim. However, Ann Taylor writes (in The Autobiography and Other Memorials of Mrs. Gilbert) that the first time Jane ever saw the village of Ongar was in 1810, and the poem had been published in 1806. "In the summer of 1810, Jane, when visiting London, had enjoyed a pic-nic excursion in Epping Forest, and observed on a sign post at one of the turnings, 'To Ongar.' It was the first time she had seen the name."[3]

  1. ^ "First publication of 'Twinkle, twinkle, little star'". bl.uk. British Library. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  2. ^ "LISTSERV 15.5 – OPERA-L Archives". listserv.bccls.org. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  3. ^ "The Autobiography and Other Memorials of Mrs. Gilbert".