Can you count the stars (Nursery Rhyme)


Summary

The poem explores themes of nature, creation, and divine omniscience through a series of rhetorical questions that emphasize the boundless and awe-inspiring aspects of the world around us. It invites children to contemplate the vast, uncountable elements of the universe, such as stars, clouds, wings, fish, and even the joyful voices of children themselves, suggesting that although humans may find it impossible to quantify these wonders, a higher power has knowledge of and an intimate relationship with all of creation. Through vivid imagery and a gentle, contemplative tone, the poem communicates a message of amazement at the complexity and expansiveness of the world, while also instilling a sense of comfort in the constant, watchful presence of a divine being who cares for every part of it.

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Can you count the stars that brightly
twinkle in the midnight sky?
Can you count the clouds, so lightly
o’er the meadows floating by?
God, the Lord, doth mark their number,
with His eyes that never slumber;
He hath made them everyone.

Can you count the wings now flashing
in the sunshine’s golden light?
Can you count the fish splashing
in the cooling waters bright?
God, the Lord, a name hath given,
to all creatures under Heaven;
He hath named them everyone.

Do you know how many children
rise each morning blithe and gay?
Can you count their jolly voices,
singing sweetly day by day?
God hears all the happy voices,
in their merry songs rejoices;
and He loves them, every one.