Thirty Days Hath September - Modern Variants

Modern Variants

It is common to encounter derivative or shorter variants of the two Mother Goose versions above that have an imperfect or irregular rhyme pattern and rhythm:

Thirty days hath September,

April, June, and November;

Thirty-one the others date,

February, only, twenty-eight;

leap years we define

February, gets twenty-nine.

Thirty days has September,

April, June, and November.

All the rest have thirty-one,

Except—you know which one.

Thirty days has September

April, June, and November.

All the rest have thirty-one,

Excepting February alone

To which we twenty-eight assign,

'Til leap year gives us twenty-nine.

Thirty days has September,

April, June and November.

All the rest have thirty-one,

Excepting February alone

Which has eight and one score

And every fourth year one more.

Thirty days has September

April, June, and November.

All the rest have Thirty-One—

Well, all the rest but one.

February only has twenty-eight,

And that's just fine,

Except for every fourth year,

When February has twenty-nine.

Thirty days has September,

April, June, and November;

Once short February's done,

All the rest have thirty-one.

Thirty days has September

April, June, and November.

Of twenty-eight there is but one,

And all the rest have thirty-one.

Thirty days has September,

April, June, and November;

All the rest have thirty-one,

Except February. It has twenty-eight, we find,

Unless it's leap year: Then it has twenty-nine.

Thirty days has September,

April, June and November,

All the rest have thirty-one

Except for February alone, my dear

Which has twenty-eight, and twenty-nine in each leap year.

Thirty days has September,

April, June and November.

All the rest have thirty-one,

Except for February: It is done

At twenty-eight, but leap one more

When the year divides by four.

One modern version forgoes describing February's exception to keep the rhythm and rhyme constant:

Thirty days have September,

April, June, and November.

All the rest have thirty-one,

Except for February—and that's no fun!

More elaborate variations, such as these, can be sung to melodies:

Thirty days has September,

April, June, and November,

All the rest have thirty-one,

except for February alone,

which has twenty-eight rain or shine,

but on leap year, twenty-nine.

Thirty days has September,

April, June, and November,

All the rest have thirty-one,

except for February alone oh no,

which has three less than the others rain or shine,

but on leap years, twenty-nine.

Thirty days has September,

April, June, and November;

All the rest have thirty-one,

except for February alone,

which has four and twenty-four,

'til leap year gives it one day more.

Thirty days has September,

April, June, and November;

All the rest have thirty-one,

except for quite contrary, February,

which has twenty-eight most of the time,

but in leap year twenty-nine.

Thirty days has September,

April, June and November.

All the rest have thirty-one,

save for February alone.

And then in leap year that's the time

that February has twenty-nine.

Thirty days has September,

April, June and November.

All the rest have thirty-one,

February has twenty-eight alone.

Leap year coming one in four,

February has one day more.

This is one Swedish version:

Trettio' dagar har september,

April, juni och november.

Februari sju åtta alén,

Alla de övriga trettioen.

Translated to English:

Thirty days have September,

April, June and November.

February seven eight alén,

All the others, thirty-one.