A' the Nicht Owre and Owre Lyrics
A gentle Scots rhyme for swinging a child on your knee. All night long the peacock follows the hen, and the verse ends by praising pudding and pie.
A' the Nicht Owre and Owre
A' the nicht owre and owre,
And a' the nicht owre again;
A' the nicht owre and owre
The peacock followed the hen.
The hen's a hungry beast,
The cock is hollow within;
But there's nae deceit in a puddin',
A pie's a dainty thing.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/a-the-nicht-owre-and-owre/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Sung or chanted, on a gentle swing
- Best for ages
- Babies to 4 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| A' the nicht owre and owre | Sit the child on your knees and sway slowly side to side. |
| The peacock followed the hen | Walk two fingers after each other along the child's arm. |
| A pie's a dainty thing | Give a little bounce on the last word. |
What Does A' the Nicht Owre and Owre Mean?
The rhyme is in Scots. A' means all, nicht is night and owre is over, so the first line means "all the night, over and over". Nae deceit means no trick: you always know what you are getting with a pudding. The words matter less than the rocking rhythm, which is meant to soothe.
History and Origin
Robert Ford prints it in Children's Rhymes, Children's Games, Children's Songs, Children's Stories (1904) as a rhyme to follow the riding games, "on an easier swing", when a child has had enough bouncing. He marks it to be sung again from the start.
Learning Activities
- Slow down: use it after a lively knee-bouncing rhyme to calm things down.
- Scots words: learn nicht, owre and nae, then say the line in English.
- Bird pictures: look at a peacock and a hen and compare their feathers.