Ah! vous dirai-je, maman explained

"" (in French a vu diʁeʒ(ə) mamɑ̃/, 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.[1]

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.[2] The melody was first published in 1761.[3] 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 (then in the Austrian Netherlands), under the title "".[4] [5]

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.

Oh! Shall I tell you, Mama,What is causing my torment?Daddy wants me to reasonLike a big person,But I say that candies,Are worth more than reason

"La Confidence naïve"

The lyrics of the nursery rhyme are a parody of the original lyrics, an anonymous love poem, "" ("The naive Confidence").[6]

Ah! Shall I tell you, Mama,What causes my torment?Ever since I saw SilvandreLook at me so tenderly,My heart says every moment:"Can we live without a lover?"

The other day, in a grove,He made a bouquet of flowers;He adorned my crook with it,Telling me: "Beautiful brunette,Flora is less beautiful than you;Love less enamoured than me.

Being made to charm,One must please, one must love;It's in the spring of one's ageThat it is said one should commit.If you delay much longer,One regrets these moments."

I blushed and unfortunatelyA sigh betrayed my heart.The cruel one skillfullyTook advantage of my weakness:Alas, Mama

a misstepMade me fall into his arms.

I had nothing to support meBut my crook and my dog.Love, wanting my defeat,Put aside my dog and crook;Ah! That we taste sweetness,When love takes care of a heart

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, Black Sheep" all use this melody.

The German Christmas carol "" with words by Hoffmann von Fallersleben, also uses the melody, as does the Hungarian Christmas carol "", the Dutch "", the Spanish "", the Greek "Φεγγαράκι μου λαμπρό", the Turkish "" and the Swedish "".

Several classical compositions have been inspired by this tune:

Notes and References

  1. Book: Fuld, James J. . The Book of World-famous Music: Classical, Popular, and Folk . . 2000 . 9780486414751 . 5th . 593594 . en . 1966.
  2. Henri Davenson (pseudonym of Henri-Irénée Marrou), Le livre des chansons, Neuchâtel, Éditions de la Baconnière, 1944, p. 567.
  3. George List, "The Distribution of a Melodic Formula: Diffusion or Polygenesis?", Yearbook of the International Folk Music Council, v. 10, (1978), pp. 33–52
  4. Book: Charles de Lusse. [{{Google books|4YBWAAAAcAAJ|page=75|plainurl=yes}} Recueil de romances historiques, tendres et burlesques, tant anciennes que modernes, avec les airs notés]. 14 February 2019. 2. 1774. 75.
  5. The chronology is based on an account by Bob Kosovsky, librarian at the Music Division of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, 2001.
  6. Web site: How the Melody of "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman" Spread to the World . 2023-03-23 . Galaxy Music Notes.

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