How many of you remember that innocuous and yet unforgettable nursery rhyme "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"? The lyrics for that song are actually from an early nineteenth-century English poem, "The Star" by Jane Taylor.
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. The song is sung to the tune of French melody "Ah! vous dirai-je, Maman" (oldest known publication 1761). Actually, the English lyrics have five stanzas but it is only the first one that became famous.
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. The song is sung to the tune of French melody "Ah! vous dirai-je, Maman" (oldest known publication 1761). Actually, the English lyrics have five stanzas but it is only the first one that became famous.
The Star by Ann and Jane Taylor
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.
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.
I still remember I was probably about two or three years old when my mother taught me that rhyme with actions. Until today, I never told anyone how I feel about the rhyme. I never imagined that one day, someone would be able to capture my thoughts and put it in video.
Please watch THIS VERY MOVING VIDEO that certainly encapsulates the naivety of childhood and more...
Whenever I looked at the starry, starry sky, I always wondered and hoped that an alien could whisk me away to space to play with the stars...and this video clip certainly made me relive my childhood fantasies..Hopefully, it might even remind your childhood. Do pass it on to your friends who have kids or those who might enjoy such clips.
Incidentally, the song is a popular target for parodies. "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Bat", is a parody of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" recited by the Mad Hatter during the mad tea-party, in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (which you can read HERE). It reads:
Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!
How I wonder what you're at!
Up above the world you fly,
Like a tea tray in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, ...
How I wonder what you're at!
Up above the world you fly,
Like a tea tray in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, ...
So when the stars twinkle one starry night, you can tell your kids or grandkids the story of this nursery rhyme and maybe even show them the video! :-) Take care and have a lovely day! Next post will be up by dinner time. Cheers!
Anonymous In the cities these days we can hardly see any star let alone the little star. But in the deep of the jungle and high up in the mountains, the sight of the sky before dawn is just too awesome to be described. The stars both large and small positioned themselves so majestically in heaven that nothing in this world of men's creation can be comparable.
Me grew up in kampong with no music nor nursery rhyme and with parents under the catergory of BTC (boh tak chat) we were deprived of the bed time stories. But thank God that despite the harsh and tough estate lifestyle, we went through the school of hardknock and survived.
It is not the title that one carries maketh a man but the day that the man started to care for this mother earth and to honour all created things that are around him. For we are mere mortal that can't even turn one white hair grey. The stars in the sky and the galaxies are the testimony of a greater being that is way beyond our comprehension.
For I too believed in the big bang, ya! It was the spoken word of God the said, let there be a big bang and it came to be all that we are witnessing today. Men may one day create a clone of another human but there will be no soul nor spirit within. Let us be humble enough to acknowledge that we are spiritual beings on earth in human bodies for a season. To return to the creator in due time whether we like it or not for judgement on the journey that we were given on earth.
~ahoo~