Ah! vous dirai-je, maman
"" (, English: Oh! Shall I tell you, Mama) is a popular children's song 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" is one such example. It was adapted in Twelve Variations on "Ah vous dirai-je, Maman" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. History According to Henri-Irénée Marrou, 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. (Charles de Lusse) published in Brussels, under the title "". 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, "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", the "Alphabet Song" and "Baa, Baa,