"" (, English: Oh! Shall I tell you, Mama) is a popular

children's song A children's song may be a nursery rhyme set to music, a song that children invent and share among themselves or a modern creation intended for entertainment, use in the home or education. Although children's songs have been recorded and studied ...

in France. Since its composition in the 18th century, the melody has been applied to numerous lyrics in multiple languages – the English-language song "

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" is a popular English lullaby. The lyrics are from an early-19th-century English poem written by Jane Taylor, "The Star". The poem, which is in couplet form, was first published in 1806 in '' Rhymes for the Nurser ...

" is one such example. It was adapted in Twelve Variations on "Ah vous dirai-je, Maman" by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

History

According to

Henri-Irénée Marrou Henri-Irénée Marrou (; 12 November 1904 in Marseilles – 11 April 1977 in Bourg-la-Reine) was a French historian. A Christian humanist in outlook, his work was primarily in the spheres of Late Antiquity and the history of education. He is b ...

, the origin of the melody is an anonymous pastoral song dating from 1740, with children's lyrics added relatively recently. The melody was first published in 1761. In 1774, the earliest known printed publication of the lyrics together with the music was in volume two of by M.D.L. () published in Brussels, under the title "".The chronology is based on a
account
by Bob Kosovsky, librarian at the Music Division of the

New York Public Library for the Performing Arts The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, is located in Manhattan, New York City, at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on the Upper West Side, between the Metro ...

, 2001.

Nursery rhyme

The French lyrics of the nursery rhyme exist in several variations, of which the following one is one of the most common versions.

"La Confidence naïve"

The lyrics of the nursery rhyme are a parody of the original lyrics, an anonymous love poem, "" ("The naive Confidence").

Appearances of the melody

Many songs in various languages have been based on the "" melody. In English, "

", the "

Alphabet Song The alphabet song is any of various songs used to teach children an alphabet. Alphabet songs typically recite the names of all letters of the alphabet of a given language in order. The ABC (Verse 1) "The ABC Song", otherwise referred to as ...

" and "

Baa, Baa, Black Sheep "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" is an English nursery rhyme, the earliest printed version of which dates from around 1744. The words have not changed very much in two and a half centuries. It is sung to a variant of the 1761 French melody '' Ah! vous di ...

" are all based on this melody. The German

Christmas carol A Christmas carol is a carol (a song or hymn) on the theme of Christmas, traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas holiday season. The term noel has sometimes been used, especially for carols of French ori ...

"" with words by

Hoffmann von Fallersleben August Heinrich Hoffmann (, calling himself von Fallersleben, after his hometown; 2 April 179819 January 1874) was a German poet. He is best known for writing "Das Lied der Deutschen", whose third stanza is now the national anthem of Germany, an ...

, also uses the melody, as does the Hungarian Christmas carol "", the Dutch "", the Spanish "", the Greek "Φεγγαράκι μου λαμπρό" and the Turkish "". Several classical compositions have been inspired by this tune: *

, Twelve Variations on "Ah vous dirai-je, Maman" (K. 265 / K. 300e) (1781 or 1782) *

Michel Corrette Michel Corrette (10 April 1707 – 21 January 1795) was a French composer, organist and author of musical method books. Life Corrette was born in Rouen, Normandy. His father, Gaspard Corrette, was an organist and composer. Little is known of ...

(Variations on) "Ah! Vous dirais-je, maman" from ''La Belle

Vielle The vielle is a European bowed stringed instrument used in the medieval period, similar to a modern violin but with a somewhat longer and deeper body, three to five gut strings, and a leaf-shaped pegbox with frontal tuning pegs, sometimes with a ...

use'' (1783) *

Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach (21 June 1732 – 26 January 1795) was a harpsichordist and composer, the fifth son of Johann Sebastian Bach, sometimes referred to as the "Bückeburg Bach". Born in Leipzig in the Electorate of Saxony, he was ...

, Variations on "Ah vous dirai-je maman" in G major (Wf XII: 2) (BR A 45) (Composed around 1785/90; 1st publ. ca. 1880) * Joseph Haydn, Symphony No. 94 (Surprise Symphony), second movement (andante) (1792) * (1760–1803), Variations for harp on "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman" * Ferdinando Carulli, (1770-1841) Three Solos with Variations for Guitar, Op. 60, No. 3, c. 1812 * Theodor von Schacht (1748–1823), 3rd movement (Allegretto con variazioni) of his

clarinet concerto A clarinet concerto is a concerto for clarinet; that is, a musical composition for solo clarinet together with a large ensemble (such as an orchestra or concert band). Albert Rice has identified a work by Giuseppe Antonio Paganelli as possibly th ...

in B flat major * Franz Liszt, Album Leaf: "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman" (1833) ( S.163b) *

Christian Heinrich Rinck Johann Christian Heinrich Rinck (18 February 1770 – 23 July 1846) was a German composer and organist of the late classical and early romantic eras. Life and career Rinck was born in Elgersburg (in present-day Thuringia), and died in Darms ...

, Variations and finale for organ on "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman", op. 90 (pub. 1828) *

Adolphe Adam Adolphe Charles Adam (; 24 July 1803 – 3 May 1856) was a French composer, teacher and music critic. A prolific composer for the theatre, he is best known today for his ballets ''Giselle'' (1841) and '' Le corsaire'' (1856), his operas '' Le po ...

, Bravura Variations from the opera ''Le toréador'' (1849) * Camille Saint-Saëns, ''

The Carnival of the Animals ''The Carnival of the Animals'' (''Le Carnaval des animaux'') is a humorous musical suite of fourteen movements, including " The Swan", by the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. The work, about 25 minutes in duration, was written for privat ...

'' (1886), 12th movement (''Fossiles'') quotes the tune *

Ernst von Dohnányi Ernst von Dohnányi (Hungarian: ''Dohnányi Ernő'', ; 27 July 1877 – 9 February 1960) was a Hungarian composer, pianist and conductor. He used a German form of his name on most published compositions. Biography Dohnányi was born in Pozsony ...

, ''Variations on a Nursery Tune'', Op. 25 (1914) *

Erwin Schulhoff Erwin Schulhoff ( cs, Ervín Šulhov; 8 June 189418 August 1942) was an Austro-Czech composer and pianist. He was one of the figures in the generation of European musicians whose successful careers were prematurely terminated by the rise of the ...

, Ten Variations on "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman" and Fugue, Op. 16 (1914) *

Harl McDonald Harl McDonald (July 27, 1899 - March 30, 1955) was an American composer, conductor, pianist and teacher. McDonald was born in Boulder, Colorado, and studied at the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Redlands, and the Leipzig Con ...

, ''Children's Symphony'', 2nd theme of 1st movement ("Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" variant) (1948) *

Xavier Montsalvatge Xavier Montsalvatge i Bassols (; 11 March 1912 – 7 May 2002) was a Spanish composer and music critic. He was one of the most influential music figures in Catalan music during the latter half of the 20th century. Biography Life Montsalvatge w ...

, 3rd movement (Allegretto) of ''Sonatine pour Yvette'' (1962) *

Vashti Bunyan Vashti Bunyan (born Jennifer Vashti Bunyan, 1945) is an English singer-songwriter. Beginning her career in the mid-1960s, she released her debut album, ''Just Another Diamond Day'', in 1970. The album sold very few copies and Bunyan, discourage ...

, "Lily Pond" on the 1970 album ''

Just Another Diamond Day ''Just Another Diamond Day'' is the debut album by the English folk singer-songwriter Vashti Bunyan, and was released on Philips Records in December 1970. Much of the album is a musical reflection on Bunyan and travelling partner Robert Lewis's ...

'' * John Corigliano, ''

The Mannheim Rocket ''The Mannheim Rocket'' is a short orchestral composition by the American composer John Corigliano. The work was commissioned by the Mannheim Orchestra, which first performed the work on March 26, 2001. The piece is dedicated to Susan Carlyle. Co ...

'' (2000)

References

{{Authority control, state=collapsed French folk songs Traditional children's songs French nursery rhymes French children's songs 18th-century songs