Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" is an English nursery rhyme and lullaby.

"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" is an English nursery rhyme and lullaby whose lyrics are derived from Jane Taylor’s 1806 poem "The Star". The poem was first published that year in the collection *Rhymes for the Nursery*, and the song is commonly sung to the French melody "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman". It is one of the best-known children’s songs in the English-speaking world, including in Canada where it is widely taught in homes, preschools, and primary classrooms.

Origin

The lyrics of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" were written as the poem "The Star" by Jane Taylor. The poem was published in 1806 in *Rhymes for the Nursery*, a collection associated with Jane Taylor and her sister Ann Taylor.

Melody

The song is usually sung to the melody "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman", a French tune first published in 1761. This melody was later arranged by composers including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Lyrics and form

The poem uses short rhyming couplets and has several stanzas, but the opening verse—the part beginning “Twinkle, twinkle, little star”—is the portion most commonly sung and recognised in popular culture.

Cultural use

The rhyme is widely used as a lullaby, a children’s sing-along, and an educational song for introducing simple vocabulary and melody. In Canada, it is a standard English-language children’s rhyme taught in homes, preschools, and primary classrooms.