昭和57年3刷、52年初版　四六判　両巻でP806　各巻カバーヤケ、スレ、端少イタミ　小口ヤケ、時代シミ　上巻裏遊び紙少虫喰い　下巻帯付（ヤケ、クスミ）

「マザー・グース」と総称される英米の伝承わらべ唄186篇の原文を記載。作品の意味や雰囲気を理解するために、背景となる風土や言葉遊びの意味、韻律、修辞、文献による詩句の異同などについて解説を加え、それらを踏まえた訳詞を付す。
また、下巻巻末ではマザー・グースと日本語訳詞の歴史などについて解説を加える。

目次：
【上巻】
まえがき
参考書目

〈Baby Games and Lullabies〉
　THIS LTTLE PIG WENT TO MARKET／GOOD MORNING, FATHER FRANCIS／PEASE PORRIDGE HOT／PAT-A-CAKE／DONKEY, DONKEY, DO NOT BRAY／・・・ほか
〈First Favourites〉
　HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE／HICKORY, DICKORY, DOCK／HUMPTY DUMPTY／RUB-A-DUB-DUB／HARK, HARK／・・・ほか
〈Little Songs〉
　SING a SONG OF SIXPENCE／BLOW, WIND, BLOW！／MY LADY WIND／I'LL SING YOU A SONG／THE CUCKOO'S A FINE BIRD／・・・ほか
〈People〉
　THE MAN IN THE MOON／WHEN I WAS A LITTLE BOY／THERE WISE MEN OF GOTHAM／THERE WAS A JOLLY MILER／ROBIN AND RICHARD／／・・・ほか

【下巻】
〈A Little Learning〉
　THIRTY DAYS HATH SEPTEMBER／IF WISHES WERE HORSES／FOR WANT OF A MAIL／THERE WAS AN OWL LIVED IN AN OAK／MARCH WINDS AND APRIL SHOWERS／・・・ほか
〈Awakening〉
　I HAD A LTTLE NUT TREE／HOW MANY MILES TO BABYLON？／SEE-SAW, SACRADOWN／ONE MISTY, MOISTY, MORNING／WHEN I WAS A LITTLE BOY／・・・ほか
〈Wonders〉
　IF ALL THE WORLD WAS PAPER／IF ALL THE SEAS WERE ONE SEA／UPON PAUL'S STEEPLE STANDS A TREE／THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN SAT SPINNING／THREE CHILDREN SLIDING ON THE ICE／・・・ほか
〈Riddles and Tongue Trippers〉
　ARTHUR O'BOWER HAS BROKEN HIS BAND／IN SPRING I LOOK GAY／FORMED LONG AGO, YET MADE TODAY／TWO LEGS SAT UPON THREE LEGS／IN MARBLE WALLS AS WHITE AS MILK／・・・ほか
〈Ballads and Songs〉
　THERE WERE THREE JOVIAL／THERE WAS A MAN LIVED IN THE MOON< LIVED IN THE MOON／THERE WAS A MAN IN ANOTHER TOWN／TOM, TOM, THE PIPER'S SON／TOM HE WAS A PIPER'S／・・・ほか
〈Belies〉
　OH, SOLDIER, SOLDIER, WILL YOU MARRY／JACK JINGLE WENT 'PRENTICE／SHALL WE TELL A LAST TALE

Mother Gooseをめぐって
　1　Nursery Rhymesの生成／2　Mother Gooseの出現／3　Mother Goose発祥の地／4　Mother Gooseの普及／5　Nursery Rhymesの本質／6　Mother Gooseと北原白秋／訳詞の難しさ

〈紀行〉
　Iona and Peter Opie訪問記

追補（1）
追補（2）
あとがき
Index of First Lines