Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.

12 Jan 00 - 05:52 AM (#161576)
Subject: Lyr Add: TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE STAR
From: Liz the Squeak

Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.

When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle all the night.

Then the traveller in the dark
Thanks you for your tiny spark:
He could not see which way to go,
If you did not twinkle so.

In the dark blue sky you keep,
And often through my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye
Till the sun is in the sky.

As your bright and tiny spark
Lights the traveller in the dark,
Though I know not what you are,
# Twinkle, twinkle little star.

Written by Jane Taylor, published in "Rhymes for the Nursery" by Jane and her sister Anne, in 1804.

The repeat of the first two lines at the end of the verse came when it was set to music. For the tune, I have no information at all.

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12 Jan 00 - 11:04 AM (#161669)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: George Seto - [e-mail]

Hmmm. Reminds me, I should look up the Gaelic of that. I think I have a verse or two in Scottish Gaelic.

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12 Jan 00 - 11:11 AM (#161672)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: MMario

I've found a couple versions in Levy. will post as soon as I get a chance.

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12 Jan 00 - 01:39 PM (#161729)
Subject: Lyr Add: TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE STAR
From: MMario

From Music for the Nation: American Sheet Music 1870-1885

attributed to F. Delcken

1)Twinkle Twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
like a diamond in the sky

2&3)When the blazing sun has gone
when he nothing shines upon
then you show your little light
twinkle, twinkle all the night

3&4)In the Dark blue sky you keep
and often through my curtains peep
for you never shut your eye
'till the sun is in the sky

5&6)As your bright and tiny spark
lights the traveller in the dark
though I know not what you are
twinkle, twinkle, little star

and from the same source, attributed to W.A. Briggs

twinkle, twinkle little star
how I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky

Oft I sit and gaze at thee
Twinkle twinkle star
Shining in the pale dim light
Twinkle twinkle star

Twinkle, twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky

midi's to follow

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13 Jan 00 - 06:10 PM (#162362)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Liz the Squeak

Then of course there is the version that starts

Effervesce, effervesce, O globule vivescent....

And if anyone can add the rest I would be deeply grateful - my copy got stolen along with all my other songs about 3 years ago, and I've never been able to replace this one.

It works on the lines of:

Indicate direction to my abode
I am fatigued and I wish to retire.

for: Show me the way to go home
I'm tired and I want to go to bed.....

LTS

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15 Jan 00 - 06:26 PM (#163544)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: George Seto - [e-mail]

Here's a Gaelic version:

Priob Nis, Priob Nis, Reul Bhig Dhriùid
 
Priob nis, priob nis, reul bhig dhriùid
Saoil ca' bheil thu-fhéin co dhiùbh
Àrd os cionn an t-saoghail gu léu
Mar na seudan, anns an speur
Priob nis, priob nis, reul bhig dhriùid
Saoil ca' bheil thu-fhéin co dhiùbh.

Well, it was not very long, but there it is.....

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29 Jun 02 - 01:11 PM (#739446)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: GUEST,Wyrd Sister

Just found this looking for something else.

Liz, did you mean

Scintillate, scintillate, globule vivific Fain would I fathom thy nature specific Daintily poised in the ether capacious Strongly resembling the gem carbonaceous Scintillate...

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29 Jun 02 - 02:04 PM (#739459)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: mack/misophist

It really should be:

Twinkle, twinkle little bat
How I wonder where you're at
Up above the world so high
Like a tea tray in the sky.

Just ask Alice.

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29 Jun 02 - 02:23 PM (#739467)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Marion

Is it true that the tune's by Mozart?

Marion

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29 Jun 02 - 02:28 PM (#739471)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)

"'The Star' is both indoors and outdoors. taking apart the difference between feminized interior domestic space and masculinized exterior work space; the comforting implication is that what is outside is also inside..." (paragraph 7)
http://www.rc.umd.edu/praxis/ecology/morton/morton.html (and I hope the link below works)
The Star
Required reading for all twinklers.

