Despite not being as popular today as other French nursery rhymes such as Frere Jacques or Alouette, Ah! Vous dirai-je maman (Oh! Shall I tell you, mommy) had a tremendous impact on children’s music.
The tune is one of the most easily recognizable ones being adapted to many other songs such as Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Alphabet Song and numerous other nursery rhymes and children’s songs in other languages.
Moreover this tune inspired many classic composers such as Mozart (Twelve Variations on Ah vous dirai-je maman), Haydn (Surprise Symphony, 2nd movement), Franz Liszt (Album Leaf), or Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach (Variations on Ah vous dirai-je maman).
Ah! Vous dirai-je maman
Lyrics (French)
Ah ! Vous dirai-je maman
Ce qui cause mon tourment?
Papa veut que je raisonne
Comme une grande personne
Moi je dis que les bonbons
Valent mieux que la raison!
Ah! Vous dirai-je maman lyrics
(English translation)
Oh! Shall I tell you, Mama,
What is causing my torment?
Daddy wants me to reason
Like a big, big person,
But I say that candies,
Are worth more than the reason
Ah Vous Dirai – Je Maman Piano
