“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” is a popular English lullaby. The lyrics are from an early 19th-century English poem by Jane Taylor, “The Star”. 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 sung to the tune of the French melody “Ah! vous dirai-je, Maman”, which was published in 1761 and later arranged by several composers including Mozart with Twelve Variations on “Ah vous dirai-je, Maman”.
The English lyrics have five stanzas, although only the first is widely known. This song is usually performed in the key of C Major.
"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" Lyrics
The English lyrics were first written as a poem by Jane Taylor (1783–1824) and published with the title “The Star” in Rhymes for the Nursery by Jane and her sister Ann Taylor (1782–1866) in London in 1806:
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 where 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.
Additional variations exist such as from 1896 in Song Stories for the Kindergarten by Mildred J. Hill.
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.
"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" Chords
C F C
Twinkle, twinkle little star.
F C G7 C
How I wonder what you are.
C F C G7
Up above the world so high,
C F C G7
Like a diamond in the sky.
C F C
Twinkle, twinkle little star.
F C G7 C
How I wonder what you are.
C F C
When the blazing sun is gone,
F C G7 C
When he nothing shines upon,
C F C G7
Then you show your little light,
C F C G7
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.
C F C
Twinkle, twinkle little star.
F C G7 C
How I wonder what you are.
C F C
Then the traveler in the dark,
F C G7 C
Thanks you for your tiny spark,
C F C G7
He could not see which way to go,
C F C G7
If you did not twinkle so.
C F C
Twinkle, twinkle little star.
F C G7 C
How I wonder what you are.
C F C
In the dark blue sky you keep,
F C G7 C
And often through my curtains peep,
C F C G7
For you never shut your eye,
C F C G7
Till the sun is in the sky.
C F C
Twinkle, twinkle little star.
F C G7 C
How I wonder what you are.
C F C
As your bright and tiny spark,
F C G7 C
Lights the traveler in the dark.
C F C G7
Though I know not what you are,
C F C G7
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
C F C
Twinkle, twinkle little star.
F C G7 C
How I wonder what you are.
C F C
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
F C G7 C
How I wonder what you are.
C F C G7
Up above the world so high,
C F C G7
Like a diamond in the sky.
"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" Youtube Videos
