Wee Willie Winkie — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

Wee Willie Winkie rins through the toon,
Up stairs an' doon stairs in his nicht-gown,
Tirlin' at the window, crying at the lock,
"Are the weans in their bed, for it's now ten o'clock?"
"Hey, Willie Winkie, are ye comin' ben?
The cat's singin grey thrums to the sleepin hen,
The dog's speldert on the floor and disna gie a cheep,
But here's a waukrife laddie, that wunna fa' asleep."
Onything but sleep, you rogue, glow'ring like the moon,
Rattling in an airn jug wi' an airn spoon,
Rumblin', tumblin' roon about, crawin' like a cock,
Skirlin like a kenna-what, waukenin' sleepin' fock.
"Hey Willie Winkie, the wean's in a creel,
Wamblin' aff a bodie's knee like a verra eel,
Ruggin' at the cat's lug and raveling a' her thrums-
Hey Willie Winkie - see there he comes."
Wearit is the mither that has a stoorie wean,
A wee, stumpie, stousie, that canna rin his lane,
That has a battle aye wi' sleep afore he'll close an e'e-
But a kiss frae aff his rosy lips gies strength anew to me.

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Learning from "Wee Willie Winkie"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "Wee Willie Winkie" uses 20 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 Wee Willie Winkie?
The lyrics to Wee Willie Winkie are: Wee Willie Winkie rins through the toon, / Up stairs an' doon stairs in his nicht-gown, / Tirlin' at the window, crying at the lock, / "Are the weans in their bed, for it's now ten o'clock?" / "Hey, Willie Winkie, are ye comin' ben? / The cat's singin grey thrums to the sleepin hen, ... Read the full 20-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does Wee Willie Winkie have?
"Wee Willie Winkie" has 20 lines of verse.

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