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29 Jun 02 - 02:35 PM (#739474)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: GUEST

I've read that the Mozart melody comes from an 18th Century French Folk Song: "Ah! Vous dirai-je, Maman"

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29 Jun 02 - 02:57 PM (#739481)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)

Guest, yes, that is the tune used by Mozart. Speculation that it is Irish, like most great melodies, is wrong in this case. Mozart's set of variations is on the net.
Here is the url. Do I dare to make a link?

www.empire.k12.ca.us/capistrano/Mike/capmusic/form/theme%20and%20/variations/Twinkle/twinkle.htm
Oh well, nothing ventured....
Mozart Variations

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29 Jun 02 - 03:03 PM (#739483)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Gray D

"Scintillate, scintillate, globule vivific . . ."

Egads, but I love this site.

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29 Jun 02 - 03:23 PM (#739490)
Subject: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star Esperanto &c
From: Haruo

Esperanto version:

Brilu, brilu eta stel',
Diamanto de l' ĉiel'.
Tiel alta super Ter',
Kio estas vi, en ver'?
Brilu, brilu eta stel',
Diamanto de l' ĉiel'.

(I found the above version in two places on the Internet; neither credits a translator.) Somewhere I once saw a version that began "Trembriletu, eta stel'", and that's always what comes to mind when I ask myself "Kiel oni diras «Twinkle, twinkle, little star» en Esperanto?"

The following is the classic version, which I will probably be using in my collection. The translator was Louise Briggs (from Kantaro Esperanta, ed. M. C. Butler, 1926, #299):

1. Brilu, brilu, eta stel',
   Diamanto sur ĉiel'!
   Diru, kio estas vi,
   Tiel alta super ni?



2. Kiam suno estas for,
   Antaŭ brilo de Aŭror',
   Venas via lumigil',
   Kara eta nokta bril'.



3. Vojaĉanto dankas vin,
   Ĉar vi nokte gvidas lin.
   Ĉu la vojon vidus li,
   Se ne brilus tiel vi?

Tlingit version:
Source: Beginning Tlingit, 3^a eld., p. 218

Kadli.ít'ji kutx ayanahá
daasákw shí áx isitee
Lingit'aaní kaax naaléi
nóox'yéx xáats' tóox iwlixáat'
kadli.ít'ji kutx ayanahá
daasákw shí áx isitee.

Here's a latin version:

Mica, mica parva stella!
Miro quaenam sis, tam bella
Splendens eminus in illo,
Alba velut gemma, caelo.
Mica, mica parva stella!
Miror quaenam sis tam bella!

Here's another:

Mica, mica, parva stella,
Miror quaenam sis tam bella.
Super terra in caelo,
Alba gemma splendido.
Mica, mica, parva stella,
Miror quaenam sis tam bella

A two-stanza Japanese version is here. Since Masato and I might be the only ones here whose computers will show proper Japanese text, here's a Shodouka version so the rest of you can see it. Romanized, it goes

kirakirahikaru osoranohoshiyo
          mabatakishitewa minnawomiteru
kirakirahikaru osoranohoshiyo

kirakirahikaru osoranohoshiyo
minnanoutaga todokutoiina
kirakirahikaru osoranohoshiyo

Bear in mind that in Japanese "minna" is three so-called syllables (technically, morae), and the w in "wo" is silent. Sometimes the "kirakira" (twinkle, twinkle) part is written in katakana, as on these music teachers' T-shirts from Indiana.

Liland

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29 Jun 02 - 04:09 PM (#739499)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)

On long urls, my eyes give out before I get it down. I won't bother with them in the future.

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29 Jun 02 - 04:21 PM (#739501)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: GUEST

Dicho try copy and pasting from the address bar

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29 Jun 02 - 04:35 PM (#739505)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: patmike

Twinkle, twinkle little star, I don't wonder what you are, You're the coolng down of gases, Forming into solid masses.

