One for Sorrow — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

One for sorrow
Two for joy
Three for a girl
Four for a boy
Five for silver
Six for gold
Seven for a secret, never to be told
Eight for a wish
Nine for a kiss
Ten for a bird you must not miss

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Learning from "One for Sorrow"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "One for Sorrow" uses 10 lines to create a memorable verse — proof that effective poetry doesn't need to be long. Pay attention to the meter: the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables is what makes the rhyme stick in your head.

Songwriters and poets can borrow these patterns. Try writing your own lyrics using the same rhyme scheme and line length as this nursery rhyme. You can also use words from the poem above as starting points — click any word to find rhymes or look up its definition, then build from there.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the words to One for Sorrow?
The lyrics to One for Sorrow are: One for sorrow / Two for joy / Three for a girl / Four for a boy / Five for silver / Six for gold ... Read the full 10-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does One for Sorrow have?
"One for Sorrow" has 10 lines of verse.

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