Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Download the words of the song:
♦ Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star Lyrics

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Languages: English, French
Ressource Type: song, nursery rhyme
Theme: Nature
Age-range: infant-preschool, 4 – 8 years

“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” is a traditional children’s nursery rhyme about a star at least 250 years old! Most of us know just the first verse to this song, but like many children’s classics, there’s a lot more. The full song contains five verses, speaking to the wonder that is the shining star and how it lights the way for travelers.

The traditional song “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” was based on a poem called “The Star,” written in 1806 by the English poet Jane Taylor in collaboration with her sister Ann. It was first published in a book called Rhymes for the Nursery. The music that usually accompanies this poem is a French children’s folk melody called “Ah vous dirai-je, Maman“, which appeared in France in 1761 in a book of music called Les Amusements d’une Heure et Demy, by the Parisian Mr. Bouin – though the song, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” didn’t exist back then. “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” combines the melody of the French tune with the English poem. It’s a bit of a mystery when the poem and the tune came together to form the wonderful song “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” . The poem was first published with the music in The Singing Master: First Class Tune Book in 1838. “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” shares its tune with two other nursery rhymes, namely “The Alphabet Song” and a variation of it in “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep” as well as a variety of Christmas songs from various places in Europe.

It’s a great way to get used to the position of the adjective, verbs, learn vocabulary, practice your pronunciation, and start using comparisons (“like a diamond in the sky“).

Simplified version of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star“

English version:

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!

French Translation:

Brille, brille, petite étoile

Brille, brille, petite étoile,
Comme j’aimerais savoir qui tu es !
Si haut au-dessus du monde,
Comme un diamant dans le ciel.
Brille, brille, petite étoile,
Comme j’aimerais savoir qui tu es !

First Publication of the poem “The Star“

Download the poem:
♦ The Star (long version)

English version:

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.

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.

French Translation:

Brille, brille, petite étoile

BRILLE, brille, petite étoile,
Comme j’aimerais savoir qui tu es !
Si haut au-dessus du monde,
Comme un diamant dans le ciel.

Lorsque le soleil disparaît,
Et lorsqu’il ne peut plus briller,
Tu montres un peu de lumière,
Brille, brille, toute la nuit.

Et le voyageur dans le noir,
Te remercie de tes étincelles,
Comment pourrait-il voir son chemin,
Si tu ne brillais pas ainsi.

Dans le sombre ciel bleu tu restes,
Et, de temps en temps, tu regardes à travers mes rideaux,
Car tu ne fermes jamais l’œil,
Avant que le soleil apparaisse.

Ce sont ta clarté et ta lueur,
Qui éclairent le voyageur dans le noir :
Bien que je ne sache pas qui tu es,
Brille, brille, petite étoile.