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29 Jun 02 - 04:45 PM (#739509)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Haruo

See my response on this over in the HTML practice thread, Dicho. You're probably making the process much harder than it needs to be.

Liland

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29 Jun 02 - 04:49 PM (#739514)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: mack/misophist

Starkle, starkle little twink
How I wonder what I think
Up above the world like that
Twinkle, twinkle little bat.

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29 Jun 02 - 04:56 PM (#739515)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Haruo

Note to the Japanese version I posted above:

Rhyme is not used in Japanese the way it is in English. There is no expectation that a Japanese song's lines will rhyme. So this version is not "deficient" in that respect. Rhyme wasn't particularly common for the ancient Romans, either, but gradually ever since the barbarians came it (rhyme) has become more and more prevalent in Latin verse, to the point where now if you translated "Twinkle, twinkle" into Latin and it didn't rhyme folks'd think you were nuts.

Liland - Lelandicus - Haruo

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29 Jun 02 - 05:56 PM (#739533)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Jeanie

Look, also, at the earlier thread, titled "Twinkle, twinkle" for more information about this song, the composer, the writer of the poem and the story behind it: www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=46816

- jeanie

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29 Jun 02 - 06:03 PM (#739537)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: dorareever

Wasn't the tune taken from Mozart?

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29 Jun 02 - 06:13 PM (#739542)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Haruo

twinkle twinkle. Thanks, Jeanie!

Liland

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29 Jun 02 - 06:19 PM (#739546)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: dorareever

I recall I learned how to play this melody on the recorder when I was in middle school and they told me it was indeed by Mozart.

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29 Jun 02 - 06:24 PM (#739549)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Haruo

Yes, dorareever, read either thread. Mozart wrote a famous set of variations on a preexisting tune to which was sung a French text, "Ah, vous dirai-je, maman" (links to the words are in the other thread).

I think it's one of those simple, widespread European kiddie-song tunes whose first composition (date and author) and original text will probably ever remain a mystery.

Liland

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29 Jun 02 - 08:18 PM (#739577)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Haruo

In singing the text to the "Mozart" tune, of course one repeats the first two lines at the end. But what about if you're singing more than one verse. Do you repeat the first two lines of each verse at the end thereof, or do you repeat the first two lines of the first verse at the end of each verse?

Liland

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29 Jun 02 - 09:30 PM (#739595)
Subject: Multilingual site: more trans. of Twinkle, Twinkle
From: Haruo

Another Latin version, from Multilingual Songs for Children site:

Stella, bella, mi mica.
Miror quid sis natura.
Resplendes ex spatio
Velut gemma in caelo.
Stella, bella, mi mica.
Miror quid sis natura.

That site also has the children's parody

Twinkle Twinkle Traffic Light
Shining on the Corner Bright
Red means stop
Green means go
yellow means go, very slow.
twinkle twinkle traffic light
shining on the corner bright

as well as Dutch ('Altijd is kortjakje ziek'), Finnish ('Tuiki, tuiki tähtönen'), German ('Funkle, funkle, kleiner Stern') and Swedish ('Blinka, blinka lilla Stjärna') versions. I don't know much Dutch, but that does not look like the same song to me. It may be sung to same tune, but that's about all.

Liland

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29 Jun 02 - 09:50 PM (#739600)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Haruo

Aha! I knew it! If you click on "info" above the Dutch text you get a pop-up that says "This rhyme has got the same melody as Twinkle, twinkle little star but quite another subject: a little girl called "kortjakje" (= short skirt) who stays "sick" in bed all the week behalf on Sunday when she goes to the church. The song does not tell that kortjakje is a whore, but the adults know it."

Perhaps now Wilfried will deign to post the lyrics (or links to them) of "Morgen kommt der Weihnachtsmann" and the "old bawdy student drinking song to this tune about a German knight drinking bitter with his henchmen." Bitte, Wilfried?

