Notes

*Diddy is breast-milk
**To give a baby some pap is to breastfed him or her. (It can also refer to mushy baby food.)

*****

Here's a version of this rhyme I found in A History of Nursery Rhymes (1899) by Percy B. Green:

Dance a babby diddy,
What'll th' mammy do wi' thee?
Come sit on her lap, theart rosy and fat,
Dance a babby diddy.

Here's another version I found in Harry's Ladder to Learning (1850) and Traditional Nursery Songs of England with Pictures by Eminent Modern Artists edited by Felix Summerly (1843):

Danty Baby Diddy

Danty* baby diddy,
What can mammy do wid'e?
Sit in her lap,
And she'll give you some pap,
Danty baby diddy!

*Danty seems to be an alternate spelling of dainty - though I can't find it in any of my reference books to confirm it. The Oxford English Dictionary has an alternate spelling of "dante" for "dainty" - which is close.

*****

Here's a longer version I found in Rhymes Old and New, Collected by M.E.S. Wright (1900):

Dance a baby, diddy;
What can a mammy do wid 'e?
Sit in a lap, give it some pap,
And dance a baby, diddy.

Smile, my baby, bonny;
What will time bring on 'e?
Sorrow and care, frowns and grey hair,
So smile my baby, bonny.

Laugh, my baby, beauty;
What will time do to 'e?
Furrow your cheek, wrinkle your neck,
So laugh, my baby, beauty.

Dance, my baby, deary;
Mother will never be weary,
Frolic and play now while you may,
So dance, my baby, deary.

Download MIDI Tune

Download MIDI Tune

Thanks and Acknowledgements

The first illustration, the sheet music and tune all come from The Baby's Opera by Walter Crane (1877), with a little graphical editing by Mama Lisa. The second illustration comes from Harry's Ladder to Learning (1850).