Dance a baby, diddy (1915 Moffat) #nurseryrhymesong #nurseryrhymesforbabies

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Description

👶🍼🥛💃🕺[Lyrics below] This nursery rhyme song was published with one verse and melody in 1915:39 in "What the children sing : a book of the most popular rhymes & games" by Le Mair, H. Willebeek (Henriette Willebeek); Moffat, Alfred Edward, 1866-1950 (https://archive.org/details/whatchildrensing00lema/page/n45/mode/2up). This version was also published in 1912: 7 in "Little songs of long ago" (https://archive.org/details/LittleSongsOfLongAgoMoreOldNurseryRhymes/page/n9/mode/2up).

The melody can otherwise be found in slightly different variants.

The lyrics and illustrations are from "A book of nursery rhymes" by Francis D. Bedford, published in the 1880s. In 1990 it was published in "Rhymes Old and New", collected by M.E.S. Wright (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/30426).

The first verse was published in 1850: 118 in "Harry's ladder for learning" (https://archive.org/details/harrysladdertole00londiala/page/118/mode/2up).

A slightly different wording was published in 1846: 12 in "Traditional nursery songs of England" by Summerly, Felix (Henry Cole), 1808-1882 (https://archive.org/details/traditionalnurs00summiala/page/12/mode/2up):

DANTY* baby diddy**,
What can mammy do wid'e?
Sit in her lap,
And she'll give you some pap***,
Danty baby diddy !

*Danty might be the word dainty. It might also be a form of old times' "motherese" for 'dance'.
** Diddy is a dialectal word meaning 'teat'; here: to breast feed the baby.
***Pap is a dialectal word meaning 'nipple'; or soft baby food.


Here is what I sing:

Dance a baby, diddy;
What can a mammy do wid ’e?
Sit in a lap, give it some pap,
And dance a baby, diddy.

Smile, my baby, bonny;
What will time bring on ’e?
Sorrow and care, frowns and grey hair,
So smile my baby, bonny.

Laugh, my baby, beauty;
What will time do to ’e?
Furrow your cheek, wrinkle your neck,
So laugh, my baby, beauty.

Dance, my baby, deary;
Mother will never be weary,
Frolic and play now while you may,
So dance, my baby, deary.


***
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Du kan bestille her / You may order here:
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2. "Rundsanger og kanon", red. Siri Randem: https://notebutikken.no/products/nmo1...

#nurserysong
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