Liland

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29 Jun 02 - 10:44 PM (#739610)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)

No twinkies (or twinkles) in "Morgen kommt der Weinachtsmann."
Weinachtsmann

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29 Jun 02 - 11:01 PM (#739611)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Genie

Liland, when I took high-school Latin, we learned a different version. It began:

Mica, mica, parva stella Mirror[sp?] quaenam sis tam bella...

I'll see if I can find the rest in my old Latin textbook.

Genie

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29 Jun 02 - 11:03 PM (#739612)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: masato sakurai

THIS TEXT seems to be a Chinese version of it.

~Masato

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29 Jun 02 - 11:21 PM (#739620)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)

Masato, it can be read with IE if I download the Chinese characters. It comes out as lines of rectangles in Netscape.

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29 Jun 02 - 11:36 PM (#739624)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Haruo

Genie, I already posted (earlier in this thread, dated 3:23pm today) two variants that begin "Mica, mica, parva stella Miro(r) quaenam sis tam bella..." One says "miro", the other "miror", either will work, depending I think on whether you treat "wonder" as a normal verb or a deponent one, if I recall the term aright.

I also provided links to this thread and the Old MacDonald one to the Latin teachers at Latinteach.com's mailing list, thinking that now that the school year's over they may get bored and might enjoy an excursion into the Jungle of Mudcat.

I've actually been working more on my Japanese than my Latin recently. I have applied to join the Waseda Hoshien mailing list (letter of application/recommendation) — Waseda Hoshien is the Christian Student Center at Waseda University that my dad was accredited to during the year we lived in Tokyo when I was a youngster. I've let my Japanese pretty much slide for 35 years, and am quite excited about getting it back up to a level where I can make some practical (if not remunerative!! ;-) use of it... Masato may be able to appraise my style; charitably, I hope!

Liland - Lelandice - Haruo

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29 Jun 02 - 11:42 PM (#739626)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Haruo

Thanks for the Chinese, Masato. Maybe you could indicate the proper word divisions in the Japanese text I posted? I just strung the lines together in scripta continua, the way it's done in kana majiri, but I think romanized Japanese looks better with word breaks. I'm just not always sure where to put them.

Liland

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30 Jun 02 - 12:11 AM (#739635)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Genie

Sorry, Liland, In scrolling I somehow scrolled past your "Mica, mica" without seeint it (them). The first one you posted is the one I learned. Thanks.

Genie

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30 Jun 02 - 12:35 AM (#739643)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: JennieG

My kids used to like:

Twinkle twinkle little star
Daddy bought a motor car
Press the button, pull the choke,
Off we go in a cloud of smoke,
Twinkle twinkle little star
Daddy bought a motor car.

Cheers
JennieG

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30 Jun 02 - 12:35 AM (#739644)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: masato sakurai

Liland, the following is better. This version is singable but not a literal translation:

KIRAKIRA BOSHI ("Twinkling Stars")

Kirakira hikaru osora no hoshi yo
Mabatakishite wa minna o miteru
Kirakira hikaru osora no hoshi yo

Kirakira hikaru osora no hoshi yo
Minna no uta ga todokuto iina
Kirakira hikaru osora no hoshi yo

~Masato

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30 Jun 02 - 12:53 AM (#739646)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Kaleea

When I was a music major, they taught us the theme & variations for beginning strings by Wolfgang A. Mozart which has been used for centuries to teach beginning string students (violin, viola, cello, bass). Unlike the ever popular "Old Joe Clark," instead of bringing out the creativity in kids, the "Twinkle . . ." set of variations can drive one mad! Anyone who has kids studing the Suzuki string method, and many other string methods has listened to their kid(s) scratch out the unending variations for hours, and can only wish that they had no knowledge of "twinkle, twinkle!"

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30 Jun 02 - 01:07 AM (#739649)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Haruo

Since Mike "MMe" the Latin teacher dropped by, a thread at Latinteach has been resurrected that has three more variants in it, the most noteworthy feature of which is that they use "stellula" instead of "parva stella", which allows the scansion more closely to approximate the English.

Incidentally, what's the difference (aside from the filenames) between the two MIDIs for "Morgen kommt der Weinachtsmann" at the ingeb.org page Dicho linked us to? They sound the same to me; they're both 32 seconds long. What am I missing?

Liland

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30 Jun 02 - 01:07 AM (#739650)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Haruo

Since Mike "MMe" the Latin teacher dropped by, a thread at Latinteach has been resurrected that has three more variants in it, the most noteworthy feature of which is that they use "stellula" instead of "parva stella", which allows the scansion more closely to approximate the English.

Incidentally, what's the difference (aside from the filenames) between the two MIDIs for "Morgen kommt der Weinachtsmann" at the ingeb.org page Dicho linked us to? They sound the same to me; they're both 32 seconds long. What am I missing?

Liland

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30 Jun 02 - 01:38 AM (#739661)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Haruo

The Romantic Circle Praxis Series article on "The Star" that Dicho linked us to halfway up the thread mentions another German text that I don't think has been brought up here: "Ist das nicht ein Schnitzelbank?" But I think the tune of Ist das nicht ein Schnitzelbank is not close enough to call it the same tune. Surprised to see ingeb.org doesn't list this ridiculous drinking song among the innumerable Deutsche Volkslieder.

Liland

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30 Jun 02 - 01:49 AM (#739662)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Haruo

Virginia Kehoe proposed (on Latinteach.com)

Mica , mica, parva stella,
Tu es vero satis bella,
Lucens super hoc mundo,
Velut gemma in caelo
Mica, mica, parva stella,
Tu es vero satis bella.

Michael Myer suggested (back in July of 2000)

Mica mica, stellula
Quaenam sis vero miror
Lucens super hoc mundo
Velut gemma in caelo
Mica mica, stellula
Quaenam sis vero miror

and today further emended it to

Mica, mica stellula
Quaenam sis vero miror!
Lucens super hoc mundo
Velut gemma in caelo-
Mica, mica stellula
Quaenam sis vero miror!

Liland

"The Folk Process is alive and well and living in an embalmed language" - who said that?

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06 Sep 11 - 05:16 AM (#3218889)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman

Bill Briggs of Maine and Wyoming, climber/skier/singer extraordinaire, once sang me this. I think he had at least one more couplet I can't remember, and I've always wondered whether there was still more of it.

Starkle, starkle, little twink,
What the hell you are I think? ...

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07 Sep 11 - 11:42 AM (#3219549)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Jim Dixon

Bob Coltman: See STARKLE in the DT.

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07 Sep 11 - 08:40 PM (#3219814)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Joe_F

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
Now I know just what you are,
As into the midnight sky
I my spectroscope apply.

(In circulation at Caltech, 1950s.)

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08 Sep 11 - 11:26 AM (#3220078)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: Mark Ross

I practice child abuse on a weekly basis (I play banjo for pre-school kids), and we sing;

Twinkle, twinkle, little slug,
Crawling on my bathroom rug,
My, you're such a silly bug,
When I see you I say, "Ugh!",
Twinkle, twinkle, little bug.......

and;

Twinkle, twinkle little bat,
How i wonder where you're at,
My, that's such a funny hat,
Did you steal it from a cat?,
Twinkle, twinkle, little bat.......



Mark Ross

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08 Sep 11 - 07:23 PM (#3220354)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: autolycus

Thanks to google

Scintillate scintillate asteroid minific
Fain I would fathom thy nature specific
Loftily poised in the ether capacious
Strongly resembling a gem carbonaceous
Scintillate scintillate asteroid minific
Fain I would fathom thy nature specific

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08 Sep 11 - 08:16 PM (#3220371)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Twinkle, twinkle little star.
From: PHJim

Twinkle, twinkle little star,
Yes sir, yes sir three bags full,
Q,R,S and T,U,V,
Like a diamond in the sky,
Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool?
Tell me what you think of me.

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