The Moon — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

The moon has a face like the clock in the hall;
She shines on thieves on the garden wall,
On streets and fields and harbour quays,
And birdies asleep in the forks of the trees.
The squalling cat and the squeaking mouse,
The howling dog by the door of the house,
The bat that lies in bed at noon,
All love to be out by the light of the moon.
But all of the things that belong to the day
Cuddle to sleep to be out of her way;
And flowers and children close their eyes
Till up in the morning the sun shall arise.

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Learning from "The Moon"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Moon" uses 12 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 The Moon?
The lyrics to The Moon are: The moon has a face like the clock in the hall; / She shines on thieves on the garden wall, / On streets and fields and harbour quays, / And birdies asleep in the forks of the trees. / The squalling cat and the squeaking mouse, / The howling dog by the door of the house, ... Read the full 12-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does The Moon have?
"The Moon" has 12 lines of verse.

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