Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman

French folk song

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July 21, 2026

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"Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman" is a French folk song with a melody that is widely recognized today as the tune for "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." While Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed a set of piano variations based on this melody in the early 1780s, he did not compose the original tune itself. The melody was first published without words in 1761, and its composer remains unknown. The lyrics of the French song speak of a child who values sweets more than reason. The melody has also been used for other popular songs, including "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" and the alphabet song.12

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Twelve Variations on Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman, K 265
…the French folk song “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman” (English: “Ah, Mother, if I could tell you”), with the same melody as that of the English-language nursery song “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”
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…the French folk song “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman” (English: “Ah, Mother, if I could tell you”), with the same melody as that of the English-language nursery song “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”
Read More