The Song of Luddy-Dud Lyrics
A sunbeam creeps into the nest of a sleeping baby and sings a song about little Luddy-Dud. Then a bird and a bee carry the song over the clover and the bud, and in the last verse the mother sings it by the swinging cradle as night winds blow.
The Song of Luddy-Dud
A sunbeam comes a-creeping
Into my dear one's nest,
And sings to our babe a-sleeping,
The song that I love the best:
"'Tis little Luddy-Dud in the morning -
'Tis little Luddy-Dud at night;
And all day long
'Tis the same sweet song
Of that waddling, toddling, coddling little mite, Luddy-Dud."
The bird to the tossing clover,
The bee to the swaying bud,
Keep singing that sweet song over
Of wee little Luddy-Dud.
"'Tis little Luddy-Dud in the morning -
'Tis little Luddy-Dud at night;
And all day long
'Tis the same dear song
Of that growing, crowing, knowing little sprite, Luddy-Dud!"
Luddy-Dud's cradle is swinging
Where softly the night winds blow,
And Luddy-Dud's mother is singing
A song that is sweet and low:
"'Tis little Luddy-Dud in the morning -
'Tis little Luddy-Dud at night;
And all day long
'Tis the same sweet song
Of my nearest and my dearest heart's delight, Luddy-Dud!"
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/the-song-of-luddy-dud/
- Type
- Lullabies, Poems for Children
- Written by
- Eugene Field
- Tune
- A rocking, singsong tune, with the same chorus tune each time and a slower last verse
- Best for ages
- 0 to 5 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Luddy-Dud's cradle is swinging | Rock your arms side to side as if holding a baby. |
| 'Tis little Luddy-Dud in the morning | Open both hands wide like a sunrise. |
What Does The Song of Luddy-Dud Mean?
Luddy-Dud is a made-up pet name for a baby. The three verses follow one song as it passes from singer to singer: first a sunbeam, then a bird and a bee, and last the baby's mother. Each verse has the same chorus, 'tis little Luddy-Dud in the morning, 'tis little Luddy-Dud at night, and then all day long the same sweet song. Only the last two lines change.
Those last lines are made of baby words. In the first verse the baby is a waddling, toddling, coddling little mite. A mite is a very small person. In the second it is a growing, crowing, knowing little sprite, where a sprite is a playful, elf-like creature. In the mother's verse the baby is her nearest and my dearest heart's delight. The chorus appears three times in the poem, so a child can join in after hearing it once.
History and Origin
Eugene Field's Poems of Childhood was published in New York by Charles Scribner's Sons in 1904, and the book includes this song.
Learning Activities
- Chorus catch: sing the verse and let the child join the chorus line each time it comes round.
- Pet names: talk about the pet names the family uses for a baby and make up a new song with one.
- Sunbeam trace: in the morning, trace a sunbeam on the floor with a finger and sing to it.
- Rocking song: hold a doll or teddy and rock it slowly while singing the last verse.