Bah, bah, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes, many have I,
Three bags full;
One for my master,
One for my dame,
But none for the little boy
Who cries in the lane.
Notes
There are many versions of this poem. Like many others I learned a more generous version as a youngster.
Baa Baa black sheep
Have you any wool?
Yes Sir! Yes Sir!
Three bags full.
One for the master,
And one for the dame,
And one for the little boy
Who lives down the lane.
Then there is the additional final verse that has been added by another anonymous writer. Trying to teach good manners obviously.
Thank you said the master,
Thank you said the dame
And thank you said the little boy
Who lived down the lane......
The lyrical form of this poem is abcbdefe.
1. Cf. The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes, ed. Iona and
Peter Opie (1951\; Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1966), no. 55, p. 88,
whose version, based on Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book
(1744), ends "And one for the little boy / Who lives down the lane."
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Comments
1 - 7 of 7
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From guest Shaz (contact)
Thank you said the master, Thank you said the dame and thank you said the little boy who lived down the lane...... does anyone remember that bit at the end? -
Sweet Rhyme
i learned another version of the poem when i was a Kid...i have again checked the famous nursay rhyme books but the poem is as...
Baa Baa black sheep
Have you any wool?
Yes Sir! Yes Sir!
Three bags full.
One for the master,
And one for the dame,
And one for the little boy
Who lives down the lane.
Maybe the version on this site is the original one. -
Bah Bah
From guest Bob Builder (contact)
I was taught a different version of this poem. The sheeps were tragially killed by a flesh eating bacteria! I loved the poem as a child, but now looking back on it, my Mum and Pop were morbid! -
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From guest Ian (contact)
Dont we now have to change the sheeps colour, was talking to someone who friends child came home from school singing baa baa blue sheep to be PC. Still hunting for this lesser spotted blue sheep. Perhaps the british goverment to tell me where I can locate one lol -
From guest Alex (contact)
where im from (australia) we say it like this Bah Bah Black sheep have you any wool? Yes sir, yes sir, 3 bags full 1 for the master and one the dame and one for the little boy who lives down the lane. -
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2007 Version - Bah, Bah
From guest John Bonifant (contact)
2007 Version Bah, Bah Bah, Bah Black Sheep Have you any wool? No Sir, No Sir, Life's to cruel. None for the Master, None for the Dame, Life is full Of incredible pain! -
From guest TheChosenOne (contact)
Where does the third bag go? Does the black sheep keep it for himself? I think it is supposed to go to the little boy. -
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When I was a youngster (long, long ago) I learned this rhyme as
Baa Baa black sheep
Have you any wool?
Yes Sir! Yes Sir!
Three bags full.
One for the master,
And one for the dame,
And one for the little boy
Who lives down the lane.
I can only assume that the given version was used for less well behaved children.
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Your poems are really cool!!!
From guest Jennifer May Filips (contact)
Wow Good poem But you copied another poets poem and changed a few words! -
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A timeless piece written who-knows-when which has brought immeasurable pleasure to children. I remember it as the 1744 version, but no matter it's still a classic children rhyme.
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lol i like this version!!! hehe
~mira~ -
I'm more used to New Massacre's version, interesting to know there was more than one version. Although, I was taught both 'none' and 'one'. But I definately remember 'yes sir yes sir' not 'yes marry have I' I liked this song as a child, it's a very good children's song and one I grew up with. I dislike the new version that was in the papers the other day 'rainbow sheep' because from what I know it was written because black wool was taxed lower than white wool and baa baa black sheep's a sheep anyway, the service is given because it's rather than because she/he's black so it's kind of pc gone mad.
A good song, I recomend it to any parents of young children to read to their kids if they're not used to it- preferably our version as it makes sense nowadays wheras 'marry' doesn't make sense to a modern child in this context (I feel) -
This is something that reminds me of the golden past like the old john of W.Blake...such such were joys...when we were girls and boys...the echoing green...these are bags full of pleasure and gladness...very cute.....
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I like this version, though the one I recall is sort of like what Eternally Lovelorn mentioned. LOL.
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you see the version i know goes
baa baa black sheep have you any wool
Yes sir, yes sir 3 bags full
one for the master
one for the dame
and one for the little boy
who lives down the lane.
Though when we were little we sang the little boy who lives down the drain cos you know, it was funny, or something.
Jadey xXxXx
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