Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
What is twinkle twinkle little star?
Key facts
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star is an English lullaby and nursery rhyme. Its lyrics come from Jane Taylor’s poem “The Star,” first published in 1806, and its melody is commonly traced to the French tune “Ah! vous dirai-je, maman.”
Context
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star is an English lullaby whose lyrics come from Jane Taylor’s poem “The Star,” first published in 1806 in *Rhymes for the Nursery* [1]. The melody is commonly traced to the French tune “Ah! vous dirai-je, maman” [2]. The earliest known appearance of words and music together dates to 1838 [3]. The song is sometimes confused with the French folk song and with Mozart’s 1785 variations on the same tune [2].
Documented claims
Questions and answers
Who wrote the lyrics to Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star?
The lyrics come from Jane Taylor’s poem “The Star,” first published in 1806 [1].
Where does the melody come from?
The melody is commonly traced to the French tune “Ah! vous dirai-je, maman” [2].
When were the words and music first combined?
The earliest known appearance of words and music together is dated to 1838 [3].
Sources
- Mozart wished upon a star, and it sounds just like that ' ... — cso.org (retrieved August 3, 2026)
- Origin Stories: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star — brittneynickerson.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
- The story behind 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' — rnz.co.nz (retrieved August 3, 